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.opinion piecenewspapermagazine 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. newspaperwritereditorial board Column: A column is a recurring piece or article in a newspaper, magazine or other publication. Columns are written by columnists.newspapermagazinecolumnists What differentiates a column from other forms of journalism is that it meets each of the following criteria:journalism 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 Writing adapted from Conrad C. Fink “Writing Opinion for Impact” 2 nd 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 VOICE adapted 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