I just read that the first ever “op ed page” appeared in the New York Times in 1970 (21 September) — “op ed” as in space handed over to rival blowhards, to counter the editorial pages (which are as old as newspapers themselves) (indeed, editorials pre-date the rather recent idea of merely neutral fact-gathering)
so is this just a US fact? hard to recall nowadays, but until 1966, the (London) Times didn’t have any actual news — let alone headlines — on the front page, just small ads of interest to the upper upper!!
i love technical stuff like this, the evolution of the presentation of information (and implicit politics of same): the most natural conclusion being that the NYT wz meekly responding to the aggressive Nixonian claim that it represented the “Eastern Media Establishment” (rather than eg the “Silent Majority”)… but maybe there wz another (better) reason
UPDATE: speaking of the evolution of the presentation of information, and what gets put on newspaper frontpages these days (via hullaballoo):
