Today, we will be looking at 2 other components of the editorial/opinion pages in newspapers: editorial cartoons and letters to the editor.

Editorial pages always contain a place where readers can react to stories or comment on subjects that concern them

Newspapers have an obligation to verify that the person whose name is on the letter is actually the person who wrote it

Letters that are in bad taste or are libelous should be turned down

Look at Dallas Morning News Opinion Pages for examples. (nie.dallasnews.com)

One of the more fun parts of the opinion pages are editorial cartoons.

Cartoon as a symbol – uses an image to represent an attitudeEX: Depicting a big business as a fat man, swollen

with self-importance Cartoon as a metaphor – compares one

thing to anotherEX: School violence being portrayed as a snake

ready to strike Cartoon as a joke on current events –

targets a specific eventEX: an NBA strike

Simple in design Centered on 1 topic Well drawn Timely May relate to an event or subject

familiar to readers in their everyday lives or tie in with a news article elsewhere in the paper

1. What is the event or issue that inspired the cartoon?

2. Are there any real people in the cartoon? Who is portrayed in the cartoon?

3. Are there symbols in the cartoon? What are they and what do they represent?

4. What is the cartoonist's opinion about the topic portrayed in the cartoon?

5. Do you agree or disagree with the cartoonist's opinion? Why?