Op – Ed (Opinion & Editorial) Pieces
Newspapers often print both news AND opinions.
For hundreds of years, newspapers were the best way to get information. They were also the best way to distribute information to large groups.
The op-ed section has editorials, opinion pieces written by the editor about current news. For a really long time, the newspaper editor was the person with the most information in town. Lots of people felt that the editor, therefore, would have intelligent opinions about issues, since the editor would have seen lots of information and could make an informed decision. Editors would publish their opinions in a special section of the paper as a service to their readers; they put them in a separate, clearly-labeled section so no one would think the editorials were news stories (since news is supposed to just be unbiased facts).
Papers also print letters to the editor (reader’s opinions) about current news issues; each letter usually focuses on one specific topic, and tries to persuade the audience that their opinion is the best opinion. These letters are often intended to get readers involved in the community in some way - to vote for (or against) a candidate, budget, or law; to encourage a change in behavior; to get people to think about an issue in a new way.
Political cartoons are another form of op/ed piece - they express a humorous opinion about a current-events topic.
These pieces are often persuasive writing.