A Guide for Writing Editorial Example

Writing an editorial is an effective way to express your stance and ideas on a specific issue. You can address it in a publication form to reach a wide target audience. A good editorial article raises awareness of a certain issue, persuades readers of the issue, and ignites a conversation on the particular issue.

Writing a compelling editorial can make your voice heard in the intended manner. It ignites a discussion within the circle of your target audience to see the sense of your opinion. You can decide to take a position on behalf of the group supporting your argument.

If you want to write a good editorial, you must have a clear structure for your paper, a strong argument to convince the readers, and an appropriate persuasive style. When assigned to write an editorial paper, you must be aware of what is expected from you and write an editorial that appeals to the readers.

Students are assigned to write editorials about newspapers and other materials. This article provides you with a guide that helps you write a compelling editorial article to capture the readers’ attention.

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What is an Editorial?

An editorial is an article expressing the opinions and editor’s ideas over a certain issue. It is an opinion piece in which the writer shares their thoughts on a given issue. The editorial article is content with a subjective perspective based on a given issue and advocates for a given point of view.

Just because it is an opinion article does not mean the writer is allowed to share their thoughts anyhow; instead, they are expected to compose their content well and follow the recommended structure. The editorials are commonly found in magazines, blogs, and newspapers.

For you to write a standing-out editorial as a writer, you must research to have facts on what you want to write. You must be able to build on your argument on a certain issue and persuade the readers to see sense in your opinion. This is possible when you provide authentic evidence over a certain issue.

When writing an editorial, the writer must address a group or community facing that issue. Give them a solution on what can be done to manage the situation and hand. If it is a critical social issue, the writer can involve the relevant authorities to take measures and help mitigate the issue.

What are the Key Features of an Editorial?

An editorial article stands out when the writer knows what is expected from them to deliver quality. You must be ready to learn about the key features and embrace them throughout your editorial writing.

When writing the editorial paper, consider the following primary features for quality content for your target audience.

  • It must be persuasive

The article should persuade the reader to see sense in your stance, accept your viewpoint, and take the desired action.

  • Make it concise

Your editorial should not be wordy; instead, make it brief with a clear focus on the main point. Present a strong argument without falling out of line with unnecessary details.

  • Be topical

Your editorial should consider addressing the current events in society and the trending or current pressing issue to your target audience.

  • It must be a fact-based argument

Writing an editorial paper must be based on a certain issue. Your opinion on a certain issue is the driving point in writing your opinion. A good editorial must include some facts and data to support your argument.

What is a Good Structure of an Editorial Paper?

Having a well-structured editorial is important. It follows a clear outline to present a logical argument to the target audience. A good persuasive editorial must have the following features.

  • Introduction

The introduction is the critical part of your article, and it attracts the reader’s attention to proceed with the paper and hear your opinion on a given issue. When writing an introduction, begin with a hook to get the reader’s attention. From the first two sentences, they will be convinced.

In the introduction, introduce your topic and state your editorial stance on the issue you share. Also, it is important to share the significance of the issue you are sharing with the target audience. State why the readers should care about the issue presented in your article.

  • Body

In this section, the editorial must express and clearly explain the issue. As a writer, you must share the current issue objectively without being one-sided or biased. This will convince the reader to make sense of your opinion. You must be willing to discuss every aspect of your argument.

In the argument, you must present your opinion, followed by the reasons why you presented the opinion. Give the reasons to the audience why they should see sense in agreeing with your opinion.

You can craft your body using the following example.

Argument 1. Share your first argument, and support it with evidence and examples.

Argument 2. Present your second argument, share your facts, and support it with data if available.

Counterargument. In this section, you can present the opposing views on a given issue and refute the opponent’s ideas using logical facts and reasoning.

Argument 3. Present your conclusion of the body using a strong argument for emphasis and reinforce your stance.

  • Conclusion

In this section, present a summary of your article. Share the key points and restate your stance in this section. The last sentence ends with a call to action, persuading the readers to adopt your viewpoint. You can also consider taking a specific step.

What are the Types of Editorial?

The main purpose of an editorial is to share opinions with the target audience and persuade them to make sense of your opinion. However, there are different types of editorials that vary in style and structure. The editorials are divided into different categories.

  • Interpretive

This type of editorial explains a given event and gives background information on an issue. The main purpose of this editorial is to raise awareness among the readers. It discusses why the topic or the issue is relevant for the readers to engage with.

  • Critical

This type of editorial mainly focuses on the causes of the problem and gives a solution to the issue as a suggestion. An example is when an editor critiques a policy related to the issue you are addressing and advocates for specific change.

  • Persuasive

The editorial appeals to the reader directly over a certain issue and encourages them to take action. The persuasive format aims to convince the reader to see the sense of changing a given situation by following and practicing the provided advice.

  • Praising

The praising editorials mainly aim to express appreciation to a particular person or organization. It can be considered expressing gratitude to a given firm or organization to acknowledge their participation in a given issue.

What Should You Consider When Writing an Effective Editorial?

  • Choose a relevant topic

In the topic selection for your editorial, be sure to select a current issue that will capture the reader’s attention. When you select a good topic, it will be easier to write and have ideas flow from you to the readers. The topic you select must align with your target audience.

  • Be sure to support your ideas with evidence

Presenting your opinion should not be done randomly; instead, be sure to present your ideas backed by evidence from data, quotes, and facts where necessary. It makes the readers see the seriousness and validity of your writing. Writing with evidence enhances the credibility of the article.

  • Use a confident voice and tone

Writing an editorial is an argument presented and a sharing of opinions over a given issue. If you want to effectively persuade the target audience, you must be sure to use a strong voice and tone. It makes them see the sense in the idea shared with the audience.

  • Be clear and precise in your writing

This is critical to ensure that what you present to the readers is well-written and direct to the point. Using a wordy explanation makes the sentence lack meaning and contradicting at some point. Having short and well-written sentences gives a clear meaning without confusion. It makes the writers feel engaged in your writing.

  • Understand your target audience

A good editorial writer must be informed about your target audience to know what to write about and how to write it. It will help you use appropriate language with your audience. Understanding your audience in terms of demographics ensures you don’t write irrelevant issues to the audience.

  • Proofreading

A well-structured and polished paper must be proofread and edited where necessary. It is the last stage of writing, where the writer has to go through the paper and check the grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Ensure your paper is free from errors before submitting your final copy.

Conclusion

Writing a good editorial article can focus on any topic of interest; however, you must consider key features that make a good editorial. You must present a strong argument without bias to convince your reader to agree with your opinion. As you write your editorial, write with your target readers in mind to ensure you share with them the current issues affecting their lives and daily practices.