REP: EDITORIAL PAGE: STRUCTURE AND PURPOSE

(These articles are written by students as a part of their assignment exercise during the period of COVID-19. Views expressed are their personal. Blog owner does not take any responsibility for their authenticity, correctness or appropriateness and shall not be responsible for any matter arising out of their interpretation.)  

I fully endorse the views expressed by Utkarsha and Samridhi and I feel these points should be added to the article.

One may also cite the changes that the editorial pages have gone through over the years.

VN

INTRODUCTION: 

A newspaper publishes its views on current events -both local and national -on its editorial page. This is where letters to the editor, political cartoons, and editorials -unsigned commentary that reflects the collective position of the newspaper's editorial board -appear. Letters are often among the best-read section of any newspaper, for this is where readers express their opinions. Some newspapers limit letters to a certain number of words maybe 150 or 300 -- while others publish letters of virtually any length.

Editorials are not news, but rather reasoned opinion based on facts. For example, editorials may criticize the performance of public officials such as the mayor, the police chief or the local school board; conversely, editorials may praise others for their civic contributions. Whatever the topic, newspapers hope their editorials will raise the level of community discourse. 

This is largely owing to the attempt made by ingenious make-up men to draw the reader’s attention to the editorial page through the arrangement of interesting features and typographical display. “In these days,” says John E. Allen in his “Newspaper Makeup”, “When the average newspaper reader has less time for reading, than formerly when he does more glimpsing than reading and confines most of that glimpsing to the headlines and leading news stories or entertaining features he seems to care little or nothing for newspaper editorials. If his attention is to be captured and held by the editorial page, that page must be unusually attractive physically. It must be even more inviting looking than the general-news pages, and even easier to read”.Editorial is the only section were newspaper can state its own opinions and comments on the current issues. This cannot be done in other news writing styles such as column and feature writing. But here the editor has the advantage as the article will be seen as the opinion of the entire newspaper. In column and feature writing the thing is that the editors are the one who will be held accountant but it is totally different in editorial writing. It is also said to be the unique style of communication between the editor and the readers.

EDITORIAL PAGE: STRUCTURE

Editorials are typically published on a dedicated page, called the editorial page, which often features letters to the editor from members of the public; the page opposite this page is called the op-ed page and frequently contains opinion pieces by writers not directly affiliated with the publication. However, a newspaper may choose to publish an editorial on the front page. 

Many newspapers publish their editorials without the name of the leader writer. Tom Clark, leader-writer for The Guardian, says that it ensures that readers discuss the issue at hand rather than the author.On the other hand, an editorial does reflect the position of a newspaper and the head of the newspaper, the editor, is known by name. Whilst the editor will often not write the editorial themselves, they maintain oversight and retain responsibility

Editorials are believed to be the heart and soul of the newspapers. Each and every newspaper is incomplete without the editorial section. Here the editor not only shares his or her view but also criticize and appreciate the ongoing topics. Editorial is light in nature they should be interesting, full of thought evoking and debatable at the same time. It is said to be the window or reflection of newspapers news policies meaning if an editor is writing an article it is generally assumed that it is the view of the news publishing house.

DIFFERENT TYPES OF EDITORIALS: 

Interpretation editorial:  It explains what is considered to be important in the news event or on current issues. It gives information such as main characters of the news, factors, actions taken place and all the other important details. Here the interpretation is made on the basis of facts and figures available. Here no personal opinions are stated.

Criticism Editorial: This style is used when one has to see both the good and bad features of the news event or any kind of news item through the eyes of an editor. The editor shares these editorials to influence people and at times add the solution at the end.

Editorial of Appreciation:  In this the praise or appreciation is given to those who have done well in their work and deserve an appreciation.

Entertainment Editorial: In this those topics is taken that would interest the youth. Topics that would be light in nature and serves as an entertainment.

EDITORIAL PAGE: PURPOSE

The very first criterion is that a good editorial is an opinion maker. If it is based on evidence, so much the better. But it analyses evidence rather than produces it. Of course what it analyses can be the basis of the production of new evidence. But it is more like the ‘Results and Discussion’ that follow ‘Materials and Method’ in a research paper in so far as it is an objective analysis. However, it goes beyond an analysis. It must necessarily also express an opinion. It must attempt to critically analyse and sift from the various opinions, analyses and evidences floating around. It must present a refreshing perspective on an issue so as to retain balance when writings get opinionated; and/or stir up the crotchety and crusty when scientific/creative stupor sets in. Moreover, a good editorial is contemporary without being populist. It tackles recent events and issues, and attempts to formulate viewpoints based on an objective analysis of happenings and conflicting/contrary opinions.

An editorial is predominantly about balance. But that does not prevent it from occasionally stirring things up, when such is the need. Hence a hard-hitting editorial is as legitimate as a balanced equipoise that reconciles apparently conflicting positions and controversial posturings, whether amongst politicians (in news papers), or amongst researchers (in academic journals).

The editorial pages are under the direction of an editor outside the news division. Newspaper people call this "separation of church and state," meaning there is a line between news and opinion that must not be crossed. To do so strips a newspaper of its most valuable asset -- credibility. For that reason, editorial-page editors at some large newspapers report to the publisher, who is the chief executive officer of the company, and not to the executive editor. Other newspapers may have their editorial-page editor reporting to the executive editor. Whatever the organizational model, though, neither department can tell the other what to publish in the newspaper.

CONCLUSION: 

A good editorial should express an opinion without being opinionated. It should teach without being pedagogic. It should transform without being evangelical. It should engulf without drowning. It should motivate to action without making you dictatorial. It should enlighten without getting you dogmatic, prejudiced and egotistical.

The last, and probably most important, a good editorial should be brief.

All said and done, the element of balance can never be lost. For that, it certainly helps if an editor is a balanced individual by temperament as well. However, let it not mean that balance in temperament excludes crusading zeal. Most editors of some merit have the latter in reasonable quantity, although they may play it down, or publicly make a mockery of it, since it is the in thing to do (the mockery, not the crusading). Moreover, denial can be a strong defense mechanism, as much in editors as in the rest of humanity.

REFERENCES: 

1) Staff (23 May 2012). "Opinion". The New York Times. Retrieved 23 May 2012.

2) Staff (23 May 2012). "Opinion". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 23 May 2012.

3) Staff (2012). "AAEC The Association of American Editorial Cartoonists". The Association of American Editorial Cartoonists. Retrieved 23 May 2012.

4) Passante, Christopher K. (2007). The Complete Idiot's Guide to Journalism – Editorials. Penguin. p. 28. ISBN 1-59257-670-2. Retrieved 21 February 2010.

5) Christie Silk (15 June 2009). "Front Page Editorials: a Stylist Change for the Future?". Editors' Weblog. World Editors' Forum. Retrieved 1 July 2011.

6) Clark, Tom (10 January 2011). "Why do editorials remain anonymous?". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 May 2018.

7) Crean, Mike (2011). First with the news: an illustrated history. Auckland: Random House. p. 97. ISBN 978 1 86979 562 7.

8) Matthews, Philip (28 April 2018). "Broadsheets and blunders: In defence of getting it wrong". The Press. Retrieved 26 May 2018.

SUBMITTED BY

ARYA KRISHNAN

FIRST YEAR 

DEPARTMENT OF JOURNALISM

(Disclaimer: The views expressed are personal)