INTRODUCTION
Strong language
This school term we have looked at news stories and feature stories. Although these two types of stories have different styles, they generally try to give you information in a straightforward and factual way. This is especially true of news stories where - at the Bangkok Post at least - newswriters are forbidden from expressing their own opinions.
This week, however, we are going to look at a type of story where the writer is required to give an opinion. This is the editorial which is found in the front section of the Bangkok Post at the beginning of the opinion & analysis section.
Some people avoid editorials because they believe they are too "heavy" and boring. You will see that this is not true. Editorials often contain the liveliest writing in the whole newspaper.
They certainly contain the strongest and hardest-hitting language. That's because editorial writers not only want to give their opinions, they want to convince you that their opinions are correct. And they may even want to persuade you to do something.
Basically, there are two types of editorials - one which praises and one which criticises. Of the two, critical editorials are the most common. You will read one in this lesson.
Common elements
The editorial I gave you is quite typical of editorials in the Bangkok Post. As you read it look for the following elements:
- Headline, opening summary and blurb Bangkok Post editorials make it easy for you to find out the subject of the editorial and the writer's opinion. Just reading the headline and the summary below it (in italics) is usually enough. The blurb (the sentence in boldface type near the middle) is also helpful.
- Background The writer will usually give you some background on the topic at or very near the beginning of the editorial.
- Opinion The opinion is often expressed several times - in the opening summary, somewhere in the opening paragraphs, and again at the end.
- Evidence An editorial must give evidence to support the opinion. Use this evidence to help you decide whether or not you agree with the writer's opinion.
- Language Editorial writers are able to use strong, evaluative (expressing an opinion), even emotional language that is not available to a newswriter. Our editorial is full of good examples of this.
Reading the editorial
It won't take you long to discover that the writer of this editorial was angry. And he wants you to feel angry, too. Let's see if he succeeds.
His topic is the public health system. This, of course, is the system the poor must use because going to a private doctor or a private hospital is too expensive. Almost anyone would agree that it is important that the poor must be treated fairly and given quality health care at the lowest possible cost. And almost anyone will agree that if the poor are not treated fairly, something is wrong.
Clearly the writer thinks this is the case and he wants to convince you too. He does this through a mixture of facts, opinions, and some very interesting vocabulary. I'll let you discover the facts and opinions for yourself. Let's instead focus on some of the vocabulary.
One of the key words in this story is parasite. In biology, a parasite is an organism which feeds off another organism (its host) without giving that organism any benefit. In fact, many parasites are harmful - like tapeworms in someone's stomach, for example. One example of a harmful parasite is a leech - also an important word in the editorial. A leech, of course, tries to attach itself to your skin and suck your blood. In the editorial, the writer uses both "parasite" and "leech" to refer to people. What kind of people does he think they are?
Like "parasite" and "leech" the writer uses many other words that have strongly negative connotations, i.e., they are only used to give a negative impression. One such word is lackey which refers to a subordinate (a person who works for another person) who acts like a servant, doing everything the boss wants without question. Another word is pittance - a small amount of money, so small as to be almost worthless. Still another example is stench - a very bad smell.
As you read, see if you, too, become angry. Do you agree with the writer that there is a serious injustice that must be corrected? Is the evidence the writer provides convincing or does he try to persuade you largely with emotional language? Finally, what do you think should be done about the problem the writer talks about?
OUR STORY FROM THE BANGKOK POST
| Leeches cling to the health system
Yet another rash of corruption has been exposed in the health system, and rural doctors are demanding action. They are absolutely right. The culprits here must be exposed, dismissed with full loss of entitlement and made to contemplate their behaviour from behind bars.
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he patient who has had to sleep in the corridor of a hospital or has wasted a working day waiting to see a doctor might well have something to say about the handiwork of a political parasite in the Public Health Ministry. The local community which has been without a doctor because few are willing to work demanding hours for a pittance might likewise have thoughts about the blood-sucking ways of the parasite.
The ever-increasing number of people returning to their homes in the countryside from closed-down factories in urban areas will, no doubt, include many with occupational diseases. Most will have enough money to scratch a living so long as they remain healthy, but footing medical bills is another question. In terms of public health, the list of deserving causes is endless and particular cases heartrending, but the leech thinks only of its own appetite.
The stench of corruption - this is merely the latest waft - emanates from the 1.4-billion-baht budget allocated to the Rural Health Division for procurements. Of the total, 840 million baht has been allocated to district hospitals, along with instructions that the equipment they want should be ordered from specific suppliers at a cost that is twice or even three times above what they are accustomed to paying.
Country doctors have complained that they have never heard of the companies in which their superiors at the ministry have an unhealthy interest. All the rural doctors know about these companies is that they are the chosen firms even though the goods they supply are hellishly expensive. For example, a box of 100 pairs of examination gloves costs 275 baht when the usual price is 100-110 baht; disposable needles cost 110 baht (65-70 baht) and so it goes on.
All the rural doctors know about these companies is that they were chosen even though their goods are hellishly expensive.
One rural health administrator, clearly an optimist, contacted one of the chosen suppliers in the hope of extracting a discount. Afraid not, he was told matter-of-factly by a company representative, a percentage had already been set aside for a political administrator at the ministry. How silly of the administrator to have underestimated the capacity of parties to a smelly deal to close ranks.
The issue has been taken up by the Rural Doctors Association, which is concerned, correctly, that the abuse would work against the interests of the patients and the health system, and expose its members to charges of going along with the fraud. It was significant that the issue drew the attention of the prime minister, who said the ministry should spend money wisely and beware of corruption. Chuan Leekpai went on to say that the ministry had already exhausted its budget for fiscal 1998.
If the parasite or parasites, their lackeys and private sector friends took a stroll through any ward in any state hospital, they would see cases in which the money they have stolen could change lives for the better.
In some cases, the money they have stuffed into their pockets would be sufficient to save a life or to bring comfort at the end of a life. If the parasites have any experience of Aids or cancer cases and the cost of suppressing the pain patients suffer, they might feel a twinge of compassion, or even guilt. That might be expecting too much because the yearning for ever greater personal wealth leaves them immune to the pain of others. |
| cling to | to hold onto firmly |
| rash | mark; example (a rash is normally an unhealthy series of red spots on the skin - used here because the story is about public health) |
| exposed | opened for everyone to see; made known |
| culprits | wrongdoers |
| entitlement | things a person has a right to (money and other benefits) |
| contemplate | to think about |
| scratch a living | to earn money with great difficulty |
| footing bills | having to pay bills |
| waft | a gentle movement through the air - in this case, of a bad smell |
| emanate (from) | to come from or out of |
| procurements | supplies; needed materials and equipment |
| optimist | someone who expects good things to happen |
| matter-of-factly | directly; openly |
| close ranks | to join together to protect each other |
| abuse | unfairness |
| exhausted | completely used up or finished |
| stroll | a walk |
| stuffed | put into in very large amounts |
| suppressing | making less serious; preventing |
| twinge of compassion | a sudden, strong feeling of sympathy |
| yearning (for) | desiring (wanting very much) |
| immune | not affected by |
FOLLOW-UP
Let's be fair
There are always two sides to a story and it is important that we consider both before we decide who is right. Here is part of a news story on the same subject which appeared on August 18th, the same day our editorial was published in the Bangkok Post. Does it cause you to change your mind towards the so-called parasites?
| Govt inquiry urged into hospital supply purchases
Aphaluck Bhatiasevi
A Medical Council committee member yesterday urged the government to probe (investigate) allegations that hospital administrators have been pressured to purchase medical supplies at inflated prices.
However, Public Health Minister Rakkiat Sukthana said he would not order any probe, insisting that the allegations were unfounded (not based on evidence).
Many hospital administrators have complained of being asked to buy medical supplies at double the normal prices. The Rural Doctors' Society has demanded something be done to stop this.
Former Rural Doctors' Society chairman Dr Chuchai Supawongse yesterday said the government should make it clear it wanted to abolish (get rid of) corruption. And he said a study should be done to show corrupt politicians how many people were dying because of their greed (selfishness).
"They've continuously robbed the nation despite the economic crisis," he said.
And Dr Chuchai said drugs should not be bought on an individual basis but in bulk at provincial level to make purchases cheaper.
He said the recent joint purchase of 1,974 items by some 67 provinces showed savings of up to 154 million baht could be made.
Public Health Minister Rakkiat Sukthana and deputy, Thirawat Siriwansan, both of the Social Action Party denied any involvement in the alleged corruption.
Mr Rakkiat said his name may have been misused to threaten health officials and demand money from them. But he said he would not be investigating the matter.
Instead he would urge permanent secretary of health Prakrom Vuthiphongse to monitor (watch) budget spending more closely. |
Teacher’s Note
Many teachers avoid editorials as teaching material. I hope after this lesson they will take a second look. While I agree that many editorials are not very appropriate for the classroom, many others are.
I like to use editorials for several reasons. First they are good examples of persuasive or argumentative essays. This means they must include an opinion and evidence to support that opinion. And, if they are to be truly convincing, the language must be lively as well as persuasive. Good editorials meet all these conditions.
I chose the editorial for this lesson because it has a topic that your students should easily be able to identify with. Corruption in the public health system is particularly abhorrent because it robs the poor to make the wrongdoers rich. The editorial will probably arouse some strong feelings in your students.
Briefly go through the basic elements of the editorial. You might want to review them after the students have finished reading by making specific references to the editorial in this lesson. You can also apply this framework to other editorials.
Be sure you spend some time with the vocabulary in my introduction - parasite, leech, lackey, pittance and stench. Make sure they understand the concept of connotation and that words can have both negative and positive connotations. The word "thin", for example, is relatively neutral or somewhat positive. Both "slender" and "slim" are positive synonyms, but "skinny" and "scrawny" are negative.
Be sure to have the students evaluate the evidence the writer provides to back up his claim of corruption. Notice he gives two examples from a price list and quotes a hospital administrator who seems to have obtained some direct evidence of wrongdoing.
I included the news story in the follow-up section so the students could find out who the "parasites" might be and how they defended themselves. The story also gives additional evidence in support of the editorial.
Most importantly, the news story gives you an opportunity to compare the type of language used in an editorial as opposed to a news story. Notice that it is impossible to tell which side the news writer supports, for example, and the only strong language comes in the form of quotes from people involved in the story. When I was teaching, I often used such editorial/news story comparisons.
Next week: Reading letters to the editor
•This lesson was prepared by Acharn Terry Fredrickson, BA Stanford, MA (TESL) University of Minnesota, Manager of the Educational Services Department at the Bangkok Post and general editor of this programme.
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Winner
of PANPA Award for Excellence
