What is straight news reporting?

Straight news reporting (sometimes also referred to as "hard news" reporting) means reporting the news in a neutral, factual manner, without opinion or personal point of view. These days, there are many commentators on TV and radio, and while they may discuss current events, they are not "straight news reporters" because they are giving opinion and making assertions that may or may not be based on fact. All networks, including opinion-based outlets like Fox and MSNBC, have both commentators and straight news reporters. It is important to know the difference between them, since some (reporters like Shep Smith on Fox and Andrea Mitchell on MSNBC) are mainly giving you the facts, and others (like Bill O'Reilly on Fox and Lawrence O'Donnell on MSNBC) are giving you their partisan opinions about those facts.