Which editorial will be your big red tomato?

Choosing to publish forty editorials in eighteen months advising water district officials to paint a water tower "so it looks like a tomato" at first sounds crazy. But that editorial campaign kept readers turning to the opinion pages of The Sacramento Bee to see what came next.

An Embrace the Tomato campaign with its slogan "It's big, it's red, it's our heritage" used creative writing and color. A local artist was inspired enough to sketch a drawing of a worm that could come out of the back of the tower saying "Y'all come back soon," visible to motorists on the way out of town. The artist's decision to send that drawing to the newspaper showed residents were being informed, engaged, and having fun with the editorial campaign.

Opinion writers and editors don't have to settle for turning out dull editorial pages. They too can find their "tomato," participants were told during editorial page workshops that marked the first day of the Chicago convention.

Repetition, photography, color, and creative writing are tools that, when used effectively, can attract readers, advised David Holwerk, editorial page editor of the Bee.

"Use whatever tools your paper has available to make things better. See what works. Don't be afraid of failing," Holwerk said.

How do you figure out which editorial can be your "tomato"? Remember, not every tool will work the same for each editorial, Holwerk said. The key is for the board to ask itself three questions: Can the editorial be done? Who can get it done? And most important, is it in the public interest?

If you successfully navigate the three questions, you have the conditions to get something done. But before committing to a campaign of repetition, ask yourself how far do you want it to go. Consider who is the audience, Holwerk said.

If you aren't sure who can do it or whether it can be done, you have a different editorial.

Rick Horowitz, a syndicated columnist and writing coach from Milwaukee, warned that editorials can lose their effectiveness because they have the typical lead, lineup of facts, and the big conclusion. That's as exciting as broccoli on wallboard, Horowitz said.

"Get out of that voice that puts you to sleep," Horowitz said. "You can't persuade them if they don't read what you write. Readers won't read if they don't think it's worth their time."

Horowitz then turned to his well-known "Whiches" format, in this case the "Whiches of Chicago."

Which story will you write your editorial about? Many editorials focus on too many facts, instead of using the arguments that are most effective. Weigh the choices carefully. What you leave out is as important as what you leave in.

Which "who" will you be when you write? Find a voice that works for the thing you are trying to get accomplished. The options are many--storyteller, rabble rouser, old reliable, the attorney for the defenseless, etc.

Which "they" or "who" are you writing for? This depends on who you are telling what to do.

Which side is your editorial going to take? Readers want to know early what is the opinion. Don't leave them guessing until the end. Interweave opinion with facts.

Which mission or what do you want the editorial to accomplish? Be clear and realistic.

"One thing that is interesting and memorable will bring them back tomorrow," Horowitz said. "We can do whatever we want with these pages."

Janet Pimentel is managing editor of The Doings Newspapers of Hinsdale, Illinois. E-mail [e-mail]