“An editorial is an article that presents the newspaper's opinion on an issue. It reflects the majority vote of the editorial board, the governing body of the newspaper made up of editors and business managers...Much in the same manner of a lawyer, editorial writers build on an argument and try to persuade readers to think the same way they do. Editorials are meant to influence public opinion, promote critical thinking, and sometimes cause people to take action on an issue. In essence, an editorial is an opinionated news story” as articulated by SUNY Geneseo.
Editorial articles seek to deliver an opinion about a topic in no more than 500 words. There are positive and negative aspects to editorials; while they provide a space for the board to voice an opinion on a topical issue to catalyze change, the short nature of the articles makes it challenging to address every aspect of the complicated, controversial issues they often regard.
The goal of these articles is never to offend, marginalize, or quiet any member or members of our community. We, the editorial board made up of section editors and copy editors, seek to use our voice to provide insight and opinion on important topics. Whether or not the articles result in agreement or disagreement with our opinion, our primary hope is that our writing will encourage students to think critically about issues and formulate opinions. Our objective is to facilitate difficult discussions, knowing full well that pleasing every reader is impossible.
“Our objective is to facilitate difficult discussions, knowing full well that pleasing every reader is impossible.”
Whether or not you agree is different. We must give credit to those who step out of their comfort zone to write something that some may not digest in the way it was intended to be digested. Journalism has been frequently regarded as controversial because of its ability to present a message that can be often times feel indigestible. Articulation of our thoughts do not always translate fluidly to the page. That’s why no matter our major, we are writing, editing, and revising any work that we hand in. We strive to voice what’s in our brain. The truth about editorials is that they are not perfect. It’s difficult to succinctly articulate a perspective knowing full well that our words are permanent, our intention can be misinterpreted, and we cannot respond to every comment.
Engaging with one another is a difficult challenge logistically and emotionally, but also an opportunity to take advantage of our mutual commitment to learning and growing. We are committed to doing and improving our part, namely writing organized, well informed pieces. We ask that you as a reader do your part too. Read articles in their entirety and be open minded. We welcome articles from you that continue a conversation or spark a new one. A college publication is what a community makes of it, and its voice can only be as representative as the range of life experiences/perspectives among those who choose to sit at the table. We encourage you to pull up a chair and bring your perspective to our table, be it by writing a comment, or submitting an article.
We also recognize--as we know our readers do--that we, as a group of fallible, well-meaning individuals, have our blindspots. Living in a society with free press is a privilege. We may not always strike the right chord, but we trudge on because there is beauty in the exchange of ideas.