Journalism Assessment-Opinion/Editorial v. Feature Writing

Opinion/editorial writing and news/feature writing are structured the same. True or False

• True

• False

There is a voice in opinion writing that is more persuasive and presents a biased POV while news/feature writing presents an unbiased (non-judgmental) account of the facts (5 W's & H) in a creative voice.

• True

• False

Why are news/feature stories deliberately placed on different pages away from opinion/editorial pages?

• Companies only like to display advertisings on pages with sensational news because that is all the public reads.

• Opinion pages usually DO NOT include advertisements on the page to avoid the assertion that those advertisers are endorsing the same opinion as the writers of the OP/ED.

• Consumers are not interested in reading the opinions of others.

• Advertisers are not interested in endorsing the opinions of editorial writers.

As a journalist, what do news/feature writers have in common with OP/ED writers? (Check all that apply)

• Journalists consider their work as a way to speak for the people who cannot speak for themselves, shedding light on dark areas of their communities

• Journalists write using formal diction with a creative flair that is appealing to a wide array of readers.

• Opinion writing and editorials advocate for change, but in a different way from news writers who present facts only.

• Journalists typically use satire in their writing and with cartoons to ridicule or criticize political candidates, the government or any public entity to evoke opinions from the public.

Which of the following statements are elements of an editorial? (Check all that apply)

• Editorials are always written to criticize, satirize and denigrate a public entity.

• Editorials express the opinions of the editorial board or the newspaper as an entity; they present facts and offer a perspective for ways to solve various problems.

• Written in a persuasive voice that asks readers to change their mind, consider other options or confirm their convictions.

• They tell people what they should be angry about or what should be happening, but isn’t.

What are the main purposes for editorials? (Check all that apply)

• Attack and Defend

• Teach, Recommend, Entertain

• Prod and Advocate

• Question and Expose

Basic editorial guidelines for writing include: (Check all that apply)

• In a personal column or a review, you can write in the first person, but an editorial is written in third person.

• Write concisely editing out unnecessary words, phrases or sentences, LESS THAN 300 WORDS. Spell check and grammar check; there can be NO ERRORS.

• At least 50 percent of your staff, plus one more person (a majority) approves of what is in the editorial that editorial will be the voice of your staff.

• The topic is interesting, the position/stand is clear, the reader knows exactly what your position/opinion is because there are FACTS to support the stand/position/opinion and the headline grabs the readers’ attention.

Editorial cartoons can also be placed on the OP/ED page. They can either accompany an editorial or stand alone, should be investigative at some level, and should make the reader feel something and react.

• True

• False

What are the primary differences between featuring writing and hard news? (Check all that apply)

• Hard news is intended to inform; the reader immediately knows the outcome; the reader is informed.

• Featuring writing is intended to evoke emotions; it is written in the narrative; the reader is entertained.

• Reporting provides the tools that a journalist needs to build a feature story; REPORTING = Interviewing, research, observation.

• The rule for feature writers: 40% OF THEIR TIME DOING RESEARCH TO FIND THE STORY IDEA; 40% OF THEIR TIME DOING INTERVIEWS AND REPORTING; 20% OF THEIR TIME WRITING THE STORY.

Which of the following statements is NOT true about feature writing?

• Interview in person so you can observe the person in their own environment; Record EVERYTHING, take photos, ask a lot of questions, and take a lot of notes.

• Due to your approaching deadline, you fail to clarify a detail from the interview with the person and insert your own opinion based on what you think the interviewee may have meant.

• Once you’ve completed research and reporting, figure out what it all means by asking: WHAT IS THE STORY REALLY ABOUT? DEVELOP THE THEME.

• Develop your focus statement and write toward that focus statement.