Opinion article definition

The opinion article is a journalistic text that expresses the feeling or the think of a certain person or media about a matter that arouses the interest of public opinion. Opinion articles are about different topics: politics, economy, society, shows, sports, among others. In any case, we must say that when in a nation There is a relevant and forceful event with concrete consequences for the community, opinion articles abound in the pages of the main newspapers.

Structure

In any of the cases mentioned after the exposition of the fact, the author makes his opinion known. It has a specific and organized structure, which can present variants but normally exposes in a succinct, but clear way, the subject on which an opinion will be made, it follows the opinion in question and is usually accompanied by some information or exclusive data that the author obtains about the event, usually through an off the record or source trustworthy. Finally comes the conclusion which is the one that closes the aforementioned article.

A notable author who seeks to awaken the critical spirit of his readers

Generally, the writer of the op-ed is a notable individual, whether in literature, politics, or other areas, who writes periodically in the medium in question, or failing that, with a spaced periodicity and according to the requirements of the medium and the actuality, that is, if a relevant event arises within its scope, it will be summoned to illustrate and interpret it with its opinion expert. The purpose of this article is usually influence the opinion of those who will read it, but also make them think about the topic by providing an interpretation of the event, that is, stimulate in the reader the thought critical.

Among its main stylistic characteristics stands out pleasant language in which these types of articles are mostly written, with the clear mission of capturing the attention of the reading public in this way.

On the other hand, the opinion article may or may not coincide with the editorial line that the medium follows, that is, in this type of article there are usually no limits to the freedom of expression Regarding what is involved in it, yes, what you must respect are the limitations that the medium imposes in terms of space.

Meanwhile, its main difference with the editorial, which is the article with which it is usually confused, is that in the particular case of the opinion article the person signs it, whereas the editorial is never signed.

This type of article falls within the so-called journalistic opinion genre, which is one that is characterized by the exposition and argumentation of a character or a medium about a topic of interest. Opinion is nothing other than the search for the causes that originate a fact.

Reinforcement of the editorial line of the medium

Basically, the use of this type of genre in newspapers is given to somehow reinforce the editorial line that is hold, meanwhile, opinion pages turn out to be the most read by readers and the ones that arouse the most interest.

Although we must say that its origin and greatest expression can be found in the newspapers, especially on Sundays, which is how much more readers present the newspapers, opinion articles, have evolved in step with the advances that have been in the field of journalism and thus it is possible to find expressions of this type in the television news, on the radio, and in Internet.

Even many of the great authors of newspaper opinion pieces are the same as parade through the television sets to transfer the same practice of the newspaper to a prime time newscast, for example. Now, we must say that as a consequence of the limited times that TV usually has, the analysis is less extensive and goes directly to the core of the subject.