OPINION WRITING: the lifeblood of the publication

“ the responsibility – which you now assume-

has been centuries in the making, beginning with those quill-pen colonial

journalists whose opinion and commentary helped start a revolution”

~ Conrad C. Fink

So, What is Opinion Writing?

Editorial: an opinion piece written by the senior editorial staff or publisher of a newspaper or magazine. Editorials are usually unsigned and may be supposed to reflect the opinion of the periodical.

Op-Ed: stands for “opposite the editorial page.” a newspaper article that expresses the opinions of a named writer who is usually unaffiliated with the newspaper's editorial board.

Column: A column is a recurring piece or article in a newspaper, magazine or other publication. Columns are written by columnists.What differentiates a column from other forms of journalism is that it meets each of the following criteria:• It is a regular feature in a publication• It is personality-driven by the author• It explicitly contains an opinion or point of view Source: Wikipedia, yeah ..

That’s right Wikipedia. but be careful? Why?

The Columnist

• “When news is in wind, readers, listeners and viewers lean into it,

feeling for its meaning, trying to detect its importance to them and

their lives” ~Conrad C. Fink

• That’s where the columnist comes in. The columnist is an expert in

the tools of the trade.

• The columnist reports, analyzes, comments, and personalizes the

news.

6 Steps to Quality Column Writingadapted from Conrad C. Fink “Writing Opinion for Impact” 2nd Ed.

STEP 1: STRONG REPORTING

>Develop strong hard-news reporting skills.

> Make an argument; Your opinion is only as good

as your facts. Do your research.

> Get out. Conduct your Research in the field.

STEP 2: CURIOSITY

• Have a ‘want to know.’

• Always question.

• Always ask. Don’t always believe.

• Get out. Be curious; be ‘in-it.’ Watch, ask, talk, observe.

STEP 3: CUTTING EDGE INSTINCT

• Sniff the wind. Feel what is out there and what

people are saying. But more importantly, what they

are THINKING.

• Follow major news breaks or hot topics.

STEP 4: HAVE A HEART

• Find the ‘human angle.’ How does it affect__?

• Realize everybody has a story. And everyone’s story is

important. They matter.

• Minimize harm.

STEP 5: DEVELOP A VOICE

• Sharpen that all-important LEAD.

• ‘Juice’ your grafs later in the story to keep the reader

‘in.’

• Avoid the cute stuff. (unless the subject matter

demands it).

STEP 6: HAVE FUN

• Enjoy it. You have one of the most coveted journalism gigs.

• Get to know your world and your readers. Embrace them.

• Don’t lose you. Your sense of self is what makes you

unique.

“I learned long ago as a reporter that there

is no greater privilege than

to have people share their stories with you”

~ Eileen McNamara, The Boston Globe

DEVELOPING VOICEadapted from “The Art of Column Writing” by Suzette Martinez Stradring

“There is, I think, a voice in all of us that reacts to life

as a continuous monologue. That’s the voice we hear

inside our heads when we are writing. It’s not

necessarily the voice you use while speaking; in fact. it

is usually quite unlike it, but it is the voice we hear

when while thinking , a voice that is as singular as we

are.” ~Tracey O’Shaughnessy

V.O.I.C.E.“How I learned to write is being a Voracious reader all my life”

~Mary McCarty, Dayton Daily News

“I think of it as letting the voice that is yours Out” ~ Ellen

Goodman, Boston Globe

I close my eyes before I write. Then I just say what’s on my mind”

~ Ron Jackson, Kankakee Daily Journal

“Write Cinematically. Think of the lead as an opening shot of a

movie.” ~Stranding

“A good Ending should stay with you and make you think a little

bit” ~ Bruce DeSilva, Associated Press

HAVE A POINT

“Type the point of your column in one

sentence without a comma. If you cannot

write it in one sentence, then you are not

ready to write”

~Derrick Jackson, The Boston Globe

THE CENTRAL CONFLICT

The central conflict is a column’s overall

theme. Smaller conflicts and observations

are the building blocks to the main focus of

the story. Tell a story, don’t just make

observations.

~ Stranding

The 4-S Formula• ~ Make it short

- not too wordy

• ~ Make it simple

-it has to be readable

• ~ Make it sound

-apply principals, ethics

• ~ Make it sing

- powerful voice

~Robert L. Haught, The Oklahoman