By Zenaida Sanjurjo Rodríguez Writing an Editorial By Zenaida Sanjurjo Rodríguez

Introduction If you're opinionated and able to write using clear, persuasive language, then you may want to learn how to write newspaper editorials.  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. The first thing you should understand is proper writing style; you don't need to compromise your own personal voice, but it is necessary to have clear, concise writing. 

Four Types of Editorials Will: Explain or interpret: Editors often use these editorials to explain the way the newspaper covered a sensitive or controversial subject. School newspapers may explain new school rules or a particular student-body effort like a food drive.

Cont. Criticize:

Cont. Persuade: Editorials of persuasion aim to immediately see the solution, not the problem. From the first paragraph, readers will be encouraged to take a specific, positive action. Political endorsements are good examples of editorials of persuasion.

Cont. Praise: These editorials commend people and organizations for something done well. They are not as common as the other three.

Editorials Types Articles written by a newspaper's editorial board members expressing the paper's position on a local, national, or international issue currently in the news. Since these pieces are written by a group, a by-line indicating author is not included.

Letters written by readers of the newspaper Letters written by readers of the newspaper. In the case of Louisville's The Courier- Journal, this section is titled "Readers' Forum." The newspaper is providing a forum through which readers may comment on an issue or the way the paper has covered an issue

Syndicated or locally written columns written by individuals, again expressing a position on a local, national, or international issue in the news. The author's name, and in some cases, a picture, are included in the column. In the case of The Courier- Journal, another example is the local issue-oriented "Your View" column, which appears in Wednesday's "Neighborhoods" section. The articles are written by readers and are typically of an editorial nature.

Tips on Writing your Editorial Keep the topic relevant. Finding editorial topics and getting ideas can be among the largest challenges facing any writer, but with editorials the process is often a bit easier than for other types of writing.  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. It may be that your editorial ideas mainly center around local or national history - that's not a problem!  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.  You can get writing ideas by brainstorming with friends and family.  

Tips on Writing your Editorial 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.

Tips on Writing your Editorial 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.

Tips on Writing your Editorial Use persuasive language. Persuasive writing is one of the key elements of a good editorial.  Using clear, active language in your writing is far more persuasive than a weak narrative that rambles. Get to the point. For more information about crafting persuasive arguments,

Tips on Writing your Editorial 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.

Tips on Writing your Editorial 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. Having a distinctive style is key in getting your editorial noticed by editors and readers; you can develop your own tone by taking time to hone your writing skills. One of the best writing tips for opinion editorials is to use humor to illustrate your points when appropriate.

Tips on Writing your Editorial Editorials are often used to spotlight one aspect of a story that has been overlooked. If you are searching for a topic, try reading the newspaper and picking out big stories that may not have had all aspects covered.

The Down and Dirty! Editorials Have: 1. Introduction, body and conclusion like other news stories 2. An objective explanation of the issue, especially complex issues 3. A timely news angle 4. Opinions from the opposing viewpoint that refute directly the same issues the writer addresses

The Down and Dirty! 5. The opinions of the writer delivered in a professional manner. Good editorials engage issues, not personalities and refrain from name-calling or other petty tactics of persuasion.
6. Alternative solutions to the problem or issue being criticized. Anyone can gripe about a problem, but a good editorial should take a pro-active approach to making the situation better by using constructive criticism and giving solutions.

The Down and Dirty! 7. A solid and concise conclusion that powerfully summarizes the writer's opinion. Give it some punch.

Writing an Editorial 1. Pick a significant topic that has a current news angle and would interest readers.
2. Collect information and facts; include objective reporting; do research
3. State your opinion briefly in the fashion of a thesis statement
4. Explain the issue objectively as a reporter would and tell why this situation is important
5. Give opposing viewpoint first with its quotations and facts

Writing an Editorial 6. Refute (reject) the other side and develop your case using facts, details, figures, quotations. Pick apart the other side's logic.
7. Concede a point of the opposition — they must have some good points you can acknowledge that would make you look rational.
8. Repeat key phrases to reinforce an idea into the reader's minds.
9. Give a realistic solution(s) to the problem that goes beyond common knowledge. Encourage critical thinking and pro-active reaction.
10. Wrap it up in a concluding punch that restates your opening remark (thesis statement).
11. Keep it to 500 words; make every work count; never use "I"

Sample Structure I. Lead with an Objective Explanation of the Issue/Controversy.

Include the five W's and the H. (Members of Congress, in effort to reduce the budget, are looking to cut funding from public television. Hearings were held …) Pull in facts and quotations from the sources which are relevant. Additional research may be necessary.

Sample Structure II. Present Your Opposition First. 

As the writer you disagree with these viewpoints. Identify the people (specifically who oppose you. (Republicans feel that these cuts are necessary; other cable stations can pick them; only the rich watch public television.) Use facts and quotations to state objectively their opinions. Give a strong position of the opposition. You gain nothing in refuting a weak position.

Sample Structure III. Directly Refute The Opposition's Beliefs. You can begin your article with transition. (Republicans believe public television is a "sandbox for the rich." However, statistics show most people who watch public television make less than $40,000 per year.) Pull in other facts and quotations from people who support your position . Concede a valid point of the opposition which will make you appear rational, one who has considered all the options (fiscal times are tough, and we can cut some of the funding for the arts; however, …).

Sample Structure IV. Give Other, Original Reasons/Analogies In defense of your position, give reasons from strong to strongest order. (Taking money away from public television is robbing children of their education …) Use a literary or cultural allusion that lends to your credibility and perceived intelligence (We should render unto Caesar that which belongs to him …)

Sample Structure V. Conclude With Some Punch. Give solutions to the problem or challenge the reader to be informed. (Congress should look to where real wastes exist — perhaps in defense and entitlements — to find ways to save money. Digging into public television's pocket hurts us all.) A quotation can be effective, especially if from a respected source. A rhetorical question can be an effective concluder as well (If the government doesn't defend the interests of children, who will?)

Reference http://www.geneseo.edu/~bennett/EdWrite.htm http://projects.edtech.sandi.net/montgomery/sandieg owatershed/how_to_write_an_editorial.htm http://www.howtodothings.com/hobbies/a4439-how- to-write-an-editorial.html