Unlocking the Art of Opinion Writing: A Workshop Guide

Comment / Opinion Writing Workshop Adam Saxon

Understand opinion writing, and particularly what makes it different to news pieces. Aims of this session Discussion of the writing and editing process. Setting you off thinking about what topics you would write on.

Opinion writing opportunities Cherwell has a thriving Comment section (recently renamed opinion). The Isis Magazine Phaser Industry The Oxford Scientist

The writing process Pitch bring an idea to the table, by sending an email to the relevant section (e.g. for Cherwell, this Alternatively, you can pick up a commission ready made ideas often put out by the sections. Plan what will your article look like? What opinion do you have? cherwellcomment@gmail.com would be cherwellcomment@gmail.com). All in all, the process should take between a few days and a week and is incredibly flexible! As all the work is online, it can be done whenever and wherever. Get writing. Take your time and remember there will be editors to look over your drafts. Go through rounds of edits with your editor, until the piece is ready to be published.

The perfect opinion article Is 700-1,000 words (though this is negotiable) - The key is not to be too long a longer, more in depth piece might be more suited to the features section. Is new take on a problem / event looking at aspects which haven t already been covered in national outlets. For example particular focus on how an event affects students gears an article more towards our audience. Comes down clearly either in favour or against some course of action, policy, idea etc. Is up to date and current this often means opinion articles need a relatively quick turnaround to remain relevant. Has a clear voice there is more license for creativity and putting your own tone into the article than you would get in the news section, for example.

What makes Comment and News different? News News Gets across facts as concisely and clearly as possible. Facts should be ordered in terms of importance No judgement (though the way facts are framed ought to be consciously considered) Little or no prior knowledge about the events should be assumed Comment Comment Still needs conciseness, but more open to author s own voice. Should be structured to make a clear argument Needs to fall clearly on one side of the debate or the other. Some level of knowledge may be assumed, depending on context.

What should I write about? Politics local, national, international. Issues of identity (though sometimes these will come under a lifestyle section. [Blank] at Oxford, and your opinions on it Opinion-style writing is also found in other sections, including: Culture (mixing discussion of cultural events with politics, for example). Sport (why will X team get relegated this season?) Lifestyle, as mentioned above. Features The important thing to remember, though, is you can write about absolutely anything that interests you!

A word on features Features are longer form articles, often closer to 1500-2000 words. They require in depth research and a deeper level of knowledge on the chosen topic An author will often spend a period of weeks writing a features piece on a topic they have a high level of interest in. Equally, they often go through a more in-depth, personal editing process. A features writer might still make clear their own opinion but will also include information from a range of sources and viewpoints. Think a news article, but with a greater in-depth discussion of how and why things are happening which ultimately requires some opinion, but more nuance in its delivery.

TASK : Your turn! Outline a plan for a Comment / Opinion piece Pick any topic that interests you and which you have an opinion on. How would you write an article that brings forward a new contribution to the discussion? How would you make sure that the piece you write is relevant to students?

Discussion!