Leading article

The editorial of a newspaper is among the opinion-based forms of representation, in addition to the feuilleton, the commentaries and glosses. He is a particularly out asked to review this product.

History and concept of the editorial

The term " editorial " comes from the English leading article, which was introduced into England in the 19th century. Previously called the German editorials main article, probably because of their large size. Before there were newspapers and editorials, opinion was generally expressed in pamphlets. In France there have been since the French Revolution editorial.

Topics and editing of an editorial

The topics of the editorial in the long term specified in a ( weekly ) Leitartikelkonferenz. There usually also have all editorial staff members the opportunity to join the discussion content. In the lead article an important political or social, increasingly, economic event of the day is usually commented. Editorials deal away from daily current excitement on a more fundamental kind of social, political, economic, cultural or sporting recent developments or ( speculatively ) with emerging developments in the near future. An editorial should end with a conclusion. Subscription newspapers and especially the national newspapers publish an editorial in each issue.

The editors will award the contract to write the member who is able to reproduce most competent the opinion of the editors, which - unlike the comment - different positions ( internal editorial opinion conflict ) in the editorial may appear quite.

Function of the editorial

As the editorial in the most of the media who maintain such a representation form is longer than the comments, there is ample space for those for and against representation. As in other opinion-based forms of representation, however, must always be apparent to the reader that this is a journalistic expression and not a message or report. Here is the opinion, especially the political opinion of the respective editor or the respective editors, shown to the outside. The article is in the New York Times, for example, the author of the respective editorial not mentioned, it is shown as a comment of the entire editorial staff. The reader interested also editorials that do not reflect his own political opinion.

In times of political crisis, the editorials mainly characterized by its militant tense words, viewpoints and topics. Today is criticized by experts and media critics that the editorial often is only a statement or explanation of matters.

Overall, the editorial is a " figurehead " of writing and is generally consistent with the tendency of the publication organ. In the editorial, the policy direction of the newspaper is reflected ( cf. tendency operation).

The editorial takes a firm and everlasting possible space in the newspaper one - mostly on the front page, the trend but as meaning that the editorial will be published on a separate page opinion in the first third of the paper, together with the other comments.