This document discusses editorials and columns. It defines an editorial as an opinion piece expressing a publication's collective view on an issue. Editorials take a stance to provide leadership on community issues and explain the publication's position. Columns are also opinion pieces but express an individual writer's view using first-person pronouns. Both editorials and columns state opinions supported by facts and research. The document outlines four types of editorials: arguments that take a side on controversies, criticism that highlights problems, commendation that praises positives, and explanations that provide context on complex issues.

1. Editorials and
Columns
The power of Opinion Writing
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2. What is an editorial?
An editorial is an opinion story written from the point of
view of the publication to express the collective staff
opinion on a particular topic or issue.

3. Why have editorials?
The publication takes a leadership position on issues
affecting the community.
An editorial explains the reasons behind the publication’s
stance.

4. Editorials
Editorials are not always the writer’s opinion.
● In professional papers, may be opinion of owner or
editorial board
● Student papers may vote on topics or stances, or
editor may choose.
Editorials use “we” referring to the publication, never “I” and
are typically unsigned (no photo or byline).

5. Columns
Columns are also opinion, but they:
● express the opinion of the writer, not the entire staff.
● use “I” when relevant.
● have a byline (def.-gives the date and the writer of the
article).
● often include a mugshot (the portrait of the columnist
below is Steve Lopez from The LA Times ).
● can include personal examples from the writer’s life.

6. All opinion stories
● state opinions
● support opinions with facts and examples
● include research

7. Now let’s take a look at the
four types of editorials

8. Four types of editorials
Most editorials fall under one of these types:
• argument
• criticism
• commendation
• explanation
(Actual Op-Ed headlines from the LA Times, August 4,
2015 issue)
Are there really only two options on Iran?
Should female athletes have to prove they are women?
How we went from beef on the hoof to
mystery meat in a box
Hillary Clinton's
summer slump
Consumers need a new legal right to
control personal data

9. Argument
These editorials take sides on a controversial topic and
offer arguments for why that opinion is best.
Editorials of argument do not have to be negative. They
often argue for a certain solution to a problem, though
they may criticize other ideas in the process.

10. Criticism
An editorial of criticism shines light on a problem in the
community (or the world.)
An editorial of argument tends to focus on issues that
already are controversial, an editorial of criticism
focuses more on problems people may not know about
or issues people may not see as problems, attempting
to convince readers a problem exists.

11. Commendation
To commend means to praise, and an editorial of
commendation praises something good going on in the
community.
Like editorials of criticism, this editorials seek to shine
light on a subject people may not think about or be
aware of, but in this case, the attention goes to good
that is happening.

12. Explanation
An editorial of explanation may take a stand, but the goal
is to explain an in-depth issue rather than argue a
point.
These editorials can be especially useful when
complicated issues exist in the community as a way for
the newspaper to explain or clarify to the audience.

13. Now let’s take a look at a
couple of Op-Eds written on
our summer reading’s author
Malala Yousafzai