Editorial Lecture No: 2 (for the students of English Dept of SBBU)
The
Prophet (peace be upon him) says, whoever sets a bad example, whoever has
started a bad trend, they will have … they will bear the burden of it and the
burden of everyone else as a result who has been affected by it, or who drops
into it up to the Last Day. And that would be not decreasing the burden from
anyone of them.
This is
something very dangerous. So remember, do not just forward something that is
perhaps pornographic. Something that is bad. Something racist. Something of the
nature where we are earning the anger of Allah or it is something sinful
because click of the button could mean great detriment to us.
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.
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.
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.
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"
A 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.
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.
III.
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,
…).
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 …)
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?)
For further study, study must
visit the following
3 Ways to Write a Notable
Editorial - wikiHow
https://www.wikihow.com ›
Education and Communications › Writing
Tips
on Writing Newspaper Editorial Format
The facts and evidence must be gone through
extensively to find the point of view you want to argue. With a point of
view through an editorial piece, issues are given solutions that could be
rendered to solve the actual problem at hand. A newspaper editorial may seem
hard to write; but, initiative and passion about an issue gives you, the
writer, the inside knowledge of making editorial writing easier.
Steps for Writing
Newspaper Editorials
There are several different steps you need to follow in order to
be successful when writing an editorial:
Choosing a Topic
The topic you choose is the most important part in writing a
newspaper editorial. The best topics are those that are current issues among our society. If the topic is a current issue that everyone is already
interested in then your editorial piece will engage reader’s attention.
If the topic you choose is an ongoing issue in our society, make
sure to use the most recent information. However, you can use older information
as sources to help prove your case. Do not make your editorial a controversial
topic, unless that is that is your whole reason for writing it in the first place.
Choosing Your Opinion
You need to ask yourself, are you for or
against the issue you have chosen as your topic for your newspaper editorial
piece. You can not be on both sides of the fence when writing an editorial piece. The purpose for the editorial
is to give your opinion, the writer’s opinion. With this in mind you must give
a strong opinion, if not readers will not be as inclined to see
your point of view.
Outline Your Editorial
With any type of research paper you have to do an outline. This
is one of the biggest tips on writing newspaper editorial format that you
should always follow. With an outline you know where you stand on the issue.
The outline helps you, the writer, get your thoughts and opinions in order. The
outline also helps you discover any swaying of opinions you may have missed by just diving head first into writing.
Writing Your Article
The first step to writing your newspaper editorial is to pick a
headline that grabs reader’s attention. If you grab their attention from the
very beginning they are more inclined to keep reading. Your opinion on the topic should be addressed in the introduction to
your new editorial.
Newspaper editorials should have at least three arguments. These
arguments of course should be backed up with facts and evidence from your
research of the topic.
Other tips for writing editorials are:
·
Use statistics to help prove your argument.
·
Make sure your strongest argument is left for last.
·
Do not be passive in the arguments that come
before the strongest. If this happens you are most likely not going to have
readers reading your entire newspaper editorial.
Conclusion of Article
In a newspaper editorial, and with most anything else you write,
your conclusion should sum up all the information you wrote about. The conclusion should be tied up into a
neat little package so as to let readers get a recap of all the facts that you presented in your editorial.
Your conclusion should also have a few
solutions you think would help with the issue at hand. You are getting
the reader to engage in asking him or herself questions on how they stand on the particular issue in our society.
Editorial
Structure
Regardless of the point of view or length of the editorial,
there is a preferred structure for writing one.
1. Introduction: State your
topic up front, explain its history, and affirm why it is relevant and who is
affected by it. Clearly word your opinion and the main reason you have embraced
it.
2. Body: Support
your position with another reason. Acknowledge counter-arguments and opinions.
Present relevant facts and statistics and include ethical or moral reasons for
your stand. Give an example of what you think would be the
best approach to or outcome of the situation.
3.Conclusion:
Make an emotional or passionate statement regarding why your
opinion or proposed solution is better than others. Tie up the piece by clearly
restating your stance.
Method
Writing Your Editorial
1.
Start your editorial
with a thesis-like statement. ...
2.
Lead with an objective
explanation of the issue. ...
3.
Present the opposing
argument first. ...
4.
Present your
reasons/evidence that directly refutes the opposition. ...
5.
Make your solution
known. ...
6.
Conclude your
editorial with a punch. ...
7.
Proofread your work.
The thesis statement is the
sentence that states the main idea of a writing assignment and helps control
the ideas within the paper. It is not merely a topic. It often reflects an
opinion or judgment that a writer has made about a reading or personal
experience.
Thesis Statement. A thesis statement is
usually one sentence that tells the main point of your piece of
writing-research paper, essay, etc. The thesis statement is
then "proven" throughout the paper with supporting evidence. ... This
is a sentence that includes three reasons to support the thesis.
Types of leads
A lead
paragraph (sometimes shortened to lead; also spelled lede) is the
opening paragraph of an article, essay, book chapter,
or other written work that summarizes its main ideas
Journalistic leads emphasize
grabbing the attention of the reader. In
journalism, the failure to mention the most important, interesting or
attention-grabbing elements of a story in the first paragraph is sometimes called
"burying the lead". Most standard news leads include
brief answers to the questions of who, what, why, when, where,
and how the key event in the story took
place.
Leads in essays summarize the outline of
the argument and conclusion that follows in the
main body of the essay. Encyclopedia leads
tend to define the subject matter as well as emphasize
the interesting points of the article. Features and
general articles in magazines tend
to be somewhere between journalistic and encyclopedian in style and often lack
a distinct lead paragraph entirely. Leads and book forewords vary
enormously in length, intent and content. (content
is material and intent is using it)
Difference between content and intent.
One
of the most important concepts that coaches need to understand is the difference between
content and intent. Let me explain that.
When you write any training program, when
you put together any training activity, the underlying assumption that you make
as a coach is that the athletes will perform that activity with the intent with which it was
written.
So for example, you might be putting together a training program
for a football player and you might say well today’s drill is, we’re going to
drill a soccer ball between ten cones, ten times. So we’re going to drill
through a few cones, come back, drill through again, do it again, drill through
again, and do that ten times.
The underlying assumption behind the content – which
is the drill and the number of times it will be being completed – the
underlying assumption you make as a coach is that it will be done with good
technique, with a positive attitude at high speed and the athlete will
learn from it.
Comments
Post a Comment