Newspaper Articles

Newspaper Articles include News Articles, Features, Editorials, Columns and Opinions. 

For instance, The Tribune, India has the Op-Ed Section that includes Editorials, Middle and Articles.

News Articles: These are impersonal, objective, informative and mainly categorized as ‘hard’ news and ‘soft’ news based on immediacy and significance of the event or incident. News that creates concern falls under the former category. In the latter, human interest surpasses the immediate impact.

News Articles are written in inverted pyramid style with most important facts written first. The Lead includes 5Ws and 1 H: from who, what, when, where, why to how of the news are covered in the first paragraph. The next paragraph reinforces the lead. All the other paragraphs add detail. The last paragraph is usually open-ended hinting at further developments.

So, ‘hard news’ may be about militant attack at Uri headquarters of the army in J& K on September 18, 2016, while ‘soft news’ would be an item like the news about the German army training Eagles to intercept drones in revival of old practice of falconry, again published in the same week , same month in 2016.

Good news is distinguished for accuracy, balance, fairness- these help build credibility. Also important are brevity, clarity and readability as these help sustain interest. Human interest is self-explanatory. Above all, sharp observation makes the news distinctive as it adds details and may even help investigation or evoke the right questions.

But though ‘treatment’ of the content should be excellent to produce a well-crafted news story, the identification of newsworthy subject is of still greater importance.

The news value is suggested by possession of: Timeliness, Proximity, Prominence, Conflict, Future Impact or Consequence, Human Interest and Unusualness/Bizarre or Shock value.

Depending upon the importance, the news will be placed on the first page or subsequent pages.

News reporting may be Investigative, Interpretive, Event Reporting, Political Reporting, Parliamentary, Reporting, Legal Reporting, Business Reporting, Science & Technology Reporting, Sports Reporting and Development reporting.

Features: Features have a broad rubric. They are based on people, places and situations but go beyond.They are subjective and pivoted on the author’s perspective of things. They are descriptive but may also be quirky.

These include News Features and Timeless Features.

News Features are topical and express a take or opinion on latest news. They are timely and as they are connected to the ‘news peg’ they are based on, they are temporal-limited and governed by time.

Timeless Features have a long shelf life- they remain fresh perennially and in fact, may remain evergreen due to sustained human interest.

Editorials: These express the opinion of the newspaper. They are usually unsigned and views expressed in the editorial section are generally those to which the media group subscribes. In HT often editorials furnish news analysis while the editorial space is taken by an article by a prominent journalist with a disclaimer.

Opinions: Opinions, usually, expressed by experts in a particular field. These are informed observations of experts and may guide the readers’ opinion.

Middle: These relate anecdotes and episodes. The author shares his observations on life, language, life-style through personal anecdotes and observations. These are written by lay persons and are distinguished by quirky writing style, wit or humour.

Columns: Columns are published regularly or periodically. The reader may be hooked on to the outlook or writing style of a particular columnist or feature writer whose features regularly appear in a particular newspaper having a space dedicated to it. There is Poonam Saxena writing for Brunch magazine writing on TV serials and soaps.Rajiv Makhani writes ‘Technilicious’, again a popular column on gadgets. But the frontrunners are perhaps the likes of Karan Thapar whose articles and columns are pegged on imperial legacy and contrast Indian behavior with the British sense of propriety. Vir sanghvi writes ‘Rude Food’ for ‘Brunch’, a Hindustan Times magazine supplement.

References:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/english/creativewriting/commissionsrev6.shtml

Think it over:

According to BBC, most writing is pivoted on genre, audience, purpose and style (GAPS).

Editorial Writing

Editorial Writing

An editorial is a newspaper article having immediate relevance and pertaining to a current issue.

For instance, though, sharing of Cauvery water has always been a bone of contention with the two states, the issue becomes topical due to latest developments. Violence followed the September 2016 judgment pronounced by Supreme Court asking Karnataka to release water to Tamil Nadu as water crisis deepens in the two states. The Hindu acclaimed for its timely editorials immediately published an article on the Cauvery water dispute with the title ‘Sharing without Caring’ observing that the dispute was less about ‘water and irrigation and more about linguistic chauvinism and regional identity’(September14, 2016).

Similarly, another editorial published by The Hindu ‘Sapping India’s Vitality’ lamented the failure of public health system in curbing vector-borne viral diseases as Chickengunya and Dengue rage over Northern India. 

Editorials analyze and comment upon local, national and international news of significance. ‘Syrian Crisis’ rules the year and it will be a mere desperate prayer to wish the Middle east revolution would turn out to be unreal nightmare not a reality with future.

Once again, under the rubric of September13, 2016 headline ‘They are the world…’ The Hindu in a woeful parody of a hopeful song of yore draws attention to the grim picture of migrant children based on UNICEF reports underlining the shocking figure of more than 50 million displaced children.

A range of subjects from immigration norms, war and violence to constitutional reforms may be considered for editorial writing. Editorials like those by Philip P. Kerby of Los Angeles Times in 1976 have upheld freedom of expression and canvassed for the ‘right to know’ by questioning the need for ‘government secrecy’ and ‘judicial censorship’. Despite, adverse political pressure, editorials have been conscience-keepers of those in power. In an interesting editorial discussing Indian judicial system under the heading ‘From dissent to disapproval,’ the newspaper, The Hindu maintains that history ‘shows that principled dissent often leads to reform’. It expresses adulation for Justice J. Chelameswar who ‘has acted on his famous dissent. After disagreeing with the majority on a Constitution Bench that struck down the law enacted to establish a National Judicial Appointments Commission, the judge, who is part of the five-member Supreme Court collegium, has opted to keep out of its proceedings’(September5, 2016).

It is important to refer to Pulitzer Prize that is given in honour of excellence in journalism since 1917. Editorials that are remarkable in spirit and word are awarded. The parameters suggest the importance of hinging strong writing skills on rationality and morality to lead public opinion; awards go to‘ distinguished editorial writing, the test of excellence being clearness of style, moral purpose, sound reasoning, and power to influence public opinion in what the writer conceives to be the right direction, using any available journalistic tool’.According to Wikipedia, an ‘editorial, leading article (US) or leader (UK), is an opinion piece written by the senior editorial staff or publisher of a newspaper, magazine, or any other written document. Editorials may be supposed to reflect the opinion of the periodical ’.

The editorial articulates the viewpoint or the official position held by a newspaper regarding an issue of public importance. It is not an individual expert’s view point on an issue but the position taken on local, national or international matters by the publication. The attitude when publishing an editorial is not of ‘disclaimer’ but of acceptance, acknowledgement and responsibility. Editorials are required to be lucid, analytical, well crafted, provocative and persuasive.

These are rich in information, deeply researched (2005) and deal with issues comprehensively. They often address ‘complex state issues’ (2004), explore ‘dilemmas’ (2002) .The tone may vary from forceful or dispassionate to ‘down-to-earth’ to ‘admonishing’ (2009) or ‘incisive ‘(2004)when criticism is justified but also ‘compassionate and compelling’ (2007) where public opinion needs to be guided.

These excel at analysis and can assess consequences of current developments and gauge their future impact. Well-researched editorials can help fix responsibilities and resolve crisis- they have the power to enlighten people and create greater awareness as information reaches the public in a credible and comprehensive manner.

However, editorials appeal not out of prejudice but equipoise. For instance, David Moats of Rutland (VT) Herald won recognition for his ‘even-handed and influential series of editorials’ commenting on a certain controversial and divisive issue(2001).They can even mitigate disaster or civil crisis and have the effect of healing as editorials by John Strohmeyer of Bethlehem (PA) Globe-Times that aimed at ‘reducing racial tensions in Bethlehem’ in 1972.

Editorials have the power to run campaigns. Noteworthy are the editorials by John C. Bersia of The Orlando Sentinel in 2000 that campaigned against ‘predatory lending practices in the state, which prompted changes in local lending regulations’. Editorials were found effective in campaigns that ranged from rescuing heritage buildings (1999) to helping government restructure the education system. They may prompt reforms and empower the powerless as the editorials dealing with social welfare systems centred on children and women. While governments and corporate are interested in ‘development’; editorials may draw attention to the contemporary threat from ‘overdevelopment’.

They may demonstrate the grit to go against- the- grain or satirize establishment even when the majority view is different. Joseph Rago of The Wall Street Journal was commended for his well-written editorials that questioned health reforms advocated by the US president Obama.

They may be ‘relentless’ and unsparing in condemnation of social disparities and expose the real issues with a missionary zeal. Sensitive editorials may help sustain sympathy for a long-standing but neglected cause or even be capable of evoking empathy when issues become hackneyed. Editorials are praised for bringing fresh perspectives on much-lamented issues. Cornelia Grumman of Chicago Tribune won the 2003 Pulitzer for ‘her powerful, freshly challenging editorials on reform of the death penalty’.

A well-written editorial is distinguished for ‘engaging readers and driving home the link between necessary solutions and their impact on everyday lives’ (Pulitzer Prize, 2014).They must be able to explain urgent but complex issues in simple terms. Great editorials have the power to run campaigns and cause governments to reconsider their decisions and revise their policies as 2013 award-winning editorial by Tim Nickens and Daniel Ruth of Tampa Bay Times did. Some editorials have been acknowledged to have stirred the governments into action as 2005 editorial that made government take stalk of a flooded valley in California. The writers were praised for their ‘diligent campaign that helped reverse a decision to end fluoridation of the water supply for the 700,000 residents of the newspaper's home county’.

As stated, the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for editorial writing was won by John Hackworth and Brian Gleason of Sun Newspapers, Charlotte Harbor ‘For fierce, indignant editorials that demanded truth and change after the deadly assault of an inmate by corrections officers’. The list of editorials includes topics dealing with ‘income inequality’ (2015); ‘rising pension costs’ (2014); to those dealing with inability of governments to curb child abuse.

References:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Editorial

http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/from-dissent-to-disapproval/article9072595.ece

http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/editorial-on-cauvery-issue-and-the-dispute/article9104515.ece

http://www.pulitzer.org/prize-winners-by-category/214