What is a Middle in a Newspaper?

The Middle is an integral part of the Editorial Page of a newspaper. Writing Middles require writing skills and craftsmanship of a high order as a situation has to be developed and concluded with a punch line within limited words. The objective of the Middle is to provide humour in an otherwise serious page which has thought provoking editorials, enlightening articles and letters to the editor from the readers highlighting their grievances and problems and offering their point of view on the numerous issues of the day.

The length of a Middle should be around four hundred words and it is generally positioned between the two articles of the editorial page; hence, the name Middle given to it. The word limitation in writing Middle makes Middle writing all that difficult. The writer generally picks up a topical subject, gives it a humorous twist and ends it with a punch line that provides the reader a humorous or satiric fare.

Middle writes enjoy liberty in the use of language. As it is the product of their creative mind, the Middle writer is allowed to use even colloquial words and slangs. However, he has to ensure that normal decency and decorum is maintained.