Important Link http worldpublicopinionorg Feature Writing by Sally Adams Art of Column Writing edited by Suzette Martinez Standring Introduction to Opinion Writing Media have been playing crucial role in molding public opinion Media play a leading role in the formation of public o ID: 655927
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Slide1
Opinion Writing
Introduction to Public Opinion
Important Link: http://
worldpublicopinion.org
Feature Writing by Sally Adams
Art of Column Writing edited by Suzette Martinez
Standring
Slide2
Introduction to Opinion Writing
Media have been playing crucial role in molding public opinion, Media play a leading role in the formation of public opinion.
Public Opinion is a collective expression and representation of Public feelings, wants and attitude towards a certain issue, incident, policy or event.
People who have interest in an issue or who can be affected by the outcome of the issue form public opinion about that particular issue.
Opinions are highly sensitive to the events, opinions, don’t anticipate event but react to them. Events trigger formation of the public opinion. Slide3
Why Public Opinion Matters?
Public Opinion is a great source of:
Determining current image of an individual/organization
Reveals need for the social change
Predicts developmental future of an organization or state
Proposes agendas
Policy formulation and Planning Slide4
Formation of Public Opinion
Sources of formation of Public Opinion:
Media
Interpersonal and Group Communication
Pressure Groups
Opinion Leaders
Political Lobby
Symposia, lectures, seminars and conferences: Brainstorming, sharing, constructing idea in a conducive environment, refine public opinion. Educates public opinion.Slide5
Difference between Fact, Argument and Opinion
Opinion is combination of facts, arguments and opinion. Arguments are statements backed by reasons, facts and examples. Arguments are logically organized.
Examples:
School teachers are hostile as there are number of cases reported in the India about increasing violence against children in school, local officials has 31 registered cases against primary teachers in nearby villages.
Interiors Ministry has issued strict orders against unregistered NGOs and Welfare organization in Pakistan so far 67 un registered NGOs are closed down in this week only. This is an important step to curb foreign aid and intervention but government should not over look the suspicious
activities going inside the registered organizations. Slide6
Introduction to Editorial Writing
Definition and Overview
Function of Editorial
Types of Editorial
Sources for Writing Editorials Slide7
Definition and Overview
Corporate voice or position of Media organization on any given issue of Public Interest.
A comment or an argument in support of a particular policy, action, idea. It can be an argument exhibiting logical reasoning of the newspaper using the thoughts of proprietor for the purpose of persuading the readers to take decision in favor or against an idea, policy or an action based on facts available. Slide8
Characteristics of Editorial
Editorial must be on the topical issue that has been reported in Mass Media
Issues must attract public attention and must engage masses in the debates
Reflections of different journalistic approaches (investigative, interpretative)
Editorial should reflect objectivity, precision, advocacy Slide9
Functions of Editorial
Criticize social, political, cultural and economic dilemmas of the society.
Critically assess exploitative and autocratic government policies can be attached by editorials.
Explain and analyze complex issues for public understanding
Bring debatable issues and provide intellectual compass for the society to discuss and resolve current issues.
I
nfluence policy formulation or decision making on certain issues. Set proactive agendas for good governance of the society.
Provide people with socio-political judgements
Preserve nations sacred institutions
Participate in meaningful developmental projects of the state.
Initiates pathway for lawmakers, initiates bills that eventually becomes laws
Mobilize populace to support good cause
Uncover inefficiency and mal administration Slide10
Types of Editorial
Explanatory:
Open and explain thought provoking issues of socio-political economic interest
Develop and build public interest in various issues.
Such editorial identify a problem, explain it and the allow the reader to find solution and draw conclusions.
Interpretative:
Interpretation
of given issue from various aspects
Leading the audience judgment in the certain way
Writer can take negative, positive or neutral stance while interpreting the issue.
Example: Reaction to the
Story Published on October 14, 2016 in Dawn News Slide11
Types of Editorial continue…
Critical:
Packaged with critical mission or mandate to propagate a specific view point.
Can include criticism of a policy, action, policy, performance and institution
Example: Abuse of Power
Published on October 14, 2016 in
The Nation
Praise
This type of editorial is written to acknowledge and appreciate an action, service or policy
Example: Peaceful Ashura Published on October 14, 2016 in Dawn News Slide12
Editorial Writing-Sources
Research for Editorial
News Reports
Press Files
Use of secondary research
Online data bases
Gazettes
Biographies
Books
Proceedings
Briefings
Observation and Field Research
Social Forums: Seminars, Conferences, Profound
Experts & Officials
Specialized Resources: Embassies and Bureaus
Slide13
Writing for Editorial
Qualities of good editorial Writer:
Intellectual Curiosity: Ability to probe issues from critical point of view
Mastery of Language
Good knowledge
Rational Reasoning
Analytical Mind
Analyzing pros and cons of an issue
Harmonize both opposing and supportive variables in an editorial structureSlide14
Structure of the Editorial
Title
Introduction/Lead Paragraph
Body Copy
Conclusion Slide15
Title
Should be Active, Catchy, Sharp
Should be able to provide useful hints
Types of title:
Questions: What a country? Can we improve?
Saying or quote: Arise O Compatriots? Bell the Cat!
Rhythmic: Sapped by NAB, Put up or Shut up Slide16
Introduction or Lead Paragraph
Lead paragraph should incorporate:
Brief
background of Issue
Appropriate length
News
peg: Part of the story that contains the main elements or major gist of the content
Should be able to provide a link to the details Slide17
Body Copy
Body of the editorial should
incorporate:
Analysis
and Discussion
Writing Approach
1.1 Problem identification- explanation- solution
1.2 Thesis-Anti thesis- synthesis
Quotes/phrases
Facts/arguments/opinionsSlide18
Conclusion
Last paragraph of the editorial, usually conclusion may be a re affirmation of earlier position/idea advocated by the editorial writer in the body of editorial.
It can have following formats:
Straight-Away summary
Quotable ending
Appeal for action Slide19
FINAL TERM EXAM Slide20
1. Distinctive characteristics of different opinion forms
Editorials
No byline
No illustrations
Result of group effort, topics assigned by editorial board.
Has a specific place and subject to limited space in newspaper regularly.
Corporate voice/Corporate concern
NO reporting speech
All glories, blames and credits may be go to the media establishment.
Features
Byline
Have photographic illustration
Usually individual effort
Usually appears in magazines, 2 spread sheet, is not subject to specific place.
Column
Carries personality, style and identity of writer.
Reporting speech I
Byline, style, positions, stance are manifest in write-ups.
Appears regularly on opinion page, regular feature.Slide21
Feature Writing
Feature: A
story/ article about people, event, place, life. It is written in an interesting and creative manner with info drawn from people involved, eye witnesses, experts on the subject and those affected by the subject.Slide22
Types of Features
News
feature:
It
can be defined as an in-depth examination of a current issue or event.
In-built advantage: There is already public interest in the subject matters.
Interpretative treatment of issues beyond the boundaries of straight forward reporting. These are human-interest features on victims, hospital staff, police and witnesses
Backgrounder:
About Background, context and circumstances
surrounding a news event.
For instance a
news law/bill is
passed. There might be features on history of law in state, lobbying efforts to push, halt legislation.
Investigative features:
May
comprise of statements, findings, documentation, detailed analytical
piece
Entails
narrative writing with chronological structures create a story telling format.Slide23
Types of Features
Profile features
Condensing person’s life history on one paper.
A good feature writer will search for the pivotal events/ circumstances that contributed to profile’s success.
Profiles are often someone who is newsworthy because of position, attitudes, beliefs, circumstances or association with a significant even.
Common questions: motivations? Inspirations? How did they get where they are?
Seasonal:
Features
of national day, defense day,
eid
, Christmas.
How-to-do-it:
Has
considerable practical importance. Opinion pieces for gardening, how to file taxation return.
Historical
:
Put
current events , individuals or circumstances into perspective. They remind the community where it has been where it might be going.Slide24
Feature Writing
Parts of Introduction:
Hook:
A hook is usually a comment/quotation/question that inspires an emotional response from the reader
Comment/Background/Topic Statement:
Add some information regarding the topic
Establish Final statement:
Open declaration of the topics
Example topic
: "Living in big city"
Hook
: Can you imagine how much a single day can cost if you live in Shibuya, Tokyo?
Comments and background
: Tokyo is one of the most expensive cities in the world. The prices of things in Tokyo are much higher than in other parts of Japan. Many people living in Tokyo have a difficult time paying for their lifestyles.
Thesis Statement
: Tokyo definitely is one of the most expensive cities for many reasons.Slide25
Types of Introduction
Historical
review
Anecdotal
Surprising
statement
Famous
person
D
eclarativeSlide26
Strategies for Writing a Conclusion
Conclusion should:
stress
the importance of the thesis statement,
give the essay a sense of completeness, and
Leave a final impression on the reader.Slide27
Suggestions
Answer
the question "So What?"
Show your readers why this paper was important. Show them that your paper was meaningful and useful.
Synthesize, don't summarize
Don't simply repeat things that were in your paper. They have read it. Show them how the points you made and the support and examples you used were not random, but fit together
.
Redirect your readers
Give your reader something to think about, perhaps a way to use your paper in the "real" world. If your introduction went from general to specific, make your conclusion go from specific to general. Think globally.
Create a new meaning
You don't have to give new information to create a new meaning. By demonstrating how your ideas work together, you can create a new picture. Often the sum of the paper is worth more than its parts.Slide28
Strategies for Writing conclusions
1. Echoing
the introduction:
Echoing your introduction can be a good strategy if it is meant to bring the reader full-circle. If you begin by describing a scenario, you can end with the same scenario as proof that your essay was helpful in creating a new understanding.
Example
Introduction
: From
the parking lot, I could see the towers of the castle of the Magic Kingdom standing stately against the blue sky. To the right, the tall peak of The Matterhorn rose even higher. From the left, I could hear the jungle sounds of Adventureland. As I entered the gate, Main Street stretched before me with its quaint shops evoking an old-fashioned small town so charming it could never have existed. I was entranced. Disneyland may have been built for children, but it brings out the child in adults.
Conclusion
: I
thought I would spend a few hours at Disneyland, but here I was at 1:00 A.M., closing time, leaving the front gates with the now dark towers of the Magic Kingdom behind me. I could see tired children, toddling along and struggling to keep their eyes open as best they could. Others slept in their parents' arms as we waited for the parking lot tram that would take us to our cars. My forty-year-old feet ached, and I felt a bit sad to think that in a couple of days I would be leaving California, my vacation over, to go back to my desk. But then I smiled to think that for at least a day I felt ten years old again.Slide29
Strategies for Writing conclusions
2. Challenging
the reader:
By issuing a challenge to your readers, you are helping them to redirect the information in the paper, and they may apply it to their own lives.
Example
: Though
serving on a jury is not only a civic responsibility but also an interesting experience, many people still view jury duty as a chore that interrupts their jobs and the routine of their daily lives. However, juries are part of America's attempt to be a free and just society. Thus, jury duty challenges us to be interested and responsible citizens.Slide30
Strategies for Writing conclusions
3. Looking
to the future:
Looking to the future can emphasize the importance of your paper or redirect the readers' thought process. It may help them apply the new information to their lives or see things more globally.
Example
: Without
well-qualified teachers, schools are little more than buildings and equipment. If higher-paying careers continue to attract the best and the brightest students, there will not only be a shortage of teachers, but the teachers available may not have the best qualifications. Our youth will suffer. And when youth suffers, the future suffers.Slide31
Strategies for Writing conclusions
4. Posing
questions:
Posing questions, either to your readers or in general, may help your readers gain a new perspective on the topic, which they may not have held before reading your conclusion. It may also bring your main ideas together to create a new meaning
.
Example
: Campaign
advertisements should help us understand the candidate's qualifications and positions on the issues. Instead, most tell us how they present general images of the candidate as a family person or God-fearing American. Do such advertisements contribute to creating an informed electorate or a people who choose political leaders the same way they choose soft drinks and soap?Slide32
Presentation of Feature
Other than text features may also have:
Simple
fact: box
Complex facts: table
Added value boxes:
other relevant and recommended readings
Advice
boxes
Speed-read summary
Statistics
Pictures
Slug Slide33
Column Writing
Elements
of the
Columns:
Voice:
Writing Style of The columnist
POV:
Writing perspective of the columnist
Personal Bias:
Bias is acceptable but with accuracy and fairness
Goal of the Column Writer:
To encourage, To aware, To entertain
Fighting with Homogeneous Style:
Bringing Innovation & Creativity
Central Theme of The Column:
Focal Point of the Column
Story telling technique:
Narrate the issue in form of a story, personalize the issues to create a close connection with readers
Ordering the Writing
: Order the Writing so questions in a reader’s mind are answered in a logical sequence
Make Every word Count:
Use Short sentences, Careful selection of the words, Avoid
Repetition. Slide34
Column Writing Format
Column
Writing
Format:
Theatrical Treatment:
Getting character on stage, Presentation of the Character, Entering the Dilemma of the Story
Types of Introduction:
Express
Outrage, Curiosity, Belonging, Provocation, Humor, Shock, Discomfort
Body Text:
Arrange the Paragraphs Logical: Try to cover all angles of story
Conclusion:
Give the Reminder of the purpose, Leave the final impression on the reader’s mind. Slide35Slide36Slide37
Review Writing
Review
Writing:
A
critical assessment of aw art from form or aw entertainment. You have probably been speaking reviews since you first saw a movie.
Difference
between “listing and review”
Listing:
Connection
of fractural
information, only provides information about a movie, drama or book. Lacks critical analysis.
Review:
Describes work,
express
opinion and provides analysis about
about
an art form along with information. Leads Slide38
Difference
between tabloid and broadsheet review
Tabloids
:
: Short and
snappy, has a lot of sensational details, provides exaggerated claims about movies. Generally more concerned about entertainment values of the movie.
Broadsheet
:
Carefully argued reviews observer 1,000 words
; Critically analyses every aspect of movie.
Magazine:
Magazines
prefer short reviews 350 words, designers would not like to pack page with grey columns of words, glossy medium.Slide39
Writing Reviews-Movies
Considerations for review writers:
Must offer a good combination of description, analysis and criticism.
Should compare examples of previous works of an artist, director, writer. Provide an analysis of strengths and weaknesses.
Movie
review writers should
watch a movie from three perspectives:
As critic/reviewer:
To critically assess the over all movie
As
director:
To assess the technicalities of the movie
As Audience:
To assess the entertainment and engagement values of the movie
Develop framework (stance, favorable,
critical)
Arrangement of positive, negative points
Use past tense when writing review Slide40
Criteria for analysis
Cast
and Characters
Direction
Story, Script and Screen Play
Cinematography
Music Direction
Editing
Plot (Intro-Interval-Climax-Post Climax)
As audience
As critic
Big Picture: What movie contributes to cinema and society overall?
Commercial Success
Language analysis: List down terms/adjectives used in review. Slide41
Online Opinion Writing
Forums for publishing opinion online:
Blogs
News Blogs
Online Communities/Groups
Determine
your interest of writing
May
add reviews/commentaries, endorsements, debates, Narrative (personal account)
Blogs
often combine with video/audio, images, websites, and online sources
Catering
wide audience
Adding
values to the readers
Series
of posts Slide42
Features of Writing Online
Facility of user participation
Interactivity
/ Audience Feedback
Increased
Audience Feedback
Crowdsourcing: It allows crowd sourcing where number of participates can contribute at the same time.
Facilitates Online
Story Package – an online news story that uses multiple media (text, photos, video, audio, graphics) working together to tell a
story/opinion piece.
Provides Information
Graphic (Infographic) – a visual representation (graphs, charts, timelines, etc.) used to make facts or concepts easier to understand