Question

How do you identify the 'tone' of a piece?

Answer 1

like, because depending on the way you read the editorial, you could interpret the tone as anything...do you have to pick out specific words or something?

Answer 2

You look at the overall "mood" of the narrator. For instance there is a difference in tone between these two sentences:
"I trudged outside and the sun viciously beat down on me"
and
"I walked outside and was immediately greeted by bright sunlight"

This is the same experience described in two different tones. See the difference?