“Peeling the Onion.” by Kathryn S. Wenner

Wenner, K.S. “Peeling the Onion.” American Journalism Review. 2002.

http://www.ajr.org/article.asp?

Kathryn Wenner’s editorial “Peeling the Onion” explores the actual inner-workings and people involved not only in the creation of The Onion, but also the reception. She opens with a depiction of the editors making final headline-wording decisions before releasing the day’s edition. What is exposed in this exploratory article is that the employees of the satirical mock news site approach their craft with very much the same attention, methods and time as any journalistic publication. The authors brainstorm ideas, investigate background research, contemplate sell factors, and evaluate each other’s work, all to bring about a daily collection of categorized “stories” in the spirit of bringing the news. She covers the steps taken to create an issue, the reaction of other news journalists, the success rates from readership, and the contents covered in daily issues, all while interviewing editors and staff members for their personal perspectives.

Wenner’s editorial offers some key insights into the interior success motivators for The Onion as a publication. The writers are among the most talented around, and many of them have gone on to further successes as writers elsewhere in entertainment. What becomes very clear in reading this article is that the creation of good comedy comes from the skill of good writers. These writers possess the rhetorical repertoire to choose the perfect words at the perfect pace at the perfect time, and with the serious tone that mocks otherwise straight journalism. The fact that the writing is of the highest caliber also directly relates to the sophistication of the composition and its reception. It is obvious that this type of humor is not just for anyone – it’s for people who know how to read it.