Opinions

Today's talk by Sarah Gassen of the Arizona Star was quite informative.  I have had an opinion section in my school's publication, but I was not really stringent on the necessary elements on its structure.  Having Ms. Gassen give us some red flags to look for and a solid structure to use relieved some anxiety I had this past year.

I am thinking that next year, I will make this presentation to my students and emphasize that Opinion pieces are NOT an easy way out.  I know that having all these structures will result in fewer of these types of pieces, but in my class I think that is great.  It leaves more room for more "newsy" types of stories.

What really hit home for me was keeping the issue local.  Students wrote about Kony 2012, the death penalty, and other broad topics without really connecting it to the community.  I really want to make sure this local connection is present in the future.

Bidjan Aminian
Dublin High School
Dublin, CA

Above: Sarah Gassen warns about three types of opinion pieces that may not be effective.