Check in on progress of profile stories.
Discussion: Intro to op-ed/editorial feature writing
An op-ed is an opinion piece written by the reader of a newspaper, magazine, or other source, on a topic relevant to the publication’s audience. The term comes from “opposite editorial”—“the page of a newspaper facing the editorial page, typically devoted to personal comment and feature articles.”
An editorial “is an article that presents the newspaper’s opinion on an issue. It reflects the majority vote of the editorial board, the governing body of the newspaper made up of editors and business managers. It is usually unsigned. Much in the same manner of a lawyer, editorial writers build on an argument and try to persuade readers to think the same way they do. Editorials are meant to influence public opinion, promote critical thinking, and sometimes cause people to take action on an issue. In essence, an editorial is an opinionated news story.”
Consider your audience: Who are they? Are they readers of a small-town newspaper, a national newspaper, or mostly millenial readers of online news sources?
What do they already know about the issue, and what do you need to tell them?
Why is your issue important? What action would you like your readers (or Congress, or City Council, or the dean, or…) to take?
Why should readers trust your opinion? That is, why should they find your particular perspective, expertise, or experience worth thinking about?
Have an opinion. Take a stance.
Make your point early on. The very first sentence should give readers a sense of what your topic will be. How will that sentence grab your readers’ attention? How will the first paragraph make readers stay with you to the end?
Acknowledge—but be respectful of—opposing viewpoints. By acknowledging them, you can also pre-but them.
Reading:
Hillary Clinton says Bill won’t be picking out the White House china. He should.
Editorial: Gaga Concert is Too Hot For Indonesia
In-class assignment: Look for an editorial on a topic that interests you. Write a few sentences on the blog about whether it was effective and/or how it could have been better, and why.