Learning Log Meeting 10 Journalism - A matter of opinion: what an editorial does

Topic	A matter of opinion: what an editorial does
Date	May 29th, 2023
Sources/Links	Smith, D. (2010). Introduction to Journalism. Student Activities Book. TEACHING point. The Expert Systems for Teachers Series. United States of America. p. 245.
Learned vocabularies, pronunciation & part of speech, definition, and in context (e.g., in a sentence)	1. Opinion  =  [əˈpinyən] Part of speech: Noun Indonesian: pendapat Definition: a view or judgment formed about something, not necessarily based on fact or knowledge. e.g., “I'm writing to voice my opinion on an issue of great importance" Synonyms: Belief, judgment, thought, view   2. Editorial = [ˌedəˈtôrēəl] Part of speech: Noun Indonesian: tajuk rencana Definition: a newspaper article written by or on behalf of an editor that gives an opinion on a topical issue. e.g., “the paper ran an editorial denouncing his hawkish stand”   3. Controversial = [ˌkäntrəˈvərSHəl] Part of speech: Adjective Indonesian: kontroversial Definition: giving rise or likely to give rise to public disagreement. e.g., “years of wrangling over a controversial bypass” Synonyms: Sensitive, debatable, problematic   4. Defend = [dəˈfend] Part of peech: Verb Indonesian: membela Definition: resist an attack made on (someone or something); protect from harm or danger. e.g., “we shall defend our country, whatever the cost” Synonyms: Protect, guard, support   5. Instigate = [ˈinstəˌɡāt] Part of peech: Verb Indonesian: menghasut Definition: bring about or initiate (an action or event). e.g., “they instigated a reign of terror” Synonyms: Set in motion, incite, provoke

Synopsis

According to Smith, D. (2010) in his book entitled “Introduction to Journalism” it was stated that editorial is an expression of a newspaper’s “feelings’, generally decided by a polling of the staff or of the newspaper’s editorial board. Putting the reporter’s opinion in news and feature stories has been strongly discouraged. the editorial and opinion pages are there just for that purpose—not just for the opinion of the newspaper staffers, but also for the voices of the readers to be “heard.”. He also explain several types of opinion articles and items might be found in this section of the newspaper, there are:

·         Editorials: These are the official opinion of the newspaper.

·         Columns: These are opinion pieces that express the personal opinion of the writer.

·         Letters to the editor: These are letters written to the newspaper (not necessarily the editor) and contain the opinion of a reader.

·         Editorial cartoons: These are illustrations which make a statement through words and symbolism.

Smith also said editorials should do the following:

·         Criticize or attack: If they criticize, they require suggestions for change. If you launch an attack against something, you must be impeccable in your charge.

·         Defend: Stand up for an individual or an institution that is under attack by society.

·         Endorse: but you must give solid reasons for your endorsement of a political candidate, an issue, or the reasons behind building a new gymnasium.

·         Compliment: Show evidence that the compliment is deserved. Do praise when warranted.

·         Instigate, advocate or appeal: To instigate editorially would mean that the newspaper intended to go on a crusade for something--improvements in the school study hall system.

·         Entertain: An entertaining editorial is good for the reader’s soul, but it should have a worthwhile point and should be written about something worth the reader’s time.

·         Predict: Support your predictions with fact.

Moreover, Smith state that the editorial should be written in third person and should be forceful, never condescending or preachy. Because the editorial is the official stance (position) of the newspaper, any reference to the person writing the editorial would be inappropriate. He also share the tips to write an effective editorial by using SPECS method, which adapted from “Types of Editorials” by Rob Melton.

State the problem;

Position on the problem;

Evidence to support the position; Conclusions: Who’s affected and how; Solutions to

the problem: At least two.

Reflection

Through the material “A matter of opinion: what an editorial does" I learned that editorial pages are a gathering place for ideas that are usually located in the Newspaper Sections. here, people are free to write their opinions on a matter, such as issues that are hotly debated, complex ideas, and a criticize or praise a policy. It is also important to realize that at this time it is important to understand the difference between fact-based news and opinion-based reports in the media. For this reason, critical thinking is also needed to see from various perspectives. In addition, I also realize that a fact-based story must be supported by accurate data and careful verification, while opinion reports can include various personal viewpoints, judgments, or evaluations. Through this study, it greatly opened my horizons about how to evaluate various types of information contained in the news. From this material, I learned how to analyze opinions and facts, so that in the future I can be more careful in absorbing news.