Understanding Editorials
📌 An editorial is an article written by an editor that states the publication's position or opinion on a current issue, acting as the "soul" of the newspaper.
📰 Editorials aim to influence public opinion, promote critical thinking, and sometimes prompt readers to take action on a topic.
✍️ Unlike news reports, editorials do not just inform; they express opinions, explain issues, and suggest solutions.

Features of a Good Editorial
📏 Editorials are typically short and direct, usually ranging from a few sentences up to less than 1,000 words.
🎯 They must have a news peg, connecting the topic to a recent or important news event to ensure relevance.
🤔 A professional tone is crucial, focusing on ideas rather than personalities, avoiding insults or bias.
✅ Good editorials are constructive, offering practical solutions rather than just complaining about a problem.

The SPECS Formula for Editorial Writing
🗣️ S (State the problem): Begin by clearly presenting the issue to capture the reader's attention (e.g., students struggling with poor internet).
🧐 P (Position on the problem): State your clear viewpoint or stand on the issue (e.g., schools should provide learning hubs).
📊 E (Evidence to support the position): Back up your stand with facts, statistics, or expert opinions; 60% of students reported poor connection affects performance in one example.
💡 S (Solution to the problem): Conclude with practical recommendations, showing the editorial is constructive (e.g., government and private groups collaborating on free Wi-Fi zones).

Sample Editorial Structure
🗺️ Start by objectively explaining the issue (Who, What, When, Where, Why, How), providing background facts, such as the Philippines generating around 2.7 million tons of plastic waste annually.
👂 Present opposing viewpoints fairly, acknowledging their arguments (e.g., business owners citing increased production costs).
💪 Counter opposing views using facts or examples to strengthen your stand, noting that plastic pollution harms human health as microlastics are found in food and water.
📣 End with a powerful call to action or inspiring message, perhaps using a rhetorical question to encourage readers to change habits.

Key Points & Insights
➡️ To write effectively, use the SPECS formula: State Problem, Position, Evidence, Conclusion, Solution.
➡️ Ensure your editorial is persuasive by presenting arguments from strong to strongest after conceding valid points from the opposition.
➡️ Editorials serve to influence readers, so end with a powerful conclusion that reinforces your core message, like the moral responsibility to protect the planet.

📸 Video summarized with SummaryTube.com on Jan 18, 2026, 14:02 UTC