How to Write an Opinion Article

By Student Media Copy Editor Tom Breeden

Technically, an opinion cannot be wrong. It can, however, be completely unfounded, poorly argued and absolutely pretentious, which is not the kind of opinion that belongs in the opinion section of a newspaper. I would hope this is not even the kind of opinion that would be held by an open-minded, free-thinking, perspective-seeking student at George Mason University.

Tragically, my hope is in vain as many students often submit to Broadside, articles that are polarized on political and social issues and tend to ignore or demonize alternate perspectives altogether, in addition to speculating wildly and coming to some serious conclusion based off of one or two facts cited earlier by the article’s author.

The news section of any reputable news publication assumes a level of objectivity in order to inform and present observable, noteworthy facts; to tell it how it really happened. This is fair. While our experiences and understandings of the world are often personal and subjective, it’s important for the sake of communication and dialogue that we refer to the shared elements of our reality and, I would argue, a ‘good’ opinion would need to draw heavily from some universal aspects of truth if it has any hope of being widely accepted and practicable. And certainly, this is the ultimate goal of an opinion.

Because an opinion is something that is not verifiable, either immediately or ever. It is a tool we use to wield and direct the empirical in order to support the alleged ‘good’ or ‘evil’ of any given scenario or decision. As a community (on local and global levels) we strive to define and achieve a ‘greater good’ for ourselves. We hope to describe the world how it ought to be, based on how it is, on what is observable and scientifically viable.

Describing the world as it ‘ought to be’ is the ideal aim of social scientists, of economists and of political scientists. Operating somewhere between the theoretical and experimental practices of natural sciences and the experiential and provisional studies of humanities, social scientists fit irrational man into the structured chaos of our universe. They combine what we believe and desire with what we expect and need. They do this by considering trends, noting consistencies and experimenting with known and unknown variables. The apathetic aside, we all have ideas about how the world ought to be and these ideas are based to varying degrees on personal experience and enculturation. However, I think it’s reasonable to assume that some of us lack the knowledge and experience required to form a relevant, comprehensive opinion.

If I had the option of reading an article written by an economics major or a communication major about the recently passed, American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, I would definitely prefer the former. Not to discredit communication majors who have their own brand of knowledge, but I think my preference makes obvious sense.

An economics major should have more to say about the stimulus package, biology majors should have more to say about eukaryotes and prokaryotes, and history majors should have more to say about the Age of Enlightenment giving way to Romanticism.

My point is that you should have some background knowledge before writing an opinion article about complicated political and economic issues. I don’t actually believe it’s necessary to major in an area before writing an article about a specific topic but I do believe you need to have serious interest in the area. You should be well versed in the subject and you should be able to present both sides of an issue before arguing your preference for one.

If your opinion demonizes the antithesis, I would seriously doubt your ability to consider the viewpoint of the ‘other.’ If your opinion is so polarized that you can only support extreme viewpoints—if you associate President Obama with the savior or the antichrist, if you foresee some grand, national utopia or abysmal plummet—I couldn’t help but suspect some fantastic bias.

Writing an article for the opinion section of a newspaper is a responsibility. I hope one would feel obligated to present an insightful, fair assessment of the world as seen through the eyes of an informed, active member of a community. One takes on the role of an interpreter, an optimistic arbiter. Not a critic, not a commenter, no mere observer.

The opinion section of the newspaper is the town hall discussion; it is the pragmatic extension of the theory. It is the culture that separates wise man from an upright ape. At least it should be.­­