Op-Ed Assignment
Background
An Op-Ed, short for ‘Opposite Editorial,’ is an opinion piece published opposite the editorial page in a
newspaper or magazine. Op-eds are an important communication strategy to present commentary,
perspectives, recommendations, and solutions to a general audience (i.e., the public). Authors are usually
not affiliated with the editorial board of the publishing newspaper or magazine, but rather are a subject-
matter expert or a person with a unique perspective on an issue. Op-eds have been used to inform
populations, to elicit response and policy changes, and to present novel solutions to a problem.
Assignment Description
For this assignment, you will write a 750-1,000-word op-ed taking a position on (making an argument
for) a health issue that relates to the course concepts/sub-concepts of this course. Op-eds are not a
literature review or a traditional essay. Cite a least 6 different sources of evidence (research article, stats,
credible websites, personal experience) on the topic of choice, using a description plus a link (e.g. “As
Smith showed in their recent study, Indigenous patients were less likely to receive timely access to health
care). You can make the “showed� word a hyperlink to the study you are citing. The description of the
supporting evidence will be brief. You do not have much space, but evidence should be used to support
your point. You also need a reference page for the assignment.
Do’s:
• Review the examples of Op-eds posted in UM Learn, as well as the other learning resources
posted in the assignment folder and the rubric.
• Think of a topic based on what interests you. You can form a thesis based on 1) a topic this class
has covered, or 2) your previous interests, on which theories/concepts from the class can shed
light.
• Ground your opinion in evidence, i.e., back it up! You need to back up your argument with at
least 6 sources of evidence (with a minimum of 2 from the course readings). Your assignment is
not to write a pure opinion piece. Your thesis needs to be backed up. A few examples of op-eds
will be posted to UMLearn.
• Hook your piece to something that has happened in the world recently. The best hook (or “lede�)
is not necessarily a personal experience like “I was harassed on the street�, but rather something
that your reader can also relate to personally. Or more traditionally, your hook will be news on
the global, national, or local level, or from within higher education. So you could say “Last week
in a small town in Alberta….â€�, or you could say “McGill university students yesterday received a
public safety email that said…â€� or finally “Last week, the Center for Women in Politics published
a report showing that street harassment is a growing problem in the Canada�. The point is that
your hook should be very recent. Given all these suggestions for how to use a hook, it should not
be too difficult to find one if you expand your standards to include news events all over the globe,
relatively more local and more national in nature.
• Students are encouraged to submit their op-eds to relevant media sources (campus newspaper,
Canadian Nurses Association Journal, Winnipeg Free Press, The Sun, community newspaper,
etc.).
Due Dates:
Op-Ed Assignment
Background
An Op-Ed, short for ‘Opposite Editorial,’ is an opinion piece published opposite the editorial page in a
newspaper or magazine. Op-eds are an important communication strategy to present commentary,
perspectives, recommendations, and solutions to a general audience (i.e., the public). Authors are usually
not affiliated with the editorial board of the publishing newspaper or magazine, but rather are a subject-
matter expert or a person with a unique perspective on an issue. Op-eds have been used to inform
populations, to elicit response and policy changes, and to present novel solutions to a problem.
Assignment Description
For this assignment, you will write a 750-1,000-word op-ed taking a position on (making an argument
for) a health issue that relates to the course concepts/sub-concepts of this course. Op-eds are not a
literature review or a traditional essay. Cite a least 6 different sources of evidence (research article, stats,
credible websites, personal experience) on the topic of choice, using a description plus a link (e.g. “As
Smith showed in their recent study, Indigenous patients were less likely to receive timely access to health
care). You can make the “showed� word a hyperlink to the study you are citing. The description of the
supporting evidence will be brief. You do not have much space, but evidence should be used to support
your point. You also need a reference page for the assignment.
Do’s:
• Review the examples of Op-eds posted in UM Learn, as well as the other learning resources
posted in the assignment folder and the rubric.
• Think of a topic based on what interests you. You can form a thesis based on 1) a topic this class
has covered, or 2) your previous interests, on which theories/concepts from the class can shed
light.
• Ground your opinion in evidence, i.e., back it up! You need to back up your argument with at
least 6 sources of evidence (with a minimum of 2 from the course readings). Your assignment is
not to write a pure opinion piece. Your thesis needs to be backed up. A few examples of op-eds
will be posted to UMLearn.
• Hook your piece to something that has happened in the world recently. The best hook (or “lede�)
is not necessarily a personal experience like “I was harassed on the street�, but rather something
that your reader can also relate to personally. Or more traditionally, your hook will be news on
the global, national, or local level, or from within higher education. So you could say “Last week
in a small town in Alberta….â€�, or you could say “McGill university students yesterday received a
public safety email that said…â€� or finally “Last week, the Center for Women in Politics published
a report showing that street harassment is a growing problem in the Canada�. The point is that
your hook should be very recent. Given all these suggestions for how to use a hook, it should not
be too difficult to find one if you expand your standards to include news events all over the globe,
relatively more local and more national in nature.
Below are the links of some of the resources to be used to write the op-ed, and they should be included in the referrence list.
https://equiphealthcare.ca/resources/equipping-for-equity-online-modules/module-4/
https://umanitoba.desire2learn.com/d2l/le/content/509696/viewContent/3189684/View
https://healthsci.queensu.ca/sites/opdes/files/modules/dismantling-anti-black-racism/#/lessons/5HlRBcZa9P3AbV1r4QhQvWfEnAWZo9sN
I am attaching links to some op-ed examples.
https://www.publichealth.columbia.edu/public-health-now/news/think-children-we-need-national-aces-screenings
https://www.publichealth.columbia.edu/public-health-now/news/role-community-gardens-during-covid-19-pandemic