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WorksheetsEditorial Op-Ed Review
Total questions: 45
Worksheet time: 1hrs 8mins
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.
Match the following types of media to the correct example.
Social Media
Broadcast Media
ABC News
Print Media
The New York Times
Which of the following is not a "Strategy to evaluate the Media"?
Identify propaganda
Making fun of candidates
Separating fact from opinion
Evaluating sources
Which of the following is a role of the media during elections?
Broadcasting different points of view.
To identify the candidates that they like
To show important sports events over election coverage.
To persuade the electorate to only vote for specific candidates
Which of the following statements is fact?
Ice cream is too expensive
A greater percentage of people buy vanilla ice cream than any other flavor.
The best kind of ice cream is Rocky Road.
You should only eat ice cream on hot, summer days
The 2020 Presidential debates were televised nationwide as well as streamed online by most news agencies. These debates demonstrate which role of the media?
Emphasizing selected issues
Producing editorials and op-ed pieces
Detecting bias
Telling voters who to pick
CNN broadcasts a story that describes a Democratic candidate in only positive ways, leaving out any details that are negative or unflattering. Voters should carefully evaluate a story such as this one, that is a clear example of _______.
propaganda
an editorial
social media
bias
The reporter should treat all sides equally and fairly. What kind of reporting is this?
Objective
Subjective
News
Opinion
The reporter should treat all sides equally and fairly. What kind of reporting is this?
Objective
Subjective
News
Opinion
What are two types of "opinion" writing in journalism?
Editorial Articles, Sports Articles
Editorial Articles & Columns
Review Articles & Political Articles
News Articles & Feature Articles
Which is NOT the purpose of an editorial?
to present an individual's opinion on a current event
to raise important issues and influence public thinking
to promote critical thinking and cause people to take action
to present the newspaper's opinion on a current event
In order to write a compelling editorial what must the editorial writer NOT do?
research the subject
write out of anger
employ persuasive techniques
employ a distinctive but formal voice
What is generally the function of the introduction to an editorial?
to state alternative positions on the topic
to provide support for the position the newspaper is taking
to offer brief background and the author's position on the issue
to comment on solutions, alternatives, and directions
Which of the following is not a guideline for writing effective editorials?
keep it relevant
be brief
criticize people along with the issue
craft a strong thesis
Successful columnists must have a distinctive voice. What is voice?
the author's style of writing
the mood an author creates through his or her writing
a style of writing that uses higher level vocabulary
Which of the following headlines could be an editorial headline regarding the U.S. war in Iraq?
War imminent as Hussein rejects ultimatum
Baghdad rejects Bush's warning
U.S. invades Iraq
Why the U.S. needs to pull out of Iraq
True or False: An editorial is often unsigned while a column is signed.
True, an anonymous authorship of an editorial allows the author to vent without fear of backlash
False, an editorial is signed and tied to a particular author
True, an editorial reflects the opinion of a newspaper and a column conveys the opinion of the author
False, everything published in a newspaper must be published
Opinion articles always appear on the
front page
the back page
editorial page and the "op-ed" page
the sports page
The reporter should treat all sides equally and fairly. What kind of reporting is this?
Objective
Subjective
News
Opinion
What are two types of "opinion" writing in journalism?
Editorial Articles, Sports Articles
Editorial Articles & Columns
Review Articles & Political Articles
News Articles & Feature Articles
Which is NOT the purpose of an editorial?
to present an individual's opinion on a current event
to raise important issues and influence public thinking
to promote critical thinking and cause people to take action
to present the newspaper's opinion on a current event
In order to write a compelling editorial what must the editorial writer NOT do?
research the subject
write out of anger
employ persuasive techniques
employ a distinctive but formal voice
What is generally the function of the introduction to an editorial?
to state alternative positions on the topic
to provide support for the position the newspaper is taking
to offer brief background and the author's position on the issue
to comment on solutions, alternatives, and directions
Which of the following is not a guideline for writing effective editorials?
keep it relevant
be brief
criticize people along with the issue
craft a strong thesis
Successful columnists must have a distinctive voice. What is voice?
the author's style of writing
the mood an author creates through his or her writing
a style of writing that uses higher level vocabulary
Which of the following headlines could be an editorial headline regarding the U.S. war in Iraq?
War imminent as Hussein rejects ultimatum
Baghdad rejects Bush's warning
U.S. invades Iraq
Why the U.S. needs to pull out of Iraq
True or False: An editorial is often unsigned while a column is signed.
True, an anonymous authorship of an editorial allows the author to vent without fear of backlash
False, an editorial is signed and tied to a particular author
True, an editorial reflects the opinion of a newspaper and a column conveys the opinion of the author
False, everything published in a newspaper must be published
Opinion articles always appear on the
front page
the back page
editorial page and the "op-ed" page
the sports page
