Introduction
Most newspapers have an editorial and opinion section. These articles
express opinions and ideas. They do not necessarily report news; rather,
they comment on current events. Editorials are written by a member or
members of the editorial staff of a newspaper and express the opinion or
idea of the newspaper as a whole. Opinion articles, sometimes called op-eds
because of their traditional position opposite the newspaper’s editorial page,
express the opinion or idea of only the person or people writing the article.
Editorial Article
I.
CHARACTERISTICS OF EDITORIAL WRITING
An editorial is an article that presents the newspaper's opinion
on an issue. It reflects the majority vote of the editorial board, the
governing body of the newspaper made up of editors and business
managers. It is usually unsigned. Much in the same manner of
a lawyer, editorial writers build on an argument and try to
persuade readers to think the same way they do. Editorials are
meant to influence public opinion, promote critical thinking, and
sometimes cause people to take action on an issue. In essence,
an editorial is an opinionated news story.
II.
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
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.
7. A solid and concise conclusion that powerfully summarizes the writer's
opinion. Give it some punch.
III.
Four Types of Editorials Will:
1. 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.
2. Criticize: These editorials constructively criticize actions,
decisions or situations while providing solutions to the problem
identified. Immediate purpose is to get readers to see the problem,
not the solution.
3. 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.
4. Praise: These editorials commend people and organizations for
something done well. They are not as common as the other three.
IV.
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
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"
V.
A Sample Structure
A. 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.
B. 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.
C. Directly Refute The Opposition's Beliefs.
You can begin your article with transition. (Republicans believe public
televison 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, …).
D. 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 …)
E. 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?)
Opinion Article
I.
What is an opinion article?
An opinion article, sometimes referred to as an op-ed article, is a
commentary written by someone who is independent of the newspaper.
These articles are published alongside the editorials, columnists and letters
on the two Views pages of the IHT.
These are the only pages on which the IHT presents opinions, whether
those attributed to the paper, to columnists or to contributors. The Views
pages are entirely independent of the news pages. The editors and reporters
of the news department are not allowed to inject opinions into their work, nor
to write for the Views pages. The editor of the editorial pages answers
directly and solely to the Publisher.
II.
What is the difference between an opinion article, an
editorial, a column and a letter?
Each part of the Views pages has its own function. The editorials in the IHT
represent the opinion of the newspaper and its parent, The New York Times.
They are produced by the editorial board of The Times and the IHT after
discussions in which editorial-page editors of the IHT participate by
telephone. We also use editorials from the Boston Globe, which is part of the
New York Times family of newspapers. Letters to the Editor are the response
of readers to articles or editorials in the paper. The columnists are writers
who appear regularly under an arrangement with the paper, whose views do
not necessarily represent those of the paper. The opinion articles are
contributed by people from outside the paper and represent their own views.
III. Some tips on writing an opinion article:
1. Aim for about 750 words, but don't stretch the thought. If it's perfect
at 400, great; if it absolutely demands 1,000, we'll try to accommodate
it.
2. Open with a clear sense of what you're writing about and why the
reader should care about it, then continue with a cogent argument.
3. Lead to a strong conclusion. Too many articles give a great description
of the problem, but then peter out into a feeble conclusion that "it's high
time" somebody does something. Give us a forward-looking and
original solution.
4. That said, there's no fixed formula. We like stylistic innovation.
5. Don't wait too long. News quickly goes stale.
6. Carefully chosen, concrete examples and anecdotes bring an issue
alive for the reader. Don't try to pack too many thoughts into your
essay. One point argued thoroughly is usually enough.
7. Avoid formal language, righteous sentiment and bureaucratic or
think-tank jargon. You're writing for the general reader, who may not
know the difference between Unmic, Kfor and Doha.
8. Be passionate, by all means, but spare us your bar-room raves.
9. Avoid clichés like the plague.
 Opinion Article Sample 1
Shortages, a long list
by Jullie Y. Daza
At 11:32 p.m. precisely on Sept. 1, I heard my first carol of the year, “White
Christmas.” Twelve hours earlier, Pedro, a father of four, put up his
Christmas tree and pulled out box after box of ornaments. Later in the
day, TV5 launched the network’s Christmas look.
Nope, there’s no shortage of hopes for a “normal” Christmas celebration
complete with twinkly decorations on the tree, Nativity creches on the
most important table in the house, fairy lights to frame windows. We’re
just biding our time — 107 days of the SOND months, September,
October, November, December – before we hit Christmas Day and its
signature abundance of toys, gifts, special menus, and loving greetings.
And yet, and yet, in a country so blessed with fertile soil, mountains, seas,
and talented people, why is there a perennial shortage of goods and
services the whole year round? On a blue Monday this list of shortages
suggested itself with each letter of the alphabet.
Ayuda and not for biyuda only;
Bonuses and other benefits for the low-salaried, such as trash collectors;
Cemeteries, crematoriums;
Drug lords still to be put away, eternally;
Energy to run our plants, electricity for faraway hamlets;
Food for the hungry;
Garlic, galunggong, ginger;
Hospitals and an upgrade of the healthcare system;
Irrigation systems;
Jobs for the unemployable;
Kindness all around;
Labs to test for more COVID suspects;
Money (more for the hardworking middle class who pay taxes);
Nurses and contact tracers;
Opportunities for new graduates, oxygen tanks for patients;
Plumbers – where to find and hire them?;
Quality, not merely qualified, candidates for election;
Rest and relaxation, with pay, for exhausted frontliners;
Sugar;Tenement housing for the masses;
Upo, patola, sitaw, patani;
Vaccines, more and more, before Christmas comes!
Water, water, also during the rainy season;
Xemplary characters in public life;
Younger generations of farmers, or else who’ll plant our food in the future?
Zeal, of the type displayed by Yorme and Mark Villar.
Does this look like the longest wish list in the world? Well, these are
abnormal times, Santa!
 Editorial Article Sample 1
Reset on MECQ: Let’s get COVID containment
priorities right
Published September 9, 2021, 12:02 AM
by Manila Bulletin
In a move that caught many by surprise, the government has extended the modified
enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) in Metro Manila by another week.
The manner in which the announcement was made was as concerning as the message
itself. The presidential spokesperson finally announced the deferment after a few hours
of putting reporters on hold, as the guidelines were still unavailable. In a pandemic, people
expect — and deserve — to get clear-cut directions from their leaders at all levels.
Eighteen months after the first ECQ was enforced nationwide, is the country better
prepared and more effective in containing the spread of the pandemic?
The rapid community transmission of the Delta variant prompted the imposition of ECQ,
the harshest quarantine restriction, starting in mid-August. It came about as the
government began to ramp up nationwide vaccination efforts. But government data show
that despite a high number of apprehensions made by the police, mobility restriction was
not as high. Social gatherings have been tagged as a source of higher infection levels.
The high transmissibility rate of the Delta variant has caused breakthrough infections
among those that have been vaccinated and a perceptible increase in pediatric COVID
cases.
Granular lockdown with four alert levels was announced as the new tack for attacking
COVID-19’s continuing affliction. But on the eve of its expected start, the government
could not issue the specific guidelines on how it would be implemented, citing the need
“for additional inputs from the local government units (LGUs).”
Vaccination pace picked up during the last two weeks. As of September 4, 18.7 million
of 17.3 percent have been given at least one dose; those fully vaccinated have reached
15.1 million or 14 percent. According to Vaccination Czar Carlito Galvez, Jr., the
country’s daily vaccination rate was at 426,653 as of 1 August, with 1,743 active
vaccination sites operating across 17 regions nationwide. The government targets to
vaccinate 70 percent or 77,139,058 Filipinos out of the country’s 110,198,654 total
population in order to achieve population protection by yearend.
For this target to be attained in the remaining 114 days of the year, the daily vaccination
rate would have to be ramped up to 544,000. At the current rate of vaccination, it would
take until the end of January 2022 for the goal of community protection to be attained,
assuming of course that there would be adequate vaccine supplies.
Vaccination is still the most effective antidote to the pandemic. This is why fake news and
disinformation should be dispelled in order to overcome vaccine hesitancy.
Whatever form of quarantine or lockdown is eventually implemented, the basics remain
the same. Targeted testing must be done intensively in communities and workplaces to
assure early detection. Contact tracing, despite the continuing absence of a universally
accepted mobile app, would have to be done efficiently.
The health care system’s capacity must be strengthened; the 2022 national budget is the
best place to start. Even as the country gears for the start of a political campaign early
next year, our leaders must continually seek effective solutions for tackling the pandemic.
 Editorial Article Sample 2
Big task for the Little President
by Anna Mae Lamentillo
In political circles, the Executive Secretary is often referred to as the “Little President,”
but the task is no little as could be attested by the ES Salvador Medialdea himself,
who was already thinking of retirement when he was given the
daunting task by President Rodrigo Duterte.
Secretary Medialdea dedicated much of his professional life to private law practice,
first at ACCRA and PECABAR law offices before establishing his own law firm. He
had short stints in the government—as administrator of the Livelihood Corporation
(LIVECOR) in 1998, and as presidential assistant for Political Affairs in 2000 —but he
preferred private practice.
However, when he was handpicked by the President to be executive secretary, he
could not say no to the man who he holds in high regard and he considers as one of
his mentors.
Secretary Medialdea looked up to his father, Leo D. Medialdea, who was also a lawyer
and later on an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. Thus, when he was
appointed in government, his father’s example served as his guiding principles in
public service. He recalls his father’s words that he took to heart: “So long as you can
soundly sleep with what you are doing, you are in the right direction.”
As ES, Secretary Medialdea assists the President in managing the vast government
bureaucracy so that it would be aligned with the President’s vision of a better
Philippines for Filipinos. He crafts critical issuances to implement the President’s
programs, such as the “Build, Build, Build,” a program he greatly believes in as it will
enable the efficient flow of goods and movement of people, which are needed for
progress.
In fact, if the Little President was President, he would also prioritize infrastructure,
stressing that it makes the most impact in the lives of people. He says, “The presence
or absence of good infrastructure shape a country’s destiny. Good infrastructure
nurtures progress and growth.”
He shares that the work of an ES is not easy, but the President’s work energy and
commitment to the people is contagious that it inspires the Secretary to always deliver
his best.
His dream is that “the next generations of Filipinos, when they look back at this period
of our history, will find us faithful stewards of the offices entrusted to us during this
difficult time.”
While his work can be daunting, the Secretary still finds time to do things that he
loves. He enjoys riding motorbikes, playing golf, and playing musical instruments such
as the piano and guitar. He also loves to travel domestically to appreciate the beauty
of the Philippines.
But when asked about his fondest memory of President Duterte, Secretary Medialdea
goes decades back to the time when, while waiting for his client’s case to be called
at a trial court in Davao City, he randomly sat on a chair just outside the courtroom.
He saw a man walking towards him and a girl shouted telling him he was sitting on
the fiscal’s chair. The man said to him, “No problem, attorney. You can use my seat.”
That man he met was then Fiscal Rodrigo Duterte, and that brief encounter would
later change his life.
Answer Sheet
Name:
Year/Block:
Date:
Test I. Similarities and Differences.
Directions: Using a Venn Diagram, write at least 5 or more words/group of
words for each topic. Write a 3-5 sentence explanation below to support your
answer (20 pts)
Editorial
Explanation:
Opinion
Test II. Editorial Writing
Directions: Write your own editorial article. (30 pts)
Test III. Opinion Writing\
Directions: Write your own Opinion article. (30 pts)