Improve your Writing
April 5th, 2015
It could be a stressful exercise. But by the time we force our commentary writing workshop participants into allowing others in the room to vote on the engagement capacity of their opening sentences, they’ve already laughed and commiserated enough that the “thumbs down” votes don’t feel personal. And the collective intelligence of the colleagues present invariably serves up a […]
read more...How to engage readers from the first sentence — and repurpose your content, too
Better Writing
September 20th, 2014
I first learned this lesson from the Miss Canada beauty pageant, but on Thursday three Informed Opinions’ “grads” reminded me of it… If a reporter calls or emails to solicit your informed opinion about an current controversy or topical story, that’s an opportunity for you to provide additional analysis — that you have more control over — […]
read more...What’s the easiest news hook for your next op ed?
Our Advocacy Work
August 1st, 2014
by Jasmine Ball Are you tired of seeing colleagues receive accolades while you toil away unnoticed? This book can boost your earning power and advance your career – seriously! The Confidence Code, co-written by Claire Shipman and Katty Kay, explores confidence by delving into the fields of neuroscience and psychology in an effort to understand […]
read more...Cracking the Confidence Code
Better Writing and Our Advocacy Work
July 12th, 2014
Although Informed Opinions focuses on helping women translate their expert knowledge into media commentary, you don’t have to be an authority on a topic to add value to public discourse. What is required is that the perspective you’re sharing isn’t one that’s already received wide coverage. As just one example, here’s my personal take on some of the […]
read more...What’s your definition of shame?
Our Advocacy Work
September 23rd, 2013
The following op ed was published in the Ottawa Citizen 23 September 2013. Constance Sugiyama, pictured at right, a respected mergers and acquisition lawyer and honorary patron of Informed Opinions, serves on a number of boards, and is one of thousands of Canadian women qualified to do so and capable of making a significant contribution. […]
read more...Women on boards to counter “affirmative action plan for men”?
Improve your Writing
July 28th, 2013
I have no legal training or experience in the sex trade. No one would ever mistake me as a candidate for the corner office of a large corporation. I am not a celebrity and have never been pregnant. And yet in recent months, major daily newspapers have published my commentary about: a supreme court hearing […]
read more...Expert status less important than insightful context
Our Advocacy Work
July 1st, 2013
The positive responses to our video campaign in pursuit of a more inclusive O Canada are still outpacing the cranky ignorant ones, and among the most inspiring was an email I received from Toronto poet and physician, Ron Charach. He turned his attention to not only eliminating the sexism of our anthem’s lyrics, but also […]
read more...“Get me rewrite!” – a truly inclusive O Canada
Improve your Writing
January 19th, 2013
… of the news story, that is. It’s a great strategy to increase your likelihood of publication: if you know that a research report, government announcement or legal decision is about to be released, and your informed opinion about the issue can offer insightful context and analysis, contacting op ed page editors in advance of […]
read more...Getting Ahead
Improve your Writing
August 30th, 2012
At our Informed Opinions Writing Compelling Commentary workshops, we ask participants to identify a news hook related to their thesis that will ensure editors view their op ed as timely and relevant. It helps to give them a reason to publish the commentary now, versus three weeks from now (which often translates to never.) Because […]
read more...Google delivers news hooks as they happen
Improve your Writing
April 29th, 2012
Yeah, but I’m not Eddie Greenspan. That’s what I thought last December when Globe and Mail op ed page editor, Natasha Hassan claimed to a room full of Osgoode Hall profs that her paper’s online commentary hub was an enormously influential platform. Most participants in Informed Opinions workshops, if they submit an op ed to the […]
read more...Lessons from a published op ed
