Editorials

Today’s lesson will focus on you investigating and planning an editorial.

How To Use the SlideshowRead EVERY slide. If it is written in purple, copy it into your English

book.If it is green, it is an activity for you to complete in

your English book. You do not need to write the question.

All other text is for your information.

EditorialsWhat is an editorial?

Let’s look at the word: editorial.

What root word can we see? Editor.

Ok. So it’s written by an editor (usually. Sometimes, a senior member of staff will write it).

An editorial is an opinion piece. It is a persuasive text in which an editor or senior member of staff presents and justifies their opinion on a particular issue.

Similar Text Types• Letter to the editor• Feature article• Exposition

What sets the editorial apart is that it must reflect the point of view of the organisation or company behind the publication. For example, the editor of Catholic Weekly could never write an editorial arguing for pro-choice because the Catholic Church, the “organisation” behind Catholic Weekly, does not believe in pro-choice. Editor and publication need to be on the same team.

Example: In class, we are talking about how much homework you’re all getting. You are trying to convince me that homework is pointless and I shouldn’t give you any for the holidays. Why can I not agree with you?

Editorial v. Letter to the Editor

Editorials differ from letters to the editor on several key points:

Aspect Editorial Letter to the Editor

Author Editor/senior staff Member of the public

Whose opinion?

Represents the point of view of the publication

Individual writer

How many?

One per publication Many letters are published, often with conflicting viewpoints.

Structure

• Headline – catchy and clever, usually containing figurative language such as a pun, metaphor or rhetorical question.

• Introductory paragraph – introduces issue and the point of view to be argued.

• Body paragraphs – discuss arguments to support the overall point of view and back these up with evidence.

• Conclusion – restates perspective and calls the reader to action.

Language Features

• Connectives – e.g. firstly, secondly, lastly.

• Cause and effect conjunctions – e.g. as a result, consequently.

• High modality – must,

• Persuasive adverbs – e.g. definitely, certainly.

• Rhetorical questions

• Inclusive language

Catchy Headlines

• Headlines need to catch the reader’s attention

• This might be done by appealing to our emotions – make us sad, angry, sympathetic and we’ll read on

• Figurative language such as puns, metaphors or rhetorical questions also work.

Example Headlines

“One lane on bridge is too great a toll”

• What is the pun (play on words) in the above headline. Hint: think about double meanings for the word toll.

“Stop rorting our welfare system”

• How does the above headline get your attention? Which emotion does it appeal to?

Does “toll” have a double meaning?

Don’t forget to write about this word in your answer.

Example

Writing Task

• The Panem Gazette is publishing a special Hunger Games Finale edition. As the editor of the newspaper, you will need to write an editorial which expresses your opinion of the Games and the way in which Suzanne Collins has described the Games to Panem citizens and foreigners.

• Remember that, as editor of the national newspaper, you are a representative of the Capitol. Your challenge, ladies, is to persuade me, the reader, to accept an opinion that you probably don’t believe yourself. The Capitol is controlling their people through fear (a terror state). They would also be controlling their media. Think about what the newspaper would be allowed to publish and what Capitol ideas they would be expected to uphold.

• On your scaffold, plan the editorial you would write. You may use quotes from the book in your evidence.