Coming This Fall: Alumni Opinion Writing Workshop
one example opinion piece Co-authored by Jason Bordoff and Meghan O’Sullivan of the Columbia Center for Global Energy Policy
With the proliferation of guest essay columns, the world of opinion writing has opened up to the public like never before. Publications from The New York Times to The Atlantic and CNN.com are seeking ideas from readers and viewers.
Columbia University alumni, professionals working in their fields, often have strong ideas about sustainability and climate, but lack the journalistic skills to get their voices heard. Additionally, the barriers to entry for writing on climate and sustainability topics are higher; they are often highly technical and require extra effort from writers to convey the complexity in a popular format. The media may be more open than ever to the work of non-journalists, but citizens need to understand the forms and conventions that translate their work into print and pixels. Opinion writing boot camps can help.
This fall, a five-week non-credit workshop will help Climate Institute alumni and affiliates of the School of Professional Studies hone their opinion writing skills. This course is taught by Claudia Dreifus and takes place Wednesdays from 6:10-8:00pm ET.
Dreifus is a science journalist and professor in Columbia University’s Master of Sustainable Management program. For more than 20 years, she has written a series of articles for the New York Times’ Science column titled “Conversation with,” The focus is on her interviews with leaders in health and science, such as Jane Goodall and Stephen Hawking. Before joining Science Times in 1998, Dreifus began working as a staff writer for The New York Times Sunday magazine in 1992. In addition to her work at The New York Times, her work has been featured in the Smithsonian Institution, The Nation, and The Nation. Chronicle of Higher Education and New York Review of Books. Dreifus has also published two books on the art of interviewing: “The Interview” and “Science Dialogue: Science Interviewing” in 1997.
In 1997, Dreifus began working as an adjunct professor at Columbia University’s School of International Affairs. One of her most famous courses, called “Writing articles on global science for international media,” the five-week workshop that pioneered the journalism course for American scientists will be a stripped-down version of the course. More information and a tentative schedule are below.
Who can register? Climate School Alumni + SPS Affiliate Program
The platform: personally
when? Wednesday night (6:10-8:00 p.m. ET)
tentative schedule
first session: What is a column or personal essay? Which columnists do you read and like? Assignment: Write a 750-word opinion piece on a sustainability or climate topic that you have a strong focus on. Deadline: One week.
Second: What are the rules and special elements of a successful opinion piece? We’re going to read several feature columns and take them apart from the forensics. We also analyze some student submissions. Some students will be asked to rewrite their assignments based on the guidelines provided in this discussion.
The third session: All op-eds are about making convincing arguments. In this session, we will discuss how to build successful arguments on public policy issues. Symposium members will debate the pros and cons of various climate and sustainability issues emerging in the current news. Students will be asked to present the best arguments and resources they can find on positions they may disagree with. Research resources will be discussed.
Fourth: Marketing your column. Which publications accept them and how to consider your work – submission practice. An editor will make a cameo about her response and delivery. Assignment: Students will be required to submit their columns to the appropriate market of their choice.
finals: Blog posts, tweets, and letters to the editor. How are they different from opinion papers? What are the rules for production success?
reading:
- “Writing to Persuade,” Trish Hall
- “Understanding Science: Separating Matter from Spin,” Cornelia Dean
- “The Signed Bible: Published in Five Weeks” by Susan Shapiro
