Writing an Editorial Exercise
Sample editorials: One, Two, fads
_________________________
EDITORIAL STYLE
Writing advice:
- Change abstractions into living examples
- highlight emotional hooks - a warm positive tone is essential
- soften criticism; never divide your readership
- speak as the voice of the whole community
- tie the editorial to a news item or current issue of public concern
- show a local flavour; local loyalties and interests relate to readers
- beware legal challenges over reputations
- avoid a preachy tone and rhetorical flourishes
- convert statistics into factions
- simplify grammar and vocabulary
- limit questions to a minimum; your task is to offer answers
- clarify your point of view before beginning; state a Headline.
- establish your authority, credibility
- simplify expressions; talk plainly.
- use the colon and semicolon to infer.
- always be grammatically correct.
- focus on three points only
- use only short (three sentence) paragraphs.
- use only short sentences
- recapitulate.
- avoid language knots: in which, through which.., of which...
- avoid lists; avoid "First, second, ... " etc.
- avoid need to cross reference: not "as was said above." name it again.
- avoid dialogue. it is not a novel.
- avoid "I you me" pronouns; use a plural voice = the community
- (The editorial is the voice of the company, not of an individual.)
Writing the Editorial checklist
What NOT to put in your editorial
"Obstacles present themselves in the paths of their aims."
G. Smith 1997
Feeling safe on Brisbane's
streets
Enough is enough. The public has a right to feel safe. The Queensland population these days is fed up with a legal system which all too often disregards the victim and lets the criminal off with just a slap on the wrist.
After the horrific fatal stabbing of a police constable in Sydney last week, the need for knives and other such weapons to be outlawed has become increasingly apparent. The sooner the anti-knives amendments to the Weapons Act are passed through Parliament, the sooner the people of Queensland will feel safe.
The outcry over this issue by women's self-defence groups and the Council for Civil Liberties has been enormous. Both movements are of the opinion that the proposed legislation is too optimistic and that it will be ineffectual. They believe that in addition to the fact that it will be widely ignored by criminals, it will also inconvenience law-abiding citizens.
It makes you wonder why groups like these feel the need to carry a knife or any concealed weapon for that matter to feel safe. If a woman or indeed anybody wishes to feel safe walking along the street, there are plenty of safer and more suitable alternatives to carrying a knife. Why not keep a can of maize or pepper spray? Or how about a high decibel help whistle? Then there is of course the obvious self defence courses or martial arts. Any of these options are far better than a knife which can often simply worsen a situation.
Another group of people affected by the legislation are property owners and rural Queenslanders. It is the opinion of this newspaper that it could be absolutely ludicrous to expect farmers to surrender their knives. The legislation should be carefully worded so as to exempt farmers or at the very least give them special consideration.
The primary focus of the anti-knives amendments should be to combat the decreasing number of youth and gangs on the streets carrying weapons. Police officers patrolling the streets under the legislation should have the right to confiscate any knives from anybody if they see a reason for it.
Tougher penalties are also another step in the right direction of feeling safe on our streets. The youth crime rate is escalating in Queensland because minors know that under the current law, they are virtually untouchable. Police are powerless to stop them. The sooner the proposed legislation is passed through the parliament, the better off the citizens of Queensland will be.
by Steve Dunn March 1998
Notes by marker
#1: ironic parody of justice
#2: recounts recent facts
restates urgency
"people of Queensland" emotional tag
#3: plots the course of the issue
slogan "law-abiding citizens"
#4: a critical case: imaginary test case
constructive advice
#5: exemptions occur: depth of research on this issue; serious about it
Clear statement of view of this paper
#6: Clear images "gangs carry knives"
restate slogan "feeling safe on our streets'
emotive case "youth"
Police are powerless" emotive call
Dream . . . and succeed
As the dreams of the New Year celebrations become a distant blur, it is perhaps time to re-evaluate what we hope to achieve for the year. Achieving our New Year's resolutions can be a difficult thing to do. Success is something that requires effort. Many people remain unsuccessful because they don't take the time to dream, or they fail to pursue their dreams. Those who dare to dream can dare to succeed because they now strive for new horizons. Dreams are the visions of what people want to achieve from life in their heartfelt wishes for a different tomorrow.
But dreams alone cannot bring success. They are the corner stones from which castles can be built. To succeed, the dream must be defined to lead to success. One such successful man who had a dream was Martin Luther King Jr. When in 1963, he delivered his famous "I have a dream" speech at the Washington Memorial, the Nobel Laureate stressed this key point of success. Although he did not realise it at the time, he played a major part in changing the social conscience of America irrevocably. It was his bold dream for a better future which inspired African Americans to fight for their civil rights. Through his actions we can see how King put his dream into effect and achieved his goals through determination.
Another determined man with a dream was Nelson Manuela. For many years he fought the South Africa government on issues such a Apartheid. He overcome much adversity along the way. In the words of the South African president in 1994, F. W. DeKlerk, "Mandela has walked a long road, and now stands at the top of the hill." During his struggle, Mandela spent twenty-eight years in jail. Without his dream of what South African society could become, his incarceration would have been difficult to endure.
But despite the success of these dreamers, having a dream alone is not enough to succeed. There is nothing more common than unfilled dreams. The difference between those who do succeed and those who just dream may be put down to two points. Firstly, dreams are big and vague and so can be difficult to achieve. Dreamers must remove some of the veils and mist surrounding dreams to succeed. By defining the dream and breaking it down into small, manageable goals along the way, a dreamer can see the road to success. Nelson Mandela realised that South African would into change over night, but rather that it could change slowly. His recognition of this was clear through his achievement of small successes which were all stepping stones to achieve his dream. Second, Mandela showed extraordinary patience and focus on each important step along the road to achieving his dreams.
Even when the dream is clear, there will be hurdles to overcome. This is why determination is the other major leg to win success. Without determination, even the clearest of dreams has little chance of being realised. After working her way up through the ranks, in 1979, Margaret Thatcher became the first female Prime Minister of Britain. Her determination throughout her life as a scholar and politician helped her achieve her dreams. This was clearly demonstrated by her handling of the 1982 Falkland Islands conflict, and her unstoppable belief in implementing her vision of what modern Britain could become. Thatcher succeeded by overcoming entrenched opposition. She achieved her dream though dogged determination.
These three examples of people with dreams have changed the world today. They each achieved their goals through defining their dream and following it all the way., regardless of the costs. This example will also work for every one of us who wants to achieve something. King, Mandela and Thatcher all demonstrate a model for success. This model will work for everyone who wants to succeed. The average person may not aspire to changing the world, rather they aim to change their own life in a positive way. They may dream of buying a car, or of owning a house. The model of how to achieve their dream still applies. By determining to save regularly that little bit extra, their dream will be achieved sooner than later. Dreaming is the beginning of the process and needs to be built on; otherwise nothing will come of the dream.
Although dreams are an important part of being successful, dreams alone are not enough. When defined and coupled with determination, the road to success becomes a far easier journey. Many men with visions can be incredibly successful. By daring to dream, we are taking that first important step along the way to success.
Sam K 1999
Reprinted in the ‚"Racial Prejudice" Course Book p. 54
Number the paragraphs 1 - 10
Key ideas of each paragraph:
Devices used and role of each paragraph:
The periodic rhythm of the editorial is noted by the *** marks to show the recurring theme. Note
By G B Smith October 2003
See also Appreciation of a newspaper as a whole
Return to Top
of Page
Return to English Resources Page