Opinion and Editorial Writing: Teaching Journalistic Persuasion and Personal Perspective

Published on March 9th, 2026 by the GraideMind team

Opinion pieces are different from academic persuasive essays. They are written for real audiences, often for publication, with the goal of persuading readers to agree with the writer's perspective on a current issue. Teaching students to write op-eds develops both persuasive skills and awareness of real-world writing purposes.

Opinion Writing Rubric Dimensions

• Clear position: What is the writer arguing for?
• Relevance and timeliness: Is the topic current and relevant to readers?
• Evidence and reasoning: Are claims supported by evidence?
• Acknowledgment of counterargument: Does the writer acknowledge other perspectives?
• Personal voice and perspective: Does the piece reflect the writer's thinking and perspective?
• Appropriate tone and style for publication: Is the writing suitable for the intended publication?