ESL/ EFL Traditional parts of a Western Newpaper
Editorials
An editorial is an article written by the editorial staff from a specific perspective. The editorial will offer the newspaper’s view of an issue. Editorials should not be used as a main source of a research paper, because they are not objective reports.
Editorial Cartoons
Editorial cartoons have a long and fascinating history. They offer an opinion and convey a message about an important issue in an amusing, entertaining, or poignant visual depiction.
Letters to the Editor
These are letters sent from readers to a newspaper, usually in response to an article. They often include strong opinions about something the newspaper has published. Letters to the editor should not be used as objective sources for a research paper, but they could prove valuable as quotes to demonstrate a point of view.
International News
This section contains news about other countries. It may address relationships between two or more countries, political news, information about wars, droughts, disasters, or other events that impact the world in some way.
Advertisements
An advertisement is a section that is purchased and designed for selling a product or idea. Some advertisements are obvious, but some can be mistaken for articles. All advertisements should be labeled, although that label might appear in small print.
Business Section
This section contains business profiles and news reports about the state of commerce. You can often find reports about new inventions, innovation, and advances in technology. Stock reports also appear in the business section. This section could be a good resource for a research assignment. It will include statistics and profiles of people who have made an impact on the economy.
Entertainment or Lifestyle
The section names and traits will differ from paper to paper, but lifestyle sections typically offer interviews of popular people, interesting people, and people who make a difference in their communities. Other information found in the entertainment and lifestyle sections concern health, beauty, religion, hobbies, books, and authors.