One of the first things I noticed in Art Cullen’s editorial work (especially in “Unveiling the Hidden Truth”) is his use of “we.” Most of the editorials we have read were written in more of a perspective from a group as a whole without the direct use of “we.” Cullen’s word choice is intentional, of course. The use of words like “we” show the impact of an event, belief, or movement on more than just a smaller group of people. Cullen is associating himself with those affected by what the main topic is, thus grounding the topic in a more personal sense.
Being from the Deep South, I find it hard to understand much of the struggles of farming and agriculture of which Cullen frequently writes about. With that being said, I think it’s most important to look at Cullen’s writing style.
As far as journalistic writing goes, Cullen seems to be an anomaly. He uses questions directly addressing the reader—a method not commonly seen in a report or story. With this technique, Cullen can involve the reader in an issue they may or may not know about. In his article “Unveiling the Hidden Truth,” Cullen writes:
“That’s fine, so far as it goes. That is all we are truly asking: How much is the bill and who is paying it?”
Not only is he writing in a semi-first person perspective, he is directly asking a question—rhetorical or not. Again, later in the article, Cullen talks directly to the reader as a person, not as a group. Cullen uses the word “you” when instructing the reader and when referring to an impact that will be had on the person Cullen is writing for. A seldom-seen use of near second person writing to keep the reader in the middle of the story at all times.
Cullen is also a very passionate writer, targeting those who are worthy of criticism in his eye. In the article “They Don’t Know,” Cullen launches an all-out assault on the supervisors of the Buena Vista county for their negligence and possible illegal dealings. Cullen contrasts the headline of the story with a sentence taking up its own paragraph.
“They don’t know what the status of negotiations with AAI to resume their funding scheme? They should know. Down to the penny and the period.”
Cullen once again chooses his words carefully. They should know, but in the end, they don’t know. Cullen’s editorial focuses on the incompetence of the supervisors while not explicitly stating they have committed any crimes. In the last sentence of the article, however, Cullen states that the supervisors, being unaware of who pays the bills they pass, could be committing malfeasance, yet never blatantly accuses them of doing so.
Overall, Art Cullen writes in a very personal, informal style of writing not commonly seen in editorials we’ve looked at. His focus on troublesome events and causes are passionately-written with a lot of personal sentiment injected into his editorials. Because of his unapologetic style of writing, Cullen has seen several Pulitzer Prizes in his career, and it’s easy to see why—being personal works.
A Royale With Cheese 