EDITORIAL

WRITING
JOY ANTOINETTE G. ORDOÑA
DSPC 2024
NO TO SUBJECTIVITY
YES TO OBJECTIVITY
OBJECTIVE OPINION - viewpoint,
judgement based on truth telling

Contextual Accuracy + Factual

Accuracy = TRUTH TELLING
Data + Analysis = INFORMATION
Editorial Writing in a nutshell
to drive home a point
to influence public opinion
to enlighten people
WHAT IS AN EDITORIAL?

Article that explicitly states

the paper’s stand on pressing
issues and concerns

Normally printed in the

Opinion/Editorial (Op-ed)
pages and laid out near the
staff box
WHAT IS AN EDITORIAL?

Collective stand of the

publication
Heavy artillery (battlefield
of opinions/ views that
compete for readers'
attention)
Takes leadership position
on issues affecting the
community
 CHARACTERESTICS OF A GOOD EDITORIAL

OBJECTIVE SIMPLIFIED BASED ON

CLEAR not
not not FACTS not
vauge
subjective simplistic hearsay
WHERE AND HOW DO WE START?
1. Choose a topic
2. Obtain background material and information about
your topic
 PRE-WRITING STAGE

1. Identify your purpose and audience – inform,

interpret, criticize, argue, suggest reforms, urge
readers to action.

Explain or interpret the way the newspaper

covered a sensitive or controversial subject
Criticize constructive actions, decisions or
situations to get readers to see the problem.
Praise to commend people or organizations
for a job well done
Persuade to get readers immediately see the
solution and not the problem
 PRE-WRITING STAGE

2. Organize Information – briefly outline your

facts logically before writing the piece.

Choose details
Order details according to importance (outlining)
FOCUS ON A CENTRAL THEME
The single greatest error made by beginning
writers is trying to say too much.
The error comes from the belief that, in order to be
convincing, an argument must be utterly
comprehensive, addressing every possible issue
that relates to it.
An effective editorial must be essentialized.
 PRE-WRITING STAGE

3. Working on an effective title

(must be striking to attract attention)

The title of an editorial article is mostly

composed of only three words.
The title is a label head.
Example:
Walang linaw Alliteration: Money matters,
Usad pagong Silent Session
Allusion: Killing it softly
Petal attraction
Pun: SPEDtacular, TAMbye
Election blues PROSTItuition, PRESStitution
 PRE-WRITING STAGE

4. OUTLINING IS IMPORTANT!
Title: _______________________________
1. Situation: _________________________
2. Position: __________________________
3. Claims (arguments/ proofs to support each of your
claims)
a. __________
b. ____________
c. _______________
4. Summary of main points
5. Conclusion
WRITING STAGE

1. INTRODUCTION
Presentation of:
SITUATION/NEWS ITEM (newspeg)
Stand/ position
2. BODY
Presentation of:
Claims fully supported by proofs
4E: Explanation/Evidence/Example/Extra Details

Tools: narrative of incidents, statement from credible sources,

statistics, provision from memo, order, by-laws, constitution, etc
WRITING STAGE

3. CONCLUSION

Recap of the main points

Recommending a SOLUTION/
CALLING for an ACTION
 REASONING EVIDENCE

These are statements You will need to provide

that explain your claim. relevant evidence to
Reasons are the
support your reasons.
backbone of your
argument. You will want Input credible or
two to three clear trustworthy sources to
reasons for every claim gather evidence.
you make.
TYPES OF EVIDENCES

Gathering relevant evidence requires you to do some research.

The type of evidence you include to support your reasoning will
depend on what information you find in your research.

Facts: statements that can be proven true

Examples: specific instances that illustrate a general idea
Expert opinions: statements made by authorities on a subject
Anecdotes: brief, personal stories
USING TRANSITIONS
Transitions are words, phrases, and clauses that show how ideas
are related to one another. Transitions are helpful to use in your
writing as they can help clarify the relationship between your
claim and reasons.

To begin with Mainly

First Most important
Furthermore Finally
Last Ultimately
The most successful claims have the following components:

Clear position on a single issue

One to three reasons
Acknowledgement of the opposing viewpoint
Example Claim:

Although some may object to the appearance of wind turbines,

States should increase the use of wind power environmental benefits.
 IT’S NOT OVER
TITLE
A Kuwaiti court has handed out the death
penalty to the employers of Joanna
Demafelis, the overseas worker whose
SITUATION body was found stuffed in a freezer.
(NEWS ITEM)
in February. Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello
III said the sentence shows the sincerity
and good faith of the Kuwaiti government.
POSITION
(STAND) It appears justice has been served.
 Demafelis’ death and its ignominy shocked a nation
that was no stranger to the risks that workers face in
foreign lands. Demafelis’ story was common indeed—she
made the trip to act as breadwinner for her family. The
manner, in which she was killed, however, was revolting.
The operative word is “appears.” Beneath the surface,
many issues remain unresolved.
Evidence Foremost, the employers—Lebanese Nader Essam
Explanation Assaf and his Syrian wife MounaHassoun— were tried in
absentia. The two fled Kuwait City and were arrested in
Example Damascus. The husband has been turned over to
Extra Details Lebanese authorities where he reportedly confessed to
(with statistics) the killing. The wife remains in Syria. It is not known
whether, when or how they would be made to face the
consequences of their action— in Kuwait or anywhere
else.
 Here at home, Demafelis’ recruiter, the owner of the
our Lady of Mount Carmel Global Solutions, remains in
hiding. Again the story is common—unscrupulous
recruiters only concern themselves with making the fees
without ascertaining the actual risks they put the
Evidence workers in. Sometimes, the effects are economic. In
Explanation other cases, like Demafelis’, lives are lost.

Example Administration officials are also still weighing whether

Extra Details the total ban on the deployment of workers to Kuwait

(with statistics) should be lifted after the Kuwaiti court’s show of good
faith. The ban occasioned mixed reactions from the
public: Some said it was an impractical, sweeping
solution to a particular case —Kuwait is a destination to
more than a quarter of a million workers—while others
agreed it was a proportionate reaction to a grievous
crime.
 Finally, whatever the fate of the suspects, the case just
goes to show the extent of the dangers faced by
Filipinos who venture into other countries because of
lack of opportunities in their home country.

The sooner we stop regarding our workers as “prime

exports” and work instead to provide them with
RECAPOF THE sustainable jobs they can keep while living with their
MAIN POINTS families, the better it will be. The choice to live abroad
should be made out of one’s free will, not out of
necessity.

Demafelis’ case is not the first heartbreaking OFW

story. The authorities need to focus on this case and
CONCLUSION consider the bigger picture and long-term situation. If
they fail to do so, it will not be the last, either. (The
Manila Standard – 4/3/18)
 Make it straight to the point. 'Yan lagi
'yung pinakauna. You're writing an
editorial, not a feature article. If you
have any points to tackle, deretsuhin
in writing mo. 'Wag paligoy-ligoy.

an editorial The key to a good editorial is a balance

of news (facts) and opinion. Too much
news makes it opinionated news. Too
much opinion makes it a column.
Balance dapat.
 Sa simula, dapat maeencourage mo 'yung
mambabasa na basahin 'yung buong article mo.
Iprovide mo 'yung context noong problem/event
na ita-tackle mo. Bakit ba may ganoong isyu?
Bakit ba nagkaroon ng ganung pangyayari? Don't

in writing just jump sa mismong topic, iprovide mo muna

'yung details kung paano nangyari 'yung event.
an editorial For example: condom distribution, 'wag agad
deretsuhin na condom distribution agad. Sabihin
muna na papataas nang papataas ang kaso ng
HIV/AIDS lalo na sa kabataan kaya ginawang
posibleng solusyon ito ng DepEd upang tumulong sa
pagbaba ng kaso.
 Sa arguments naman, make sure na well-founded
sa facts ang arguments mo. Again, kung ang
arguments mo ay walang backup, nagmumukhang
opinion mo lang 'yan. Make sure na 'yung mga
sasabihin mong argument ay may rason, at 'yun

in writing 'yung ebidensya.

an editorial For example: You like someone. You can't just say you
like someone na that's it. Give evidences para
paniwalaan ka. Halimbawa, you like her just because
sobrang saya niyang kausap. Naiintindihan ka niya.
Ganyan. Give some supporting details sa pinaglalaban
mo para matapang talaga ang paninindigan.
 Siguraduhin na 'yung arguments ay coherent. Kumbaga,
may koneksyon sa isa't isa. Magkakaugnay lahat ng
bagay, just try to make sense of it. Dapat elaborate
talaga 'yung thought mo, ganyan. Yung flow of
discussion, smooth. Hindi 'yung patalon- talon from one
point to another.
in writing Sa conclusion, dapat mas power dito. Wrap up mo
an editorial muna siya. I-summarize mo kumbaga. Tapos, you're
about to give suggestions, recommendations, and
possible solutions sa problema. Dapat sobrang
concrete noong solutions na ibibigay mo. Dapat
posibleng magawa at mamaterialize ng tao. Tapos end
it with your style. Kahit anong gusto mo. Hugot ba, or
emotional way. Ikaw ang didikta niyan.
 Don't use words na sobrang hindi
maintindihan at sobrang malalim.
Remember na ang editorial ay para sa masa,
hindi para sa elitista. Kaya gumamit ng mga
in writing salitang madaling maintindihan at

an editorial maunawaan.

Avoid asking questions. The main reason

why you write an editorial is to answer
questions, not ask more questions.
KNOW YOUR JOURNALISM ETHICS
journalistic objectivity belongs in the manner by which evidence, statements
and documentation are gathered. These proofs are then weighed for their
integrity and credibility, and analyzed in light of their historical context. All
this is done with the mind to arrive at the truth. That is the goal.

LUIS V. TEODORO