Opinion & Editorial
📋 What it is
Opinion and editorial pieces argue a viewpoint — clearly labelled as opinion, separate from straight news reporting.
🗣️ Coach says
News tells you WHAT happened; opinion argues what to THINK about it. Good outlets label opinion clearly so you know the difference. Mixing them up — treating opinion as fact — is where readers get fooled.
🧠 Memory hook
News = what happened. Opinion = what to think. Keep them separate.
😂 Giggle
What did the primary source say to the secondary source?
"I was there first!"
😲 Whoa!
Newspapers traditionally keep opinion on a separate "editorial page" so readers never confuse it with news.
✅ Quick check: Why is it important to know whether you’re reading NEWS or OPINION?
Say your answer out loud first — then reveal.
News reports verified facts; opinion argues a viewpoint. Confusing them lets an argument masquerade as neutral fact.
Separating fact-reporting from opinion is central to media literacy.
🪄 Trick question: True or false: an opinion piece can’t contain any facts.
Careful — think it through, then reveal.
False — good opinion uses facts as evidence; the difference is that it ARGUES a viewpoint, not that it avoids facts.
A common misconception: opinion ≠ fact-free.
🧪 Try it! (2 minutes)
Find one news article and one opinion piece — spot how each is labelled.