For The Record

One distinct difference between the city’s two tabloids is that unlike the Post, the Daily News generally avoids letting its editorial opinions affect its news coverage. This extends even to its columnists’ taking positions at sharp odds with those on the editorial page.

A striking example of that independence at the News was offered in its April 15 edition. The previous day, the lead editorial in the paper decried the campaign to have students opt out of taking the state’s standardized tests, asserting that parents were being gulled into serving the interests of the Teacher unions (New York State United Teachers had launched a late campaign supporting opting out in the wake of Governor Cuomo’s success in tightening the screws on Teachers under the new budget by potentially increasing the weight given to the tests in Teacher evaluations.)