Platform
Genres, opinion and the opinion section
Separate news from editorials, columns, debate, letters and reviews with genres, labels and a dedicated opinion section.
Last updated 14 October 2026
Opinion requires a clear separation from news reporting. In Aeon News, genre says what kind of text an article is, while the category says which section it belongs to. A column about culture is genre Column in the section Culture.
The genres
| Genre | Use it for |
|---|---|
| News | Reporting. The default. |
| Analysis | Newsroom analysis that explains rather than reports. |
| Comment | A short opinion from the newsroom on current news. |
| Editorial | The newspaper’s institutional opinion. |
| Column | A recurring personal column. |
| Opinion piece | A debate article from an outside contributor. |
| Reply | A response to an opinion piece. |
| Letter | A reader’s letter. |
| Review | Reviews of books, films, music, performances and more. |
Choose the genre in Genre & writers in the article editor. Readers see the genre as a label near the headline. When the writer is external, guest formats are marked automatically, for example “Guest column” or “Guest analysis”.
Presentation follows the genre
Each genre suggests a byline presentation and drop cap: a column gets the columnist presentation and a drop cap, a letter a simple signature. The suggestion can always be changed per article. See writers, bylines and columnists.
The opinion section
The opinion section, at /opinion/ in English and Swedish (/mielipide/ in Finnish), gathers editorials, the columnists, debate, letters, comment and analysis on one page. Each genre also has its own page in the same style.
Disclaimers
A section can carry an opinion disclaimer explaining that views belong to the contributor rather than the newsroom. Set it on the category under Posts › Categories.
Letters and debate policy
The platform makes presentation consistent, but the editorial rules are the newsroom’s: names, editing, fact checking and anonymous submissions. Pseudonyms in letters are not added to the writer register; they stay in the text as written.
Checklist
- Is the genre correct and visible near the headline?
- Is the writer’s role or relevant interest clear, if necessary with Title in this article?
- Is the section disclaimer present where it is needed?
- Do headline and image avoid imitating news reporting?
- Are comments and moderation appropriate for the subject?