The Opposite Editorial or Op

 Ed
The Opposite Editorial (Op Ed)
or Opinion Piece
How to Write an Editorial
https://youtu.be/3GkN4qul82Y
How to Write an Op Ed: Adapted from How To
Write An Op-Ed: The Definitive Guide (2021) by Pinkston

 01 The Basics
 02 Narrow Down Your Topic And Decide Your Opinion
 03 The Lede
 04 The First Paragraph
 05 Support Your Opinion
 06 Conclusion
 07 Review Your Op-Ed [Bonus Chapter]
LENGTH Between 400 and 450 words.
PARAGRAPHS Fewer than four sentences each.
A few one-sentence paragraphs can also be effective.

SENTENCES Use mainly short, declarative sentences.

Avoid complex sentences with multiple comas.

Use active voice, not passive voice. The Basics
LANGAUGE Simple. No technical or academic jargon unless it is
for a trade publication.

Ask: Can this be understood if someone’s reading

this quickly on their phone?
STATISTICS Include several of them.
Use reputable sources and track down the original
source.
Always hyperlink your sources.
 Narrow Down Your
“SA’s 2024 elections must
Topic and Decide Your A recent or
upcoming event
be strongly prepared for
Opinion flurry of online influence
and disinformation”
Know Your Audience

Read the outlets where you would like your op- A new or “As digital finance grows,
ed to be published. Who is the typical reader,
provocative take on banking providers
and how much would they know about your
industry or subject? a commonly
shouldn't lose the art of
Make discussed topic
it Current human interaction.”
Your topic should fall into one of these three
categories. Your title, or headline, should state
A neglected topic “When it comes to healthy
this topic upfront:
that needs to be eating, roof-top gardens
Have talked about
an Opinion are the best solution we
Remember that op-eds are not simply never think of.”
educational or explanatory pieces. Your op-ed
should always have an opinion or an argument.
 Something that just happened, is “First it was Facebook, then Twitter. Is
happening or coming up in current events Reddit about to become rubbish too?”

Recently-released research “New research has found that 38% of

white-collar workers have less than 3
months of savings for an emergency”

“I’m not surprised people are suing a

A generally relevant topic that people
dating app company – our addiction to
should take note of swiping makes us miserable”

“When I became a refugee, I walked 40

A personal story or observation that’s
miles without food through the jungles of
The Lede relevant to your argument
the Congo”

The lede is the opening sentence of your op-ed. It is what will hook your
reader and should describe the event, situation or issue that promoted
you to write your op-ed in the first place
The First paragraph
Make sure your first paragraph (or, at the latest, the
beginning of your second paragraph) states your
opinion or the argument you will be making. This
should be conveyed in one to two sentences.

EXAMPLE:
 It’s not Coco Gauff’s wins that kids and
parents should be paying attention to; it's her
losses. The teenage tennis phenomenon could
have cried when she lost her fourth-round
match at Wimbledon. But instead she ended
her run with grace. “I learned a lot,” she told
The New York Times. “I still tried my best.”.

This op-ed, which was written just after

Wimbledon, offers a new take on a celebrity
dominating the news, by asking families to
consider not just the glories of fame but the
lessons of loss.
 Support Your Opinion
The middle of the op-ed convinces a reader why your argument or opinion is valid. Aim for
3-6 short paragraphs between your introduction and your conclusion. Each should focus on
a specific example to support your claim, such as:

• Statistics (like results from research or surveys)

• Personal stories or anecdotes

• A story about a person affected by the issue

• Problems caused by the status quo

• Details about the solution you’re proposing

• Bullet points or a list, if you are offering multiple solutions

Example of a In 2017, no fewer than 96,000 children
supporting paragraph entered foster care in the United States
for “The opioid crisis due to parental drug abuse, overwhelming
is sending more kids an already fragile system. After a period of
to foster care. Here’s decline in the early 2000s, the number of
children in foster care increased by 10
what we can do about percent from 2012 to 2016, according to
it”: the Department of Health and Human
Services. At the same time, drug abuse by
a parent rose more than 33 percent as the
reason for children entering foster care.
Example of a
supporting
paragraph for “My husband and I have seven children,
“We need and the oldest four were adopted from
more diverse the foster care system. We are proud to
foster and be black adoptive parents. But the
adoptive number of minority families pursuing
parents”: adoption is low”
 Conclusion: In your last paragraph, remind readers why this issue should matter to them
by offering:

A recap of the solution you’re “People want to be involved in something that matters. By focusing on this idea, a company
puts the building blocks into place that will help them make smarter hiring decisions, attract new
proposing
talent and build up the next generation of talent from within.”

“As the old saying goes, Waldinger believes it is by recognising that the good life is not a
Your advice or a recommendation destination. It is the journey and the people who walk with you.

Every minute of every day you can decide who matters and to whom you give attention.
Time and time again their findings have shown that lifelong happiness doesn’t depend on a
life of ease and leisure or personal achievements. The good life is found in finding purpose
and meaning through the lives you enrich and close relationships you cultivate.”

A call to action “Johannesburg needs a leader who will take this problem seriously and commit to putting a
plan in place to end loadshedding and water shortages . Use your vote to make sure the
next new mayor-elect of Johannesburg chooses to prioritize ending these crimes of
omission against its citizens.”
 Conclusion:In your last paragraph, remind readers why this issue
should matter to them by offering:
R eview Y our O p-E d
P roofread you r op -ed.

A sk som eone w ho k now s little abou t you r top ic to read it and m ak e su re you r
points are clear.

When an editor rejects an op-ed, their reason usually falls into one of these
categories. Does yours?
“The op-ed is too long or too broad.”

“We just published a similar op-ed this week.”

“The op-ed is overly advertorial.”

“The author didn’t cite his or her sources.”

“There’s too much jargon.”

“This is stale.”
How to write an Op-Ed:
Supporting Video and
documents
See Following Link and refer to attached
notes:
How To Write An Op-Ed: The Definitive
Guide (2021)
https://youtu.be/6TN89KNTPQI
 “The op-ed is overly advertorial.”
“We just published a similar op-ed this Always avoid being too promotional of
“The op-ed is too long or too broad.” week.” You can utilize a yourself or the organization you
Have you kept your op-ed under 800 communications team or PR firm to represent. At the most, you should
words? Have you checked the outlet’s check for previously published pieces on mention your product or organization
length guidelines? Are you trying to the same topic. But it’s a good idea to only once in the op-ed. Ideally, avoid
cover too big a topic? read what has been recently published mentioning it at all and include a link to
by your target outlet. it, instead, in your boilerplate at the
bottom of the op-ed.

“The author didn’t cite his or her “This is stale.” If an outlet

sources.” Have you hyperlinked all “There’s too much jargon.” rejects your piece because the news
your statistics, recent news articles you Is your language too poetic, too has passed, hold onto the piece and
mention, or an opposing viewpoint? Are technical, or too academic? update it when a new relevant news
your sources credible? hook comes along.
Additional Support Editorial
Writing
https://youtu.be/YRl8TSvTUbo
You Have a Voice: Make it Count
You Have a Voice: Make it Count
 Task Bearing in mind the Paris Agreement and all
signatories commitment to net zero transmissions of
Assignment: CO2 by 2050, on which side of the line do you stand
regarding the type of energy production to be used
Instructions to in South Africa to best serve her economy,
environment and most importantly her citizens?
students for the You are required to write an Opinion Piece of
AIS Opposite between 600 and 800 words for a local South African
Editorial (Op–Ed) Newspaper (General or Financial) or SAICA’s ASA
Magazine in which you respond to the following
Opinion Piece question.
Written As an up-and-coming South African and future CA,
Assignment are you in favor of moving over to renewable energy
as a matter of urgency or do you support the idea of
staying with coal for as long as it is viable?
Exampleof asupporting paragraph for “Theopioid crisis is sending more
kids to foster care. Here’s what we can do about it”:

Support
In 2017, no fewer than 96,000 children entered foster care in the United States
due to parental drug abuse, overwhelming an already fragile system. After a
period of decline in the early 2000s, the number of children in foster care
increased by 10 percent from 2012 to 2016, according to the Department of
H ealth and H u m an Serv ices. A t the sam e tim e, d ru g abu se by a parent rose m ore
than 33 percent as the reason for children entering foster care.
Your
Example of a supporting paragraph for “We need more diverse foster and
adoptiveparents”:
Opinion
M y hu sband and I have sev en child ren, and the old est four w ere ad op ted from the
foster care system. We are proud to be black adoptive parents. But the number of
minority families pursuing adoption is low.