A reported opinion piece is commonly referred to as an editorial or “op-ed,” which stands for editorial opinion. Op-eds give you the opportunity to present your expanded opinion on a particular topic, event or other occurrence that is covered in the daily news. People with experience and knowledge in the subject area write most opinion pieces.

A letter to the editor column is not the same as an informed opinion article, although both allow the expression of opinion. Readers of the publication write letters to the editor. An expert, celebrity, or well-known public figure writes the reported op-ed.

Tips for writing an informed opinion piece:

1. Base your article on current, timely, and recent news. Nobody cares about an opinion on outdated news.
2. It must have local relevance and be of interest to the readers of the publication to which it is submitted. People are interested in events that are not local, but your opinion about distant activities does not interest them as much as events that happen close to home.
3. Be concise. Be clear and to the point in your writing. Use a strong argument in both the introduction and the last paragraph of the article.
4. Be specific. Write on only one specific topic at a time. Make sure the reader understands why your argument or opinion is of interest to them. An opinion piece is not a forum for general general complaints.
5. Keep it short, 600-750 words is the recommended length for your article.
6. Use simple, everyday language. Readers in general should understand your writing without experiencing doubts about what the topic is or your opinion.
7. Give suggestions of possible solutions or recommendations to the situation.
8. Keep your scoring simple. Exclamation points have no place in an opinion piece.
9. Provide facts, base your opinion on well documented facts, research, statistics and examples. There is no place for personal emotions in the piece.
10. Check your article. Your piece needs a logical organization. As with all writing, spelling, grammar, and punctuation are vital. Use the normal language of your reader. Avoid clichés, racism, personal attacks and sexism.

The target audience for most publications includes people from different backgrounds and experiences. The piece must have relevance to the general public. A good opinion piece starts with a strong opinion and ends with a strong summary or thought-provoking final point.

Consider your format; mix long and short sentences to arouse the reader’s attention. Use short, attention-grabbing paragraphs. Make sure the reader doesn’t have to “work” to understand your point.

Provide current and accurate contact information. The post requires your name, address, email, phone number, and signature.