Editorials serve two purposes, the obvious purpose is to state the paper’s view. In the hey day of news, from 1900 - 1950, all major cities had a least three major papers. Therefore you always got a pro-view an anti-view and at least one to back one of them up.
Newspaper to a degree were like “talk radio” today. We listen to Rush because we know what side he’s on, it’s really entertainment.
The other thing people don’t realize as much is the Supreme Court has long recognized the constitutional right to state an opinion as free speech.
This is very important to newspapers.
If you claim something you need the facts to back it up or you may get sued. If I report something in the paper I have a chance of getting sued, so I better make sure it’s 100% defendable.
But opinions are not so. And if you notice on the editorial page, the Op-Ed page and the “letters to the editor” pages the newspapers make it crystal clear THIS IS AN OPINION. They clearly spell out THIS ISN’T NEWS.
This give the newspaper a round about way to state what they believe is true, even if they can’t prove it.
If I say “Tom Cruise is gay,” and can’t back that up and millions of people say “I won’t see his movies from now on.” Cruise can sue and if he can prove his career was hurt he’ll win damages, unless I can back the fact up Cruise is gay.
But if I put it on an editorial page or a letter to the editor and phrase it in such a way that it’s opinion I am protected."
Similar to what happened when Oprah said she wouldn’t eat beef and her fans stopped buying beef and the beef industry sued. They lost. Oprah was just stating her opinion and she has a right to do that.
If I say “Tom Cruise sucks and if I was anyone reading this post, I’d not see his movies, 'cause people who suck don’t deserve a career,” and then Tom Cruise’s movies all dry up, well he’s out of luck. Why? 'Cause that’s my opinion and and I’m entitled to it. I’m entitled to express it.
So this is the one of the stronger reasons editorial pages exist.
One more historical note is in the past, newspapers were a source of pride and in reality an extension of the owner. William Randolph Hearst used his papers as a big platform, so in the past newspapers were an ego boost and extension to their owner. (And I mean all owners not only Hearst)