You are pleased with your research and would like to continue examining these three sites, but you receive bad news. Someone wan
ts to build a tourist resort on the site in East Africa. The company that discovered the cave while they were preparing to dig the tunnel wants to continue its work. Another company wants to build a shopping center on top of the third site. All of these projects are important and will generate jobs and money. The projects also have many supporters. How important are the archaeological sites? You think they should be preserved and therefore you go to government agencies to seek help. The officials are interested but point out that you do not have a lot of public support. If nobody knows how important these sites are, how can they spend the time and money protecting and preserving them?
You decide to reach out to the editor of a major newspaper. The articles in this newspaper are available throughout the world via the Internet. The editor is delighted to help you. “Why don’t you write an op-ed?” she asks. “That will let people know how important these sites are.” You agree; but there’s one problem. You’ve never written an op-ed before. What is it and how do you do it?
What is an op-ed?
An op-ed is a persuasive argument, or essay, that expresses the writer’s opinion. It usually appears in the editorial section of a newspaper.
The writer’s name appears with the article. Often the writer is not part of the regular newspaper staff, but an outsider who is writing on a particular topic.
What distinguishes an op-ed?
It is usually about a timely topic that people need to know about now.
It focuses on one main point.
It has a strong hook and conclusion.
op-eds can be written in a variety of styles, but usually the tone is friendly, but formal.
How long is an op-ed?
Most op-ed articles are about 350 words long, which is about three to four paragraphs.
Write Your op-ed
Before you start writing, make an outline to use as a guide:
Identify your main point:
Remember, in a persuasive argument you are expressing an opinion.
You need to support your opinion with details.
Identify the details that support your argument.
Identify your secondary points:
Remember, your op-ed is short. You might have only one or two secondary points.
Secondary points should add to the readers’ understanding of your main argument. Identify the details that support these points.
Identify your opponent’s argument. What is the basis for this argument? How can you prove that this argument is false?
Develop a hook and conclusion:
Your argument needs to have a strong hook at the beginning and a strong conclusion at the end.
Some authors write the hook first, but it’s also all right to wait until the body of your essay is done. You may be inspired by something you’ve written.
Consult this overview about writing an op-ed as you work on your assignment. Now, write your op-ed and submit it in the space below.
