Editing Op-ed (section)

== Rhetoric ==
Op-eds are written to persuade, inform, or incite public debate, with rhetoric playing a vital role in achieving these goals. Contributors invited to write an op-ed for an editorial commonly use appeals to [[ethos]] (credibility), [[pathos]] (emotion), and [[logos]] (logic) to structure their arguments and connect with readers.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Knight |first=Kathleen |date=2008-07-30 |title=The Politics of Attention: How Government Prioritizes Problems, by Bryan D. Jones and Frank R. Baumgartner: University of Chicago Press, 2005. 316 pp. $70.00 cloth, $25.00 paper |url=http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10584600802197624 |journal=Political Communication |language=en |volume=25 |issue=3 |pages=330–331 |doi=10.1080/10584600802197624 |issn=1058-4609}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Sommer |first1=Bob |last2=Maycroft |first2=John R. |date=August 2008|title=Influencing Public Policy: An Analysis of Published Op-Eds by Academics |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1747-1346.2008.00122.x |journal=Politics & Policy |language=en |volume=36 |issue=4 |pages=586–613 |doi=10.1111/j.1747-1346.2008.00122.x |issn=1555-5623}}</ref>
#[[Ethos]]: Contributors often establish their credentials early to build credibility. For instance, a climate scientist’s op-ed on climate change would typically begin with a brief mention of the author's background to emphasize their authority on the subject.
#[[Pathos]]: An emotional appeal is also a common tactic, with authors evoking sympathy, anger, or hope in order to drive people to action.
#[[Logos]]: Logical appeals are also achieved through well-reasoned arguments and evidence. Authors often use statistics, historical examples, and real-world scenarios to make their case compelling and hard to ignore.