COMMENTARY

WHAT IS IT? & HOW TO

commentary
noun

an expression of opinions or offering of

explanations explanations about an event or
situation. (i.e.-"an editorial commentary)
a descriptive spoken account (especially on a broadcast)
of an event or performance as it happens.
-synonyms: narration,description,account,report,review ("the
soccer commentary)

a set of explanatory or critical notes on a text.

-synonyms: explanation, interpretation, analysis

Opinion/Commentary Formula

You will notice that most opinion pieces are written by very seasoned journalists, so dont be
surprised if they dont have their information in this order. But, their articles include all of
these components.

Lead
Nut

Graph/Thesis

Concession
Point

Point

Point

Closing/Solution

The lead of the article

Begin with the problem. Present your argument in an interesting

way. This can be done by using description to show the problem, or
simply stating the problem as a matter of fact.

Heres an example where the writer really wants to punctuate how

bad he really thinks the idea is, but also soften the blow and take
some of the bite out of his bias:

There are good ideas that come from our elected

officials, and there are bad ones. Then there are really
bad ones, like the proposal from Austin City Council
Members Lee Leffingwell and Mike Martinez, who want
to renege on the city's tax incentives to local employers.

Commentary lead practice

1.

Look at your lead notes

2.

Pick 3 lead types/strategies

3.

Write 3 different leads to the commentary

article of your choice on your sticky notes.

Pick your favorite lead

AND

WRITE IT ON THE TOP OF YOUR

NOTEBOOK PAPER.

Nut Graphs

THIS ESTABLISHES WHAT ARGUMENT IS AT HAND

The nut graph should fully state your stance on an issue.

The reader should know by the second paragraph the
exact argument at hand.

Here is a lead that begins with a quote that we soon find

out the writer disagrees with. In the nut graph, the
writer uses wit and a bit of sarcasm to clearly state that
political pundits are gratuitously blaming Obama for the
economic downturn.

NUT GRAPH EXAMPLES

"This is the greatest wealth destruction I've seen by

a president," Jim Cramer, one of the great
cheerleaders of the early 21st century bull market,
said of President Obama on television the other
day. Herbert Hoover must be so relieved. And let
the scapegoating begin.

Here is another example of a lead and

nut graph relationship from a previous
lead example:

It is no surprise that only two of more than 10,400 Texas

high school athletes tested positive for steroids this spring.
Even before the Legislature approved the extensive testing
program there was no indication of a serious steroid
problem among Texas high school athletes.

It cost Texas more than $1 million to find those two

athletes accused of steroid abuse. Was it worth it? No way.
That money could have been better spent keeping high
school students away from the perils of alcohol, marijuana
and other drugs that wreck far more young lives than
steroids.

WRITE A ONE-TWO
SENTENCE
NUTGRAPH TO
FOLLOW YOUR
LEAD. ON YOUR
NOTEBOOK PAPER.

CONCESSION-

One of the most important things you can do in an

opinion piece is to acknowledge the opposition.

In the following example, the writer explains what

the lawmakers who wanted mandatory drug testing
think:

Dewhurst continues to justify the commitment

to testing, but the preliminary estimate was far
off the mark. It was expected that 1 percent of
student athletes would test positive for
steroids, which would have resulted in more
than 100 positive tests in the first round, not
just two.

WRITE A ONE-FOUR
SENTENCE
CONCESSION TO
FOLLOW YOUR
NUTGRAPH. ON
YOUR NOTEBOOK
PAPER.

The body of your article

Point

1
Point 2
Point 3

Identify three points

that you would like to
argue or expand upon
related to the issue
BULLET

POINTS WILL WORK FOR NOW

Closing/Solution
Lets

look at the last paragraph

of our article.
WRITE AT LEAST ONE
PARAGRAPH OF YOUR OWN
BELOW YOUR THREE
POINTS.