The Emotional Power of Op-eds

by Sarah Gilsoul, September 24, 2021

According to Bob Wyss, good journalists in a traditional news setting should follow a set of tenets which include accuracy, thoroughness, balance, fairness, transparency, and passion (Wyss 224, 2019). Opinion pieces should follow each of these tenets for the story to be successful and for the author to maintain credibility. Where opinion pieces differ from traditional news stories, however, is in the style of writing. In order to be successful, the subject must be interesting, and the language must be lively (Wyss 167, 2019). People are not moved by academic jargon and technical details. They want emotion, a story, and a strong voice to guide them as they navigate through an issue. Tone is critical when creating an opinion piece, as conjuring up an emotional response is one of the most important outcomes.

When many of us imagine a news story, we think of relatively dry, straight-to-the-point writing that states the facts of an issue. While this type of story is essential for breaking news where an audience must quickly understand a problem, it is rarely moving or inspiring, especially in the long term. There are undoubtedly many journalists who have created excellent pieces following the format of traditional news stories. However, when an author’s goal is to elicit a lasting response or action, opinion pieces may be the best route for journalists to take.

In addition to the tenets of good journalism, John McCormick of the Chicago Tribune provides seven questions that journalists must ask themselves if they want to create a quality opinion piece. Of these questions, one stands out in contrast to traditional news: “What is the article trying to accomplish?” (Wyss 169, 2019). While journalists who engage in conventional news writing aim to inform the public of an issue or event, opinion pieces are persuasive. There is always a goal in opinion pieces, whether that be encouraging readers to change everyday behaviors, vote for a specific politician, or become aware of a topic that the writer deems important. 

In Kendra Atleework’s opinion piece, Wildfires are changing California forever and making it harder to see a future here (2021), the author uses her own experiences to tell a moving story about wildfires in California. While California has consistently appeared in the news due to wildfires that increase in frequency and size every year, many Americans still cling to a romanticized idea of Hollywood, Silicon Valley, and “making it big” in L.A. This piece is essentially a reality check. The story still maintains the tenets of good journalism, yet the tone, the imagery, and the personal anecdotes drive home the story of wildfires in a way that traditional news cannot. If the author were reporting on a wildfire happening at that moment, this form of relaying information would not be appropriate. Yet, that is not the point of her piece. Through opinion piece writing, Atleework was able to put the climate anxiety that many of us experience into words, which is powerful.

This story was updated on 12/9/2021. The primary changes included spelling and reorganization.

Bibliography

Atleework, K. (2021, September 21). Opinion | Wildfires are changing California forever and making it harder to see a future here. The Washington Post. Retrieved September 24, 2021, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/09/21/wildfires-are-changing-california-forever-making-it-harder-see-future-here/.

Wyss, B. (2019). Covering the environment: How journalists work the green beat (2nd ed.). Routledge.