As a radio commentator. I am not asked to report the news, but instead, like generations of commentators before me, I am permitted to share my own observations and opinions.  While commentaries are better if they are thought provoking and pithy, their only absolute requirement is to sound like they have a point.

Developing a commentary differs in a number of ways from the difficult work of hard news reporters who must seek out stories, uncover reliable sources, and report the facts accurately, with unquestioned credibility and timeliness.

There are two fundamental differences that separate the work of reporters versus commentators. (1) As commentators, we do not have to waste valuable time making sure every little fact is just perfect. As a result, we usually don't have to put in much overtime. (2) Additionally, developing a commentary does not usually involve much traveling, so we commentators, unlike reporters, are usually not reimbursed for mileage.

Nonetheless, the role of commentator is built on a foundation of values and principles too, just as lofty and restrictive as those of news reporters.

I remember an important scene about this very issue depicted in the Orson Welles classic Citizen Kane, which by the way is a more fitting movie to cite in a commentary than, say, Die Hard 2 with Bruce Willis, a film short on message, but chock full of things exploding and gratuitous violence. In Citizen Kane, there is a pivotal scene where Welles as editor and publisher Charles Foster Kane, stops the presses late one night for the dozenth time, so he can publish his Declaration of Principles on the front page.

He pledges honesty in reporting and promises to be a tireless champion of his reader's rights.  This makes for a lively scene, although I have to admit not as edge-of-seat exciting as Bruce Willis blowing up an airplane, but then again Citizen Kane did not need to rely on gratuitous violence, because it chose instead to focus on gratuitous insights.

All those associated with journalistic pursuits should have principles that are clearly articulated, whether they deliver hard news.... or the softer, more gelatinous kind of news heard in commentaries like mine.

First, I, Chuck Goldstone,
pledge never to let accuracy or truth get in the way of my point. This may mean that some of my statements may not be entirely accurate nor truthful, so if you quote me, do so ay your own peril.

Second,  I, Chuck Goldstone,
will never hesitate to make up any statistic if it makes what I say sound more convincing.  And don't think I'm the only one who does this. In fact, of all the commentators on radio today, exactly 85% do exactly the same thing.

Third,  I, Chuck Goldstone,
pledge never to be a slave to consistency nor  burdened by faithfulness to any particular position.  When pinned down, I reserve the right not only to change my opinion but to deny I ever said anything to the contrary in the first place

Finally,  I, Chuck Goldstone,
pledge to strictly adhere to these principles, as I have done, 85% of the time.