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OPINION WRITING: the lifeblood of the publication

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?.

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OPINION WRITING: the lifeblood of the publication

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  1. 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

  2. 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?

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

  5. 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.

  6. 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.

  7. 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.

  8. 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).

  9. 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.

  10. “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

  11. 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

  12. 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

  13. 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

  14. 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

  15. 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

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