Because editorials are opinion pieces rather than factual reports, they can be used to explore prevailing attitudes at particular times and places.
What facts does an editorial writer use to make a case? What underlying attitudes are revealed by the writer's choice of words, images, or examples? What kind of spin does the editor put on a story? To whom is the editorial addressed and what is the message that is delivered?
Take a look at these editorials -- How would you describe the editor's view of an ideal workingman or women? What issues, besides Labor Day, does the editorial discuss -- and why?
New York Times: 1883
Boston Globe: 1890
Atlanta Constitution: 1895, 1910
Chicago Tribune: 1910
Los Angeles Times: 1887 , 1894
These editorials from Los Angeles Times were written in the midst of serious building trades strikes in San Francisco and Los Angeles. How does that historical context affect the editorial's tone? 1910 #1 , 1910 #2, 1910 #3, 1910 #4, 1910 #5