Ms. Gokturk Name: ___________________

Journalism

Analyzing Editorials: There Are At Least Two Sides to Every Opinion

Editorials are written to criticize, persuade, interpret, praise or honor, analyze or interpret, and even sometimes even to entertain. The editorial pages of The New York Times includes unsigned editorials, letters to the editor, and the Op-Ed page (opposite the editorial page), which contain columns written by Times staff and opinion pieces submitted by outside commentators. The editorial pages can provide the reader with a cast array of opinion on different topics and issues.

Read the editorial pages of The NY Times. Choose an editorial (from the left side of the section) of interest to you. Analyze or critique the editorial by providing answers to the questions below. Pleae write in complete sentences neatly!

1. What is the title of the editorial? _________________________________________________

2. What is the topic of the editorial? __________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. What is the main idea and purpose of the editorial?

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. What are some of the important opinions and/or pieces of evidence used from the editorial?

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

5. What is your opinion of the editorial?

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

6. Read over some of the letters of the editor. Each is a response to items within the paper. Here, write a brief letter to the editor in which you respond to the editorial you analyzed. You may either agree or disagree with the editorial in your letter. [You may use the back of this paper.]

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________