April Ryan: 'The Line Between Fact and Opinion Has Been Obscured,' People Need to 'Differentiate'

WASHINGTON — April Ryan, a political analyst for CNN, said that “the line between fact and opinion has been obscured” in the media for “a long time.”

Ryan’s comments were made in response to a question about former Nightline Anchor Ted Koppel, who recently criticized some newspapers for putting commentary about President Donald Trump on the front page and showing an anti-Trump bias.

“As far as I’m concerned, you know, he’s right, but at the same time, we need to know there is more fact out there, we need more fact out there. I mean, talking heads will give their opinion but the problem is that people don’t really see a difference between fact and opinion. People need to be able to differentiate the fact, the reporting versus the opinion piece,” Ryan said during an interview at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday evening.

Koppel also said Trump is “not mistaken” in his perception that the “establishment press” is “out to get him.”

“We’re talking about organizations that I believe have, in fact, decided as organizations that Donald J. Trump is bad for the United States,” he said.

In response to those statements, Ryan, the White House Correspondent and Washington bureau chief for American Urban Radio Networks, said, “He’s an elder statesman and he’s entitled to his opinion.”