How to Write an Editorial: 6 Steps for Writing an Editorial

An editorial is an opinion piece published by a news organization. Editorials can appear on TV, the radio, and the internet, but the iconic editorial format is a piece of writing that appears in newspapers or magazines. Publications like The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal are famous for their opinion-editorial pages, commonly referred to as op-ed pages.

An editorial is not a reported newspaper article. While a good editorial article may include some original reporting, the purpose of an editorial is to convey the author's personal opinion. Editorial writers typically write in the first person, and many pride themselves on tackling controversial topics that grab a reader's attention. Most editorial writing is cordoned off from the news section of the newspaper, making it clear that editorial essays are not the same as news reporting.

The vast majority of editorial pieces assume one of four formats.

1. 1. News interpretation: This type of editorial attempts to frame recent news reporting in a specific light or position a recent event in a broader context. Often it will reference reported stories in the current issue of the same publication.
2. 2. Persuasive editorials: Many editorials are persuasive writing pieces that start with a thesis statement or argument that the writer spends the rest of the piece attempting to prove.
3. 3. Praise editorials: Some editorials exist to champion a person, institution, or work of art.
4. 4. Critical editorials: Some editorial writers use the editorial format to share critical opinions of a leader, institution, policy, or work of art.

Major newspapers typically hire op-ed columnists to provide a certain number of published editorials in a calendar year. Some college and high school newspapers have their own op-ed columnists, who provide editorial content on a regular basis. A great number of these publications also solicit guest editorials. These are similar to letters to the editor, but they are usually granted a more generous word count.

A publication’s editorial board hires op-ed writers and selects guest editorials for publication. They may reject some editorials if they touch on a needlessly controversial subject or expose the publication to legal ramifications. In other situations, an editorial board may simply send the piece back to the writer to rework or streamline, after which they can resubmit it for publication.

If you have experience with persuasive essay writing or drafting research papers, you’ll find the editorial writing process somewhat familiar.

1. 1. Thoroughly research your topic. Before you start the writing process, ensure you have a thorough knowledge of your topic—particularly if it’s a complex issue. Read newspaper articles, scholarly journals, and history books to fully understand the topic and context surrounding it.
2. 2. Pick a thesis statement. Your thesis statement will form the foundation of your editorial. Take the time to craft a clear, concise statement that will lead into the rest of your editorial structure.
3. 3. Back up your thesis with several main points. Depending on your prescribed word count, plan to pick two to four main points to buttress your thesis statement. Expect to dedicate a paragraph or two to each of these points.
4. 4. Acknowledge counter-arguments. You can concede points to the other side or spend a paragraph refuting counter-arguments, but it’s important to address alternative points of view to buttress your own argument.
5. 5. Conclude with a call to action or summary of your main point. If your editorial is intended to address a problem, inform readers about possible solutions. If you want to empower your readers to learn more about the topic, provide links to resources or book titles to explore. At the end of an editorial centered on praise or criticism, return to your thesis statement and connect any ideas that remain open-ended.
6. 6. Edit your work until you reach a final draft. Self-editing involves revising your editorial for quality and clarity. Read over your draft and remove unnecessary words, clichés, or sentences that distract from the central argument. Once you’ve revisited your draft for substantive issues, proofread your editorial for grammatical errors and typos.

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