Opinion articles in journalism offer a crucial bridge between science and society. These kinds of articles allow scientists and journalists to offer an informed, personal take on how science fits within a broader societal and political context. They also enable authors to advocate for specific issues, establish a reputation as someone who can reliably and usefully offer an evidence-based perspective on a specific issue, and get closer to audiences–something that is crucial for building trust in scholarly expert knowledge.

In this workshop, sponsored by Springer Nature, scientists and science journalists will learn about the craft of opinion writing–why they should do it, how to pitch an idea to editors, and the basics of how to structure a piece.

This is a hands-on workshop. The more you participate, the more you’ll get out of it. Ahead of the event, participants are encouraged to draft either a 500-word opinion article on any topic or a 400-word pitch for an opinion article. Send these to Lucy Odling-Smee (l.odling-smee@nature.com). Alternatively, please come prepared with an idea for an opinion article that you would like to pitch.

This is your chance to get feedback from experienced editors, so please give it your best shot. Don’t worry about presenting something perfectly turned out. All ideas will help lead to a better discussion.