Editorial

An editorial is an article in a newspaper or magazine that presents the view of the editor or a guest columnist on a particular topic. The purpose of an editorial is to interpret, to advocate, or to entertain. Sometimes editorials are intended to persuade, and sometimes they are written to provide background on an issue so that readers may draw their own informed conclusion.

Editorializing is expressing an opinion. This is appropriate in editorials but not in news articles, in news releases, or in any unattributed statement. The news convention of objectivity requires that news articles and news releases limit their statements to reports, or statements that are verifiable. For example, the statement “More than 50 people attended the library open house” is verifiable. In contrast, the statement “A lot of people attended the open house” is a judgment and an example of editorializing. An opinion does not belong in a news article or news release (written by a journalist or public relations practitioner, respectively) unless it is attributed to a source. (For example: “‘A lot of people attended the open house,’ said Ann Lee, director of the library.”)

Editorials appear on the editorial page in newspapers, along with columns and letters to the editor, to distinguish them from news articles, which are intended to provide objective reports. They are useful in stimulating readers to think and to reach conclusions. They also provide a personality to the newspaper, magazine, or organizational publication. In editorials, readers may find more than just the facts. John M. McClelland, editor of the Longview (Washington) News and past national president of Sigma Delta Chi (predecessor to the Society of [Page 274]Professional Journalists), has said, “To have a personality a paper must have strong convictions and opinions. And it must support those opinions and convictions consistently” (Waldrop, 1955, p. 14).

Editorializing in a news release can be the kiss of death to good media relations. When busy editors receive news releases that include editorializing, they may discard them immediately and then in the future discard releases from the same organization even before opening them. When public relations practitioners write news releases, they should carefully avoid editorializing, or including unattributed opinions, to protect good relations and maintain credibility with news media editors.

When practitioners write columns and guest pieces submitted for a publication's editorial page, editorializing is fine. Editorializing has its place, but it is not in the news article or news release.