The news media set agendas, shape policies, and impact spending. The voices they amplify wield outsized influence. And yet research finds that less than a third of the voices being heard in Canada’s most influential news sources are women’s voices. Informed Opinions is a charitable organization that aims to raise the profile of women and gender-diverse experts in news media. – Informed Opinions
UBC’s VPRI, Faculty of Arts, and the Public Humanities Hub are partnering with Informed Opinions to host virtual workshops on “Op-Eds: Writing Compelling Commentary” in Spring 2022 facilitated by Informed Opinions catalyst Shari Graydon, who has over 30 years of experience engaging media. 30 sponsored spots are available to UBC-Vancouver faculty members, graduate students, and postdoctoral fellows of all disciplines. At this time, we invite expressions of interest to participate in a workshop. Deadline November 30. Accepted applicants will be notified by mid-December.
Each workshop of 10 people will include:
– 2 x two-hour sessions to learn about Writing Compelling Commentary. These sessions will take place on different days to allow you time to draft an op-ed and submit it to the facilitator before the second session.
– Individualized feedback on your assignment.
– Participation in a cohort to exchange feedback on drafts with other members following the workshop.
The workshops are open to participants of all genders, although Informed Opinions mandates that at least 50% of the participants be women and/or gender-diverse individuals.
Because spaces are limited, the workshop is only open to those who have not previously taken Informed Opinions workshops.