Articles And Press Releases

Expressing the Organizational (or Personal) View

In today’s society, we are faced with many complex, difficult issues. Each issue has many possible directions. Individuals, organizations and companies have a vast variety of personal opinions and viewpoints on the issues. Many times these people and organizations wish to express their personal, corporate or organizational view on a given subject publicly or wish to get their readers or communities to engage in a conversation on the subject. To accomplish this, they utilize opinion articles and editorials written by their staff, employees, volunteers or (on occasion) ghostwriters. Opinion articles, as their name indicates, express an opinion while presenting the factors of each side in a controversial topic. Using opinion articles allows you and your company to express a position on a given topic. Opinion articles, when done properly, establish you and your organization as a thought leader instead of just a follower.

The Problem with Opinion Articles

Today it is rare for people to actually think about controversial issues, much less actually form an opinion suitable for an article. People have gotten bitter and reluctant to express their views publicly, thanks to the overt criticism attacks from governmental officials. Yet it is vital to share differing opinions in order to solve the problems facing businesses and our society in general. One problem is sharing these ideas and opinions in a manner that establishes the author in a credible light. Establishing yourself or your organization as a credible force of expertise can be a real challenge. To establish such credibility you must speak with authority and knowledge, presenting a genuinely new, innovative angle or understanding of the given subject. The entire point of writing an opinion article is to establish yourself as an expert – as a thought leader. The problem is that many poorly written or conceived articles lack this power. Instead of taking a side and presenting their view on the issue the author straddles the fence, presenting both sides, but favoring neither. These kind of bet-hedging wannabes toss about facts and figures, but never actually come to the point by drawing a conclusion and expressing any opinion at all on the issue. In our society people seem to be afraid to take a position. This is particularly true of politicians, particularly on issues that really matter. They are like the would-be thespian, refusing to take the stage after a promised performance, by failing to put a subjective slant on the issue. Quite simply, most “opinion” articles today fail to actually state an opinion. That is why they fail.

Scientific Opinion Articles

Scientific opinion articles are typically examinations of available evidence on issues such as pollution problems, environmental protection and global warming and the writer’s opinions and ideas on addressing the issues. In preparing these articles, the writer must keep in mind his or her position, stressing on the hard data that supports that position. The very nature of scientific papers requires the writer to take a position, particularly when it comes to recommending how to address issues of importance. It also takes empirical evidence that supports the position of the article.

Academic Opinion Articles

General academic opinion articles may be anything from debating the importance of the 1960s hippie movement to the appropriateness of theoretical social policy changes in an academic environment. These opinions are frequently used during in-class debates, engaging the students in historical and theoretical issues in a effort to heighten their significance in the mind of the students. The evidence in support of academic opinions can be a little more subjective than that needed for scientific opinions, but should still have an acceptable level of empirical quality to be considered supportive of the position.

Political Opinion Articles

The realm of politics is fraught with ideas and opinions, some good, some not so good. Examples of the wide variety of opinion articles in the field of politics can be found in almost any newspaper in the country on a daily basis. Political opinions can range from debate on new legislation that is being considered to arguments about the effects of governmental regulations and policies on our communities and economy. Although political opinions are more subjective than scientific or academic opinions, they still require a level of empirical evidence to support the position the writer is taking on the issue at hand. Failure of an opinion article to contain such support weakens the position and opens it up to devastating attack by those who oppose the argument.

Structuring an Opinion

Opinion articles can be comprehensive discursions or short and pointed (such as our ‘opinion’ above). Either way, they share a common thread or logical structure. Without this structure even an opinion paper containing a bold, innovative stand on an issue can fail in effectiveness. The argument presented should be written as a clear set of points that build to the ultimate conclusion of the article. Line by line and paragraph by paragraph, the persuasive point you are trying to make must be built upon to slant the paper in favor of your position. Throughout your paper, you must keep this position in mind, the same way we maintained our position in the section previously.

What We Offer

Our company writes articles professionally on any topic and in any style required by our clients. The article can be written as a single, stand-alone or as part of a broader public relations campaign. It can be written in the form of a formal press release or as an opinion-editorial column suitable for newsletter or magazine inclusion. It can be a brief statement of position or a detailed, multi-section examination of the issue. Additionally, we can help you position the opinion itself as an integral part of your company’s overall marketing message, taking into account the events and trends of your industry or community. This can be done while taking into account the opinion article’s intended audience, allowing the article to articulate your view more effectively and establishing you and your company as leaders within your industry.