6 characteristics of an OPINION article
Surely you have read in a newspaper a opinion piece in which an expert talks about a specific topic and offers readers the vision that he believes is most appropriate. It does not mean that this author has to tell the absolute truth, but rather that he is simply developing his point of view, after having studied a lot and from a personal perspective.
In this lesson from a PROFESSOR we want to explain in detail what it is and what are the characteristics of an opinion piece, so that you are able to recognize it within a newspaper and can write one, when necessary.
The opinion piece belongs to the genus journalistic. It consists of a text that expresses the opinion of an author (expert in the sector) about a current issue. These articles are always written after having made a close study on the topic that is going to be developed and all the arguments that are given are substantiated, although they do not have to be the absolute truth.
The main difference with an editorial article is that it carries the
author signature, therefore, the responsibility lies with the writer and not with the newspaper itself. That is why the ideas that the author raises may not go according to the way in which the newspaper thinks in general. It is an excellent way, within the journalistic world, to give voice to all opinions, without having to opt for one as your own.The people who are usually interested in reading opinion articles are all those who are passionate about a topic and want to discover all opinions what about him
You can recognize an opinion article by the features of the text. Some of the characteristics that we show you below are purely formal and will allow you to identify this type of text with just a glance. Others, on the other hand, have more to do with the author's way of writing and you will need to read the article to detect them.
The opinion article is written by an author whose objective is to express his opinion on a current topic. That's why these texts will always be subjective and depending on the ideology of the writer you will be more or less in agreement.
Another characteristic of an opinion article is the language used. When a writer writes an opinion piece, he wants all your audience understands and, if possible, share the same ideas as him. For this reason, the language used is very clear and not far-fetched. They are very easy to read and understand texts, so you can quickly see the position in which the author is with respect to the subject he is talking about.
The texts do not usually have a length greater than the 800 words (like this lesson you are reading right now). This is because the author wants to express his ideas in a practical way and that, even if the reader does not share the same thought, he is able to finish reading the article.
The topics covered in the opinion articles are current. That's why the range of topics is very extensive. The author is totally free to talk about the topic he wants and to do it as he sees fit. In this sense, the opinion article is very free.
The headline is also another characteristic of an opinion piece. Opinion articles usually have a very catchy title prompting the user to read the text. As it deals with current issues, the title, most of the time, catches the attention of readers. Some writers use phrases that directly appeal to the reader and make them believe that the text is written directly for them.
You will be able to quickly recognize an opinion article, because it carries the Author's signature at the bottom of the text. Usually, this signature is accompanied by the position held by the writer and what relationship it has with the subject he is dealing with.
Now that you know the characteristics of an opinion article, we leave you with a example of an opinion piece so that you can see the theory that we have shown you in the previous sections, put into practice.
Video games: that modern way of telling us stories
"Many anthropologists agree that telling us stories is one of the most humane gestures that exist, something we have done since ancient times. remote, when we sat by the fireside to listen to tales of terrible gods and hunts from the elders of the tribe. mythological. A role that, over the years, has been performed by countless human inventions, which They range from the book and the magazine, to the cinema, television and, in more recent times, the video game.
When the first video games emerged from the hand of computing, they were entertainment devices in the most repetitive and mechanical sense of the word. Ping pong games, shoot 'em up games and pac-man games, all dedicated to providing an interactive experience based purely on reflexes, hand-eye coordination and idea of the score: the video game did not have an end, it did not tell a story, it did not illustrate anything other than the same exercise arranged increasingly at higher speeds and difficulties. In other words, the video game was sterile, it was a form of distraction and it harbored an emptiness inside: it didn't count for anything.
But that has changed a long time ago, or at least it has been complemented with narrative proposals that border on the artistic and literary, when they do not openly venture into it. Gone are the days when talking about video games referred to the snakes of the cell phone, the solitaire programs of Windows or the slot arcades in which children competed to leave their three initials in the hall of fame of the scores tall."
Francisco Martínez Herrera, anthropologist and expert in new technologies applied to modern life.
We hope that this lesson has been able to help you to know what it is and what are the Characteristics of an opinion article. If you are interested in continuing to learn more about this topic, do not hesitate to consult our writing section.
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