Editorial line
The editorial line is the set of choices defining what an outlet covers, how, and for whom. What it is, and what it is not.
The editorial line is the coherent set of choices that define an outlet: which subjects it covers and which it leaves, the audience it addresses, the level of detail, the tone, the balance between information and comment. It is sometimes written into a charter, more often passed on through practice and daily calls.
It is not a synonym for political opinion, and it is not a flaw either. Every outlet has one, including those who deny it: choosing to cover Switzerland rather than the world, or business rather than sport, is already a line. There is no such thing as an outlet without an editorial line; there are only outlets whose line is left unstated.
For a reader the useful question is therefore not "does this outlet have a line?" but "which one, and does it own it openly?". A declared line can be tested against the output; an unspoken one cannot.
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