THE reader has a right to opinion. Whether it is given to him in editorial columns or pages, or in diminutive doses called 'interpretation' is merely a question of time and fashion . . .

"Lately, a new element has come into the debate about opinion journalism. That is the digesting of information not only in depth but in time. The world is moving ever faster. World news is as accelerated as aviation.

Opinion cannot keep up with the speed at which the events are reported. Time for quietly surveying the scene of the battle is not given. Just as a newspaper, missing a number of scoops on a certain news story, may be better off a week later when it can give the full, coherent story, so a newspaper nowadays giving daily developments of--say--a revolution somewhere is, because of its haphazard reporting, sometimes at a disadvantage compared with the interpretative review offered by a weekly newsmagazine.

"There must be many an intellectual, avid newspaper reader--even editor --who finds himself reading regularly the survey offered him by magazines, although the dateline may be three to seven days behind his own morning paper--not so much for the additional informative items, or the 'cute' pattern in which the facts are laid, but for the perspective in the properly arranged facts . . . It is the messenger in the Greek tragedy who always gives a better commentary of the battle than the hero or his arms-bearer who shout bits of information around during the encounter. The newspaper cannot give the reader that bird's-eye view unless it is prepared to repeat every day a certain number of facts already reported earlier in the week . . .

"This means not only faster writing, but also faster interpretation . . . And let the agencies, above and beyond their news stories, allow their specialized news gatherers to give interpretative comment, separate from the news, yet not too much behind it . . .

"This new trend in journalism is a happy one, but one which taxes the training, experience and learning of the journalist even more than the pressure of time and space do already . . . Let us put more energy in these stories. Whether once published it is called comment, footnote, opinion or interpretation does not matter. They are all different names for the same thing: clear guidance in the fast traffic of world events."

TIME'S principal aim and ambition is to fulfill the role of Mr.Luecker's Greek messenger in giving just such coverage as he recommends week after week in this fast traffic of world events.

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