One advocacy strategy is to submit an opinion piece to a newspaper. “Op-eds” provide individuals who are not part of the newspaper staff with an opportunity to express their opinion on any topic that is important to the community. Op-eds can provide a good opportunity to educate, as well as to persuade. Our local newspaper,The Charlotte Observer, accepts open submissions of op-eds that are no more than 600 words in length.
For Activity 10, you should write an op-ed on the
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(i.e., your problem statement). Before writing your piece, you should do some brief research and read other op-eds that have been published on your topic and/or that have been published inThe Charlotte Observer, as examples. Below, you will also see tips for writing an effective op-ed, which were developed by the University Communications Office at Duke University .
Consistent withThe Charlotte Observerguidelines, your op-ed must beno more than 600 words long. Please double space your paper and use no smaller than 12-point font.
Tips for Writing Effective Op-eds
Excerpt from the Duke University Communicator Toolkit:
https://commskit.duke.edu/writing-media/writing-effective-op-eds/
Make a single point, and do it well.You cannot solve all of the world’s problems in 750 words.[NOTE: For this assignment you have even fewer - 600 words!]Be satisfied with making a single point clearly and persuasively. If you cannot explain your message in a sentence or two, you’re trying to cover too much.
Put your main point on top.
You have no more than 10 seconds to hook a busy reader, which means you shouldn’t “clear your throat” with a witticism or historical aside. Get to the point and convince the reader that it’s worth his or her valuable time to continue.
Tell readers why they should care.Put yourself in the place of the busy person looking at your article. At the end of every few paragraphs, ask out loud: “So what? Who cares?” Will your suggestions help reduce readers’ taxes? Protect them from disease? Make their children happier? Explain why.
Offer specific recommendations:
· An op-ed is not a news story that simply describes a situation; it is your opinion about how to improve matters.
· An op-ed is not a journal article. It needs to be personal–both in terms of having your personal voice and perspective come through, and also in covering a topic that is personal to the readers.
· Don’t be satisfied, as you might be in a classroom, with mere analysis. Op-eds are, by definition, opinions and they should advocate persuasively for something. How exactly should your state protect its environment, or the White House change its foreign policy or parents choose healthier foods for their children? You’ll need to do more than call for “more research!” or suggest that opposing parties work out their differences. The best opinion pieces have a clear, persuasive and well-argued call to action. They should answer the question: What do you want the reader to do, think or feel as a result of your piece?
Showing is better than discussing.You may remember the Pentagon’s overpriced toilet seat that became a symbol of profligate federal spending. You probably don’t recall the total Pentagon budget for that year (or for that matter, for the current year). That’s because we humans remember colorful details better than dry facts. When writing an op-ed article, therefore, look for great examples that will bring your argument to life.
Embrace your personal voice.The best of these examples will come from your own experience. If you are a physician, describe the plight of one of your patients, and then tell us how this made you feel personally. If you’ve worked with poor families, tell a story about one of them to help argue your point. In so doing, your words will ring truer and the reader will care more about what you are saying.
Use short sentences and paragraphs.Look at op-ed articles in your target outlet and count the number of words per sentence, then use the same style, relying mainly on simple declarative sentences. Cut long paragraphs into two or more shorter ones.
Avoid jargon.If a technical detail is not essential to your argument, don’t use it. When in doubt, leave it out. Simple language doesn’t mean simple thinking; it means you are being considerate of readers who want to learn something by reading your piece.
Use the active voice.Don’t write: “It is hoped that [or: One would hope that] the government will …” Instead, say “I hope the government will …” Active voice is nearly always better than passive voice. It’s easier to read, and it leaves no doubt about who is doing the hoping, recommending or other action.
Avoid tedious rebuttals.If you’ve written your article in response to an earlier piece that made your blood boil, avoid the temptation to prepare a point-by-point rebuttal. It makes you look petty. It’s likely that readers didn’t see the earlier article and, if they did, they’ve probably forgotten it. So, just take a deep breath, mention the earlier article once and argue your own case. If you really need to rebut the article, forego an op-ed article and instead write a letter to the editor, which is more appropriate for this purpose.
Acknowledge the other side.Op-ed authors sometimes make the mistake of piling on one reason after another why they’re right and their opponents are wrong. Opinions that acknowledge the ways in which their opponents are right come across as more credible and balanced. When you see experienced op-ed authors saying “to be sure,” that’s what they’re doing.
Make your ending a winner.In addition to having a strong opening paragraph to hook readers, it’s also important to summarize your argument in a strong final paragraph. That’s because many casual readers scan the headline, skim the opening and then read the final paragraph and byline. In fact, many columnists conclude with a phrase or thought that appeared in the opening.
Relax and have fun.Remember that an op-ed article is not an exercise in solemnity. Opinion editors despair of weighty articles and delight in an academic writer who chooses examples from “Entertainment Tonight” as well as from eminent authorities.
Don’t worry about the headline.The newspaper will write its own headline. You can suggest one, but don’t spend a lot of time worrying about it.