" Writing Opinion Pieces
While opinionated writing is to be avoided on the news pages, it is the idiom of the editorial page. Editorials and opinion columns are the place for expressing the views of the writers, or the paper. First, a couple of definitions are in order.
An editorial is an article expressing the opinion of the newspaper. It is almost always unsigned, suggesting that the paper, not just any given writer, believes this way. Editorials almost always go on a distinct page away from news articles to help maintain the distinction between the two. The editorial page often includes letters to the editor, which are, of course, opinion pieces written by readers, and other opinion pieces. These may be editorial cartoons or columns.
Usually the editorial page is a left-hand page and the facing page, the op-ed page, contains opinion articles from outside the paper. "Op-ed" is shorthand for "opposite the editorial page," or it could be thought of as labeling what are often opposing views to that of the paper. At Stuyvesant High School, the whole editorial section - editorial page, letters page and pages with signed editorial columns - was called Op-Ed because the staff liked the sound of the name. The Spectator staff kept the name Op-Ed for months, then switched to Opinions for the name of the section.
An opinion column is signed; it has a byline and often a small photograph, often called a thumbnail, of the writer. The opinions expressed in a column need not be the opinions of the newspaper, nor need all the columnists agree. Conscientious newspapers try to find a range of opinion writers who will not agree with one another or with the editorial policy of the paper.
It is a common mistake to believe that columns and editorials, unlike news articles, do not need to be thoughtful and measured. In truth, writing a column or editorial takes more reporting, not less. While the reporting for a news article needs to continue until all reasonable sides can be adequately represented, the reporting for an opinion piece needs to continue until the writer can judge reasonably which side has the strongest case. That takes more work, not less.
Just as in feature writing, there is a bit more latitude in writing columns and persuasive pieces than in writing news. But, again as in feature writing, standard mechanisms have evolved, that, over time, have proved to be effective in persuasive writing. Other ways will work, but they are harder. If you read a dozen persuasive columns and editorial columns from as many different publications as you can lay your hands on, you will find most written with this structure.
First, state what the argument is about. "A debate is raging in the Student Council over whether to allow the sale of ice cream in the Student Store." Those readers who have an interest in Student Government or the Student Store can read on.
Next, state a position is on the question. "Despite the rising demand for more snack food in the store, ice cream sales should not be allowed." The best and most effective pieces then go on to state the opposite position's best argument, which is then knocked down by the editorial writer's better argument. The editorial needs to be fair, just as news articles should be. If the other side has a good case, the editorial should state it as well as possible. It is cheating to set up a "straw man" argument, an opposing argument that can easily be knocked down. (If your opponent's argument is so strong that you can't knock it down with an argument of your own, perhaps you should switch sides.)"
- http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/specials/weblines/481.html
NY Times Click to read on NYTimes website
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