[Idiom] blow in the wind

[nightelb]

Can anybody tell me what the phrase "blowing in the wind" in the text below means? Many thanks!

"I would hope that a newspaper as respected as yours would show more consistency in its opinions and analysis rather than blowing in the wind in its editorial viewpoints."

 

[The Maltese Falcon]

Here the phrase blowing in the wind is used to desribe something that doesn't have structure or that doesn't follow strict guidelines.

The newspaper which the person is talking about doesn't stick to one viewpoint or opinion, even though it's a respected publication, so their views are 'all over the place' and not consistent, like something that is blowing in the wind.

I hope this helps!
TMF

 

[BobK]

It's an image with a long pedigree. In Shakespeare's Winter's Tale Leontes complains about this tendency to follow any idea that's popular at the time:

'I am a feather for each wind that blows'.​

And I'm sure Shakespeare wasn't the first.

b