For this assignment, you will create an op-ed article on an important topic as well as an infographic that makes a similar argument in a visual medium. Your op-ed article and the infographic should be able to work independently of each other but convey the same main argument.

Op-Ed Article

OpEd, short for Opposite the Editorial, is a newspaper opinion piece from contributors not affiliated with the editorial board. Historically, it was published in a newspaper opposite the article written by the editorial board (hence the name, op-ed) and evolved as a genre that allowed people who are knowledgeable on a given topic to express their opinion and urge readers to take a stance or to take action. Sometimes, you might see articles in newspapers and magazines labeled “Opinion”: they follow the same genre conventions as op-ed articles.

For your op-ed article, you will first need to choose a topic related to social or human rights issues that is important for your community or for your current or future professional life. Your goal will be to sway your readers opinion on the topic and to persuade them to take certain action (e.g., support a specific public policy or adopt a new recycling practice) or adopt a certain point of view on the topic. To achieve that goal, you will need to use multiple persuasive strategies, from citing statistics, examples, and facts, to using stories and personal examples to appeal to your readers emotions. Keep in mind that op-ed articles typically do not rely on sources to the same extent as some other genres; limit your supporting sources to no more than 4 and make sure they come from credible, trustworthy publications and are free of false information, skewed facts, or strong bias. You can check your sources credibility following the suggestions in this guide (Links to an external site.).

Infographic

To quote the Oxford English dictionary, an infographic is a visual representation of information or data. For your infographic, you will need to create a visual representation of the arguments you make in your op-ed piece, transforming them into a new mode. You can use pictures, icons, charts, graphs, and any other visual components to convey your arguments. You can also use text, but keep in mind that infographics are usually designed with minimum text and instead rely on visual clues to attract the audiences attention and deliver the message in a convincing yet succinct way. You can learn more about infographics from this resource (Links to an external site.).

Directions:

Your first step will be choosing a topic for your op-ed article. Make sure it bears some importance for your community and/or your professional path, whether its your chosen major, the discipline where you plan to go, or the job you are currently holding. Make sure your topic is not too broad (e.g., climate change is a very broad topic, but water management in Las Vegas in the time of climate change is a lot more manageable) and not overused, in which case it might be difficult to find anything original to add to the existing debates.

Define your audience and choose the venue for your op-ed piece: who are you trying to reach, and what would you like them to do as a result of reading your op-ed? Do you want people to take action or to change their opinion on the topic? Who are you trying to reach? Is it people who mostly share your views but might not be aware of some facts, or people who hold opposite opinions? What newspaper would you like to see your op-ed published in, and why? You can choose a major newspaper like The New York Times or a local paper like Your topic and your audience will largely define your arguments.

Consider different rhetorical strategies weve learned so far and look at examples of op-ed articles. Choose argumentative strategies best suited for your topic, your audience, and your goals. Do some research: how would you back up your arguments? What kind of evidence can you use?

Your op-ed should have an engaging and informative title.

The introductory paragraph should open with a hook to get your readers attention. You can cite a recent news story or a new scientific study, tell a personal story or a dramatic anecdote, use irony or show contradictions in public opinion, or reference popular culture. You can find some examples of op-ed openings here (Links to an external site.). Your introduction should also give a preview of your main claim.

The body of your article should develop your arguments in more detail and provide evidence for your claims.

The concluding paragraph should connect your claims and urge the readers to action.

Your infographic should reflect your main arguments, but do not try to include every claim or every detail. You can use free tools to create your infographic (e.g., piktochart (Links to an external site.), canva (Links to an external site.), or venngage (Links to an external site.)).