5-9-11 Editorial/Opinion

New York Times Editorials

Star Tribune Editorials

Editorial Cartoons

An editorial is a way for a reporter to get her own personal opinion into a story, rather than the objective approach used with other newspaper stories. Most newspapers run editorials on a regular schedule, whether daily or two to three times per week. These are normally written by the staff reporters, though community leaders or experts in certain fields are occasionally invited to craft an editorial. If you are called on to write an editorial, there are a few things to keep in mind:

1. Keep the topic relevant. The topic of an editorial should normally be about a current news story or event. This doesn't have to be a major story or event, but it should be something with a broad appeal to the readership. If you want to write an editorial about something that happened in the past, wait for an anniversary of the event to tie it to the present day.

2. Use personal opinion. The main difference between an editorial and a news story is that there is room to try to persuade readers with your personal opinion. This should be done in a rational manner, as with a standard news story, and with attributed sources if needed. It is not enough to state your opinion on a news story, but rather to use your opinion to guide interpretation of the story.

3. Feel free to use emotion, but in a limited manner. An editorial written out of anger or another strong emotion is not going to hold the persuasive power of one written with a limited range of emotion. I once wrote an editorial about greed and how it was driving government officials in ways that I didn't approve of. By simply expressing distaste and disappointment, the editorial had more impact than if I had written an angry missive about how much I hated the local government. Strong, reactive emotion will turn off readers, while a more personal and subdued emotional theme will draw readers in.Use persuasive language. Using clear, active language is far more persuasive than a weak narrative that rambles. Get to the point. For more information about crafting persuasive arguments, see How to Write a Persuasive Essay.

4. Get your facts straight. While there is a limited protection afforded by opinion pieces, there is still a chance of your piece being construed as libel. If you are discussing people or businesses in your editorial, be sure that all facts are correct and are attributed. If you are writing negative opinions about people or businesses, be sure to begin by stating that it is your opinion. Opinions can be neither proved nor disproved, and will not be construed as libel unless there is an obvious component of malice to them. For this reason, never name call.

5. Try to be entertaining. Keeping all of the above steps of clarity, relevance and fact-checking in mind, there is still room to write in an entertaining manner. Readers usually expect to get more out of an editorial than simple facts, so don't disappoint. You can use humor to illustrate your points if appropriate.




You should answer these questions on your blog before you come to class tomorrow.

Note: Pointing out what’s wrong is easier than contributing to a problem’s solution –and a good editorial’s concern should be to better a situation, not bludgeon it. Remember, also, no matter what your purpose or topic, an editorial is no place to indulge in personal attacks. Be smart! Don’t whine or gripe – use your energy to convince!

1. What is a problem/issue that our entire student body (our school, community, country, etc.) faces today?

2. What is your view/position on the problem or situation?

3. What would you like to achieve with your editorial? (What is the desired result?)

4. How will you persuade your audience to adopt your viewpoint as theirs? List at least 4 persuasive points.

5. How will you motivate your readership to action in your conclusion?

6. How will your editorial serve a public purpose?



YOUR ASSIGNMENT:
Choose a topic that interprets news or an issue from your student perspective(remember: this is YOUR opinion!)
1. This should be between 350-500 words long.
2. It should express an opinion about your topic in an intelligent way.
3. It should be spelling and error-free
4. It should be developed like an editorial
5. Use the examples we read in class as a model

MON - Prewriting
TUES - Prewriting Due, Data Collection/Interviews
WED - Interview questions due, writing time
THURS - Interview answers due, writing time
FRI - Peer Edits, Revisions, Final Assignment Due Monday
MON - Final Assignment posted before beginning of hour