The editorial board is a group of people, usually at a print publication, who dictate the tone and direction the publication's editorials will take.

Who's on the editorial board

Usually the editorial board consists of the publisher, editorial page editor and editorial writers. Some newspapers include other personel as well.

What the editorial board does

Editorial boards meet on a regular basis to discuss the latest news and opinion trends and discuss what the newspaper should say on a range of issues. They will then decide who will write what editorials and for what day. When such an editorial appears in a newspaper, it is considered the institutional opinion of that newspaper.

At some newspapers, the editorial board will also review wire service and syndicated columns for inclusion on the editorial page or op-ed page.

Some newspapers, particularly small ones, do not have an editorial board, choosing instead to rely on the judgment of a single editorial page editor.

The Op-Ed page

Many newspapers also run an "op-ed" page, which means, literally, "opposite (of) editorial." This refers to the fact that this page is positioned opposite from the editorial page but does not mean the opinions on it are necessarily opposite of the newspaper's editorials.

This page includes columns from other newspapers, wire services and syndicated columnists. It may also include statements of opinions from local government and civic leaders or other free-lance contributors.

Columns on this page may also be penned by the newspaper's own staff, but if bylined they do not necessarily represent the views of the newspaper's editorial board.

At many newspapers, both the editorial and op-ed pages may also include a mix of letters from readers.