a workshop on

EDITORIAL WRITING
SANNY BOY D. AFABLE
Former Editor, Philippine Collegian
sdafable@up.edu.ph
GUIDE FOR TODAY’S WORKSHOP

I. Introduce yourself
II. What is editorial?
III. Why learn editorial writing?
IV. Writing the editorial
V. Sample editorials
VI. Some notes
VII. Practice: Writing an outline
 State your name, school and year,
and experience in campus journalism
(plus a fun fact about yourself)
What is editorial?
An editorial is the official stand of a publication
on a certain topic of interest.
Why is there an editorial?

The myth of objectivity

WHY LEARN EDITORIAL WRITING?

▪ More than just a high school competition

▪ Skill to write a statement or opinion
eloquently
▪ Ability to make logical, sound, and
structured arguments
▪ Awareness of social issues
▪ Develops a critical eye
WRITING THE EDITORIAL

a. Choosing your “mode of

development”
b. Developing and structuring
arguments
c. Writing an impactful introduction
and conclusion
 WRITING THE EDITORIAL

The soul of a good editorial

is a clear and concrete
thesis statement.
 WRITING THE EDITORIAL

Thesis = stance + reason

 MODES OF DEVELOPMENT

1. Narration
“In 1962, the renowned epidemiologist George Comstock had
a realization that would help rid modern America of one of the
world’s enduring scourges. Despite the advent of antibiotics,
tuberculosis had remained endemic in parts of the country.
Those miracle drugs were good at curing individual cases of
TB, but people could pass the disease on to others long
before they developed obvious symptoms, received proper
diagnoses or were effectively cured.”
(The New York Times, “We Know How To Conquer Tuberculosis,” 26 Sep. 2018)
 MODES OF DEVELOPMENT

2. Exemplification
“The Philippines is instead rapidly turning into a total disaster, a metaphorical
train wreck whose brutal reality is pushing even more and more Filipinos into
leaving for whatever country will accept them as workers or immigrants — or at
least enable them to evade being deported as undocumented aliens.”
“TRAIN, the Tax Reform Acceleration and Inclusion law and the unprecedented
surge of inflation in its wake that has almost literally made prime commodities
worth their weight in gold, are not the only components of that wreck. Above it
all is the gross inefficiency, incompetence, corruption, violence, and sheer
madness that’s endemic in what passes for governance today.”

(Luis Teodoro, “Philippine Train Wreck,” 22 August 2018)

 MODES OF DEVELOPMENT

3. Process Analysis
“Malinaw ang patakaran ng pamahalaan hinggil
sa kanayunan: magbungkal ng mga krisis,
magtanim ng matatamis na pangako, at
kalauna’y ipandilig ang dugo ng pinaslang na
mga magsasakang Pilipino.”
(Philippine Collegian, “Lupain ng Ligalig,” Vol. 95 Issue 5)
 MODES OF DEVELOPMENT

4. Causal Analysis
“Malaon nang napatunayan sa kasaysayan na
ang pagkahumaling sa labis ay nagluluwal ng
krisis.” (Katherine Elona, 2012)
 MODES OF DEVELOPMENT

5. Classification

“There are two types of leaders: those who lead

by coercion and those who lead by example.”
 MODES OF DEVELOPMENT

6. Definition
“But there is some method in this seeming madness. Devising the right
solutions to the country’s problems is not only beyond the regime’s capacity; it
is also the last of its priorities. What it craves most is absolute power and
political dominance, to achieve which it uses the most absurd and politically
self-damaging means to silence and suppress its critics as well as anyone else
opposed to — among its legions of offenses against this portion of humanity —
its lawlessness and contempt for human rights, and the terrible cost in lives of
its savage “war” on drugs.”
(Luis Teodoro, “Method in its madness,” 23 Sep. 2018)
 MODES OF DEVELOPMENT

7. Comparison and contrast

"What is the difference between Philippine

government and the mafia? The answer: One of
them is organized." (Miriam Santiago, 2013)
 WRITING THE INTRODUCTION

▪ No single way to introduce an editorial

▪ Metaphors are helpful; they could help
structure your editorial later on.
▪ Do not bore your readers. Open with
impact.
 THE BODY
TIPS:
1. Define your stand/thesis statement.
2. Organize your thought. Supporting argument
must not only support but also define your
thesis statement.
3. Be cohesive. Transitional devices are key.
4. A working and sustained metaphor could be
helpful.
 THE BODY
TIPS:
5. Use common, powerful language. Do not be
too academic-sounding or hifalutin.
6. Avoid overly motherhood statements.
7. Write musically.
 EXAMPLE: PRESYO NG BIGAS
What is my thesis statement?
“Dapat na mababa ang presyo ng bigas.”
VS.
“Hindi sapat ang deka-dekadang pag-aangkat
para pabababain ang tumataas na presyo ng
bigas. Kailangang suportahan ang lokal na
produksyon ng bigas upang magkaroon ng
sapat na suplay nito sa bansa.”
 EXAMPLE: SOARING RICE PRICES
Possible introduction/metaphors:
1. Problemang malapit sa bituka ng pinakamahihirap
na Pilipino ang bawat pagtaas sa presyo ng bigas.
2. Ang pinakamalaking salot sa pananim ay ang
mababang suporta ng pamahalaan para sa mga
magsasaka.
 EXAMPLE: SOARING RICE PRICES
Points:
1. Sa loob ng matagal na panahon, nag-aangkat ang
Pilipinas ng bigas para matugunan ang suplay nito.
(Cite NFA’s debt due to payments for rice import)
2. Kabalintunaan na sa kabila ng malawak na mga
sakahan sa Pilipinas, patuloy tayong nag-aangkat ng
bigas. (Why?)
3. Makakamit lamang ang rice self-sufficiency kung
bibigyan ng sapat na suporta ang mga magsasaka.
(How?)
WRITING THE CONCLUSION

▪ Avoid just summarizing

▪ Must tie up the thesis statement
▪ DO NOT use “therefore, I conclude.”
▪ End with impact.
▪ Include call to action
▪ Conclude constructively (not
necessarily positive)
TIPS ON EDITORIAL WRITING

▪ Quick check:
A good editorial, or any article for that
matter, cannot be without a good structure.
It should sound bad if the paragraphs are
rearranged.
If paragraphs can be conveniently
rearranged, it could either mean lack of
transitional devices or poor structure.
TIPS ON EDITORIAL WRITING

▪ Keep in mind basic facts and figures

(e.g. poverty incidence, Philippine population,
current events and popular personalities)
▪ You do not have to strike equal balance.
▪ The editorial’s task is not to please the
readers, but to persuade them.
 SOME NOTES

▪ READ, READ, READ.

Don’t limit yourself on mainstream sources. Read articles from
alternative organs (e.g. Bulatlat, Manila Standard, Pinoy
Weekly, Philippine Collegian, Luis Teodoro)
 TIPS ON WRITING

▪ Get involved.
 PRACTICE!
Write an outline of an editorial given the topic:
______________________________________________