Editorial

For similar terms, see Model (person) § Magazine modeling, online content, and Editorialization (online content).

An editorial, or leading article (UK) or leader (UK), is an article or any other written document, often unsigned, written by the senior editorial people or publisher of a newspaper or magazine, that expresses the author(s)'s opinion about a particular topic or issue. Australian and major United States newspapers, such as The New York Times^[1] and The Boston Globe,^[2] often classify editorials under the heading "opinion".

Editorial from a 1921 issue of Photoplay recommending that readers not watch a film, which featured nude scenes

Francis Pharcellus Church, author of the famous 1897 The Sun editorial which contains the line "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus"

Illustrated editorials may appear in the form of editorial cartoons.^[3]

Typically, a newspaper's editorial board evaluates which issues are important for their readership to know the newspaper's opinion on.^[4]

Editorials are typically published on a dedicated page, called the editorial page, which often features letters to the editor from members of the public; the page opposite this page is called the op-ed page and frequently contains opinion pieces (hence the name think pieces) by writers not directly affiliated with the publication. However, a newspaper may choose to publish an editorial on the front page. In the English-language press, this occurs rarely and only on topics considered especially important; it is more common, however, in some European countries such as Denmark, Spain, Italy, and France.^[5]

Many newspapers publish their editorials without the name of the leader writer. Tom Clark, leader-writer for The Guardian, says that it ensures readers discuss the issue at hand rather than the author.^[6] On the other hand, an editorial does reflect the position of a newspaper and the head of the newspaper, the editor, is known by name. Whilst the editor will often not write the editorial themselves, they maintain oversight and retain responsibility.^[7]

In the field of fashion publishing, the term is often used to refer to photo-editorials – features with often full-page photographs on a particular theme, designer, model or other single topic, with or (as in a photo-essay) without accompanying text.^[8]

See also

• Column (periodical) – Recurring piece or article in a periodical
• Editorial board – Group of experts that dictate a publication's editorial policy
• Op-ed – Type of opinion-expressing written pieces
• Opinion piece – Writing reflecting the author's opinion

References

1. Staff (23 May 2012). "Opinion". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 3 November 2014. Retrieved 23 May 2012.
2. Staff (23 May 2012). "Opinion". The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on 23 December 2010. Retrieved 23 May 2012.
3. Staff (2012). "AAEC The Association of American Editorial Cartoonists". The Association of American Editorial Cartoonists. Archived from the original on 1 July 2007. Retrieved 23 May 2012.
4. Passante, Christopher K. (2007). The Complete Idiot's Guide to Journalism – Editorials. Penguin. p. 28. ISBN 978-1-59257-670-8. Retrieved 21 February 2010.
5. Christie Silk (15 June 2009). "Front Page Editorials: a Stylist Change for the Future?". Editors' Weblog. World Editors' Forum. Archived from the original on 11 November 2011. Retrieved 1 July 2011.
6. Clark, Tom (10 January 2011). "Why do editorials remain anonymous?". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 27 May 2018. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
7. Crean, Mike (2011). First with the news: an illustrated history. Auckland: Random House. p. 97. ISBN 978-1-86979-562-7.
8. "Various editorials". models.com. Archived from the original on 4 December 2017. Retrieved 3 April 2012.

External links

• The dictionary definition of editorial at Wiktionary