IPMP 510Leslie HetheringtonOctober 30, 2012

Athena Aggelonitis

Osmary Torres

Jessica Suban

Jessica Yau

Kirsten Steinke

OP-EDS

WHAT IS AN OP-ED?

• “an opinion piece that presents an informed view on a newsworthy topic, emphasizing the author’s insight and unique expertise”

• ‘Opposite the Editorials’ page in print; also online media forms

• Mix of regular columnists and guest opinion pieces

OBJECTIVE

• Inform, educate and entertain on one topic in 600- 750 words

• Written to clarify or correct, provide expert commentary or to call for further action

STRATEGY

• Communications• Include facts, anecdotes, and statistics that help shore up the argument

and lend color

• Lively and provocative

• Marketing Communications• Boilerplate at the end

• NOT a LTE or Editorial

WHY NOT AN LTE OR EDITORIAL

• LTE – Response to a piece in the publication

OpEd – make an argument about a topic in the news

• Adds a sense of professionalism and topic knowledge• Ghost writing brings credibility and a well-known name

• Represents the opinion of an individual writer often not associated with the newspaper

• Self contained arguments that stand alone

• Length

SEVEN STEPS

1. Have something to say

2. Be timely

3. Be topical

4. Start with a grabber

5. Have a clear point to make

6. Back it up with facts

7. End with a zinger

EXAMPLE 1: THE TRUTH ABOUT FOREIGN AID

• January 26th, 2012, by Bill Gates (The New York Times)

• Oxfam and Save the Children released a report stating that aid to the famine crisis in Ethiopia came months late, costing the lives of thousands

• $2.1 billion donated to Humanitarian Relief, not Foreign Aid because the public believes the money spent towards government will not be used as intended

• “Many of those suffering in the Horn of Africa were going hungry before there was a recognized emergency in the region. In fact, more than 1 billion people in the world don’t have enough food to eat.”

EXAMPLE 2: IS FAILURE TO PREDICT A CRIME?

• October 26, 2012 New York Times, by Florin Diacu

• Seven experts convicted of manslaughter for failing to give warning before the April 2009 earthquake that killed 309 people and injured many more in L’Aquila, Italy

• “Earthquakes don’t kill people – collapsing buildings do” statement places blame on construction and engineering, not on scientific research and its predictions. Or its no one’s fault.

• Real time warning systems being developed (10s notice)

• Problem is with policy, not the scientific community’s failing to predict

EXAMPLE 3

• Movember Article – Athena is summarizing

ATHENA’S SLIDE

ADVANTAGES

• Cost effective and reaches large audience

• Addresses newsworthy topics

• Intriguing and captivating

• Anyone can write one; basic comprehension reading level

• Could produce a following and a name for up-and coming media writers, academics, students, professionals

DISADVANTAGES

• Editor has the final say; competitive to get published

• Time consuming to write

• May not reach the desired target audience

• Can be (negatively) politically charged; lack of transparency

• Can encourage an unfavorable form of influence on those ill-informed of the issue

CASE STUDY

http://www.vancouversun.com/opinion/editorials/improved+Canada+international+development+work/6891921/story.html

So I read this as if we were in class and it would take about 3.5 -4 minutes… so I think we can summarize some of the middle stuff. I started editing it down a bit *see notes section below – what’s in bold is what I found important to say (It cuts it down by a third so it should be more like 2.5-3min). I don’t think we need to read the other 3 examples entirely – probably the intro for impact and then summarize the rest, so I think we can spend a little more time reading this or something? Thoughts?

WHY WAS THE CASE STUDY SUCCESSFUL?

• Why it worked? What did it achieve?

• current, newsworthy

• Balanced: judicial, not vindictive

• Dynamic, Creative

• Reflects an organization’s broad range of expertise on social, political, and economic matters

SOURCES• http://www.mcgill.ca/newsroom/facstaffresources/op-ed

• http://www.accessiblesociety.org/mediamatters/mm17.html

• http://www.bates.edu/communications/about/op-ed-and-letter-to-the-editor-guidelines/

• http://sites.agu.org/sharingscience/talk-public/write-comments-letters/

SOURCES• Case study:

• http://www.vancouversun.com/opinion/editorials/improved+Canada+international+development+work/6891921/story.html

• Example 1

• http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/27/opinion/the-truth-about-foreign-aid.html

• Example 2

• http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/27/opinion/a-failed-earthquake-prediction-a-crime.html?src=un&feedurl=http%3A%2F%2Fjson8.nytimes.com%2Fpages%2Fopinion%2Findex.jsonp

• Example 3

• ATHENA to add