Editorial, also called an opinion piece, is an article or other written document that shares a publication’s view on a current event or topic. It is intended to inform, educate and entertain readers while influencing their viewpoints. Editorial content is generally lighter in tone than standard news articles and has a focus on issues that are of importance to the public.
Traditionally, editorials have appeared in newspapers on the “opinion” pages. However, as journalism continues to evolve, these types of pieces can be found throughout the publication. Whether published in an online or print publication, an opinion article should be clear and concise. It should be focused and persuasive and offer a call to action to the reader.
Using personal experience can help your article stand out from the crowd. For example, if you are writing about the plight of families in poverty, share a story about a patient you worked with. This will make your arguments more compelling and will allow the reader to relate to you.
Avoid tedious rebuttals. Instead of piling on point-by-point rebuttals to your opponents’ arguments, acknowledge their points and then use your own research and perspective to support your argument. This will keep your op-ed from coming off as self-righteous and petty.
Editors of academic journals sometimes write their own editorials to highlight important papers they’ve reviewed or to discuss broader scientific, political or policy developments of interest to the journal audience [1]. Alternatively, editors will invite experts to write a guest editorial on specific topics for an issue of the journal (e.g., the upcoming Nepal Journal of Epidemiology Special Editorial on Disaster Risk Reduction).