Op-ed

Green Campaign, Part 1: Op-ed (60 points)

“One fact that emerges from a study of the history of rhetoric is that there is usually a resurgence of rhetoric during periods of violent social upheaval.” -Edward PJ Corbett

For your green campaign, you will select and research an environmental issue connected to DU, Denver, and the American West, and then develop, compose, and disseminate a multi-genre green campaign that informs the general public about the issue and advocates for change.

The op-ed is part 1 of the green campaign, and your purpose is to raise public awareness of an environmental issue facing the community and advocate for change. In order to provide relevant data to support your claims, you will be expected to research your topic, including library database and online research, and possibly primary research such as conducting interviews or surveys germane to your topic. To increase Burkean identification with your audience, resist the temptation to fall into ecospeak, “where public divisions are petrified, conflicts are prolonged, and solutions are deferred” (Killingsworth and Palmer 8). You will also incorporate at least two visuals (a table, figure, graphic, etc.) and at least four links to support your argument. 

1) an op-ed argument (700-800 words) written for readers of a specific newspaper,

2) two visuals or video/audio files,

3) four or more links to relevant sites that support, challenge, or enhance your argument (linked from within the op-ed itself).

The op-ed argument will be similar to what’s found in the Sunday opinion section of the Denver Post or the DU Clarion. 

Timeline: See Schedule for Due Dates

Scoring Guide for Op-ed (60 points)

(10%) Writing Process: Readaround deadline and participation; self-evaluation 

(40%) Argument 

  • Appropriate scope of topic/issue
  • Claim
    • Open to challenge
    • Sophisticated and carefully worded
  • Kairos and rhetorical appeals
    • Employs kairos and rhetorical appeals (logos/pathos/ethos) effectively
  • Audience awareness
    • Audience identified
    • Resists ecospeak
    • Appropriate tone, diction, style
    • Qualifies claims with audience in mind

(30%) Evidence 

  • Research
    • Research introduced, explained, unpacked when needed
    • Relies on legitimate sources
  • Use of visual(s)
  • Use of multimodal components
    • Four relevant, useful, embedded links (to other sites, video, etc)
    • Uses an two visuals embedded in the op-ed

(20%) Organization and Conventions 

  • Edited and well-polished
  • Contains 700-800 words
  • Identifies sources when needed in body of op-ed
  • Varies paragraph length and sentence length for rhetorical impact
  • Uses hook, push, turn

Op-ed Self-evaluation (submit in Canvas as a second document)

  1. What is your exact word count (copy and paste into a MS word doc)?
  2. What specific newspaper (and in which part of the country – the state or city) would be the best venue for publishing your Op-Ed and why?
  3. What did you like about writing in the condensed op-ed style (hook, push, turn)?
  4. What was challenging about writing the op-ed?
  5. Genre awareness (condensed argument, snap and sizzle diction, shorter paragraphs and sentences, hook, push, turn, evidence): Which aspects of the op-ed genre did you enjoy working with? Which aspect was tricky?
  6. How do the multimedia elements (links, images) improve your argument and why?
  7. I received my best feedback from __(colleague’s name)___.  As a result, when I revised ___________ because ______________.