Why newspapers are cutting out opinion pieces and letters-to-the editor ? Nothing to do with Corporate America's war on FREE SPEECH ?

  "Gannett says its internal research — primarily reader surveys — suggests editorials, guest commentary columns, op-eds and letters to the editor have lost relevance in an age when opinions overflow on social media. Younger readers, according to the company, often can't tell the difference between news reporting and opinion, especially online, where stories appear outside traditional sections. Worse, readers often mistakenly believe that news stories are dictated by the paper's editorial side. "