An editorial is a news or opinion piece intended to persuade readers on a specific topic. These articles often speak to timely issues and have a lighter tone than standard news stories. Editorial content often has a political or economic slant, and the purpose is to engage, educate and entertain.
Traditionally, an editorial was written by the editor of a journal. The aim was to highlight connections between papers or to comment on important scientific, policy or political events relevant to the journal’s field. Sometimes journals will also publish a special issue with an editorial by a guest editor on a single topic.
The most common type of editorial is the criticism editorial which expresses opinions on current events or topics. This article may be critical of government, businesses or individuals and strives to influence readership and inspire solutions.
A personal editorial is a more light-hearted style of article. These pieces are often written about people or things that interest the author and can include a variety of topics from pop culture to television. These types of articles often appeal to the audience’s emotions and are designed to be engaging, informative and entertaining.
A good editorial is well-written and clearly articulates the point of view of its author. In addition, the author must be careful not to fall into a polemic. Gray writes that a good editorial should have a “quinoa effect; love it or loathe it, it gets a reaction.” Finally, the author must be sure to write with his or her target audience in mind.