What should an editorial look like

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. Concede a point of the opposition — they must have some good points you can acknowledge that would make you look rational.

Repeat key phrases to reinforce an idea into the reader's minds. Give a realistic solution s to the problem that goes beyond common knowledge. Encourage critical thinking and pro-active reaction. Wrap it up in a concluding punch that restates your opening remark thesis statement. Keep it to words; make every work count; never use "I". A Sample Structure I.

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 …. 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.

Directly Refute The Opposition's Beliefs. You can begin your article with transition. Editorial creativity will continue its healthy renaissance as small independents continue to point the way forward in all aspects of publishing. Small indies will continue to morph into larger, influential publications. But the bigger context is that if you care about political discourse is the year to support the publications you believe matter — newspapers, magazines, websites.

Alternative voices are going to become more precious than ever. The New York Times Magazine has been an easy choice for this type of commentary for some time, but its High Life issue, where they turned the magazine degrees and produced an entire issue about the skyscrapers of New York using tall page layouts was a simple, clever and relevant adaptation of the regular format.

Meanwhile new architectural indie the Real Review launched with a unique square format folded vertically in half. Beautifully simple again but just as breathtaking, this physical effect encourages reading and renders the intelligent content wonderfully accessible.

The two cities will assume the mantle in , following in the footsteps of former title holders including Lille Metropole, Taipei, Mexico City and Cape Town. Typically, editorials are for a fairly quick, captivating read. They are not meant to go on for pages and pages, belaboring the point. Nor are they meant to make the average Joe feel as if he's missed something. Make sure your editorial isn't lengthy or overly esoteric. Keep it to about words. Anything longer and you risk losing your reader.

A short, snappy, fiery piece is much more captivating than a wordy lecture. Eliminate the jargon. Your audience is reading your article for information on something they seek to understand; using technical terms or specific jargon may be off-putting and make your article difficult to take in. Keep the lowest common denominator in mind. Method 2. Start your editorial with a thesis-like statement. The introduction--the first one or two paragraphs--should be designed to catch the reader's attention.

You can start with a rich question, a quote, or you can summarize what the whole editorial is about. Clearly state your argument. The rest of your editorial will be based on supporting this opinion. Make it as striking as possible. However, in doing so, never use "I"--it diminishes the strength and credibility of the paper and sounds rather informal. National Institutes of Health Go to source. Lead with an objective, unbiased explanation of the issue.

The body of your work should explain the issue objectively, as a reporter would, and tell why this situation is important to the reader or community as a whole. Cover all your bases and pull in facts or quotations from relevant sources. This ensures that every reader has at least a base knowledge and an non-skewed one of the topic at hand. Present the opposing argument first. Make sure to identify the groups who oppose you or else the movers of the debate will become foggy.

State their opinions objectively, using accurate facts or quotations. Never use slander. It is fine to state positive things about the opposing side, as long as they're factual. It shows that you are taking the moral high road and giving a balanced overview.

If you neglect to air the good side of your opposition, your editorial will come off biased and uninformed. Give the opposition an actual argument, and a strong one at that. You gain nothing from refuting a non-issue. Make it clear their beliefs and what they're advocating. Begin this section with a transition, clearly flowing from their argument to yours.

Utilize facts and quotations from others who support your opinion. Start with strong reasons that only get stronger. Don't feel limited to existing opinions--add your own, too.

Whatever your reasons are, make sure to clearly come down on one side of the argument; there is no room for gray area here. Literary allusions are appropriate. It can lend to your credibility and learnedness. Make your solution known. This is different than reasons and evidence. If you believe cutting the defense budget is wrong, what would you rather cut instead? Putting your solution out there is imperative to addressing the problem. If you don't have one, any solution is better than yours.

Your solution needs to be clear, rational, and doable. It cannot only work in a vacuum. What's more, it should be compelling.

Ideally, your readers will be drawn to action with the information and answers you've presented. Conclude your editorial with a punch, a noteworthy statement that would forever engrave the editorial into the reader's mind. Use quotes or a question that would make the readers think hard. If we will not take care of the environment, then who will? End with a hard-hitting summary; you may have a few readers who scanned your piece absentmindedly. All in all, your audience should leave feeling more informed and moved to do something further about the issue.

Proofread your work. A great piece is not great if it's riddled with spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors. Have someone on your team look over your work- two minds are always better than one.