An editorial is one author saying to an audience, "This is my take in a logical, coherent medium, and I wish for you to take its contents into consideration, as this is not a fleeting thought, but something I find absolutely worthy of its own novel stature."
Learn the difference between a comment and an editorial. Editorials have clear directions and are often composed of more than one thought or direction. They approach a subject in a light that is meant to resonate with a specific audience. Either that, or an editorial is a constructive analysis of a specific subject, listing the elements that compose said subject and reflecting upon the pros and cons of them. It's important to understand the difference between an "opinion" and an "editorial," because an editorial is not merely a long opinion, it is an article meant to spur open-ended discussion that seems necessary in light of recent events.
For example, on CBM.com, an editorial can be made about the resonating effects of the events in a comic book movie and how they will affect future properties. An editorial should not be made about the failures of a specific movie based on personal distaste. However, an editorial talking about the failure of a specific branch of a movie (ie. Why John Carter's Marketing Team is To Blame For One of Disney's Greatest Flops) is acceptable, as long as one has plenty to contribute to said argument with valid evidence and research.
Editorials should not be used as soapboxes to preach or sway anyone in one direction; they are used to open up perceptive channels that the audience may not have thought before. Editorials are not to be used to make the authors seem to have some higher authority on a specific subject than their audience; they should be inviting.
Editorials can be written about theories, so long as the theory is taken into consideration by the author to be coherent, logical, and able to be
discussed. Editorials can be written about specific directions one would like to see taken by a property, so long as that direction is clear and well-researched.
Here at CBM, we're given the gift of writing any editorial as we please; this should not be abused. There are places and tabs meant for Fan-Fiction and Reviews. Do not use the Editorial section merely to get views for your opinions if they do not fit within the criteria of an editorial. Editorials are, by definition, opinion pieces; but not every opinion piece is an editorial. I'd love to see an editorial from everyone; seeing this site transform into a place of debate instead of war using research, evidence, and clear positions is a (albeit difficult) possibility. I look forward to reading about a multitude of directions, opinions, and theories from all my comic book movie brethren in the future...
...I just hope it's something worth discussing.