Write a persuasive article to change the opinion of your readers.
The persuasive article differs from front page reporting by offering fact, logic and opinion, rather than just facts. The object of the persuasive essay is to change the opinion of the reader. The writer of the persuasive article uses effective writing techniques, relevant facts, consistent and easily understood logic and compelling examples to accomplish his goal.
Instructions
1. Write effectively. You need to use the active voice and enlivening words to bring your ideas to the reader's attention. Construct the article to lead the reader from one paragraph to the next.
2. Hook the reader's attention quickly. The reader should be able to identify the issue, which is the subject of the article, and know where you stand on the issue very quickly. Do not include supporting material yet. You want to leave questions in the mind of the reader, so that he will continue reading. For example, a good hook in a newsletter circulated in a government office might begin with the following text: "The war in the Middle East has damaged everyone who lives or works or depends on that area of the world. Outside intervention can bring peace within a year." The reader is intrigued and wants to know how outside intervention can do this.
3. State facts to establish your authority. After the opening paragraph has caught the attention of the reader, you need to state facts and cite other authorities on the issue, so the reader knows the article has importance. You might quote the Secretary General of the United Nations and the Secretary of State for the United States in statements they have made about the need to intervene in the Middle East. List all the wars and contentions that have disrupted the area and the consequent loss of resources to the rest of the world.
4. Make your arguments follow from step to step in clear logical progression. For example, you might argue that the Middle East is too fractured and the participating countries too uncooperative with each other to make peace on their own and that unrest in the Middle East threatens to endanger the flow of oil to the rest of the world. You can point out that the United Nations is an effective tool for intervention since it is composed of all of the nations of the earth and, with the cooperation of the governments of these nations, can command armies of sufficient size to occupy and control the warring nations. Show how the United Nations can bring their resources to bear on the leaders of the Middle East to bring about change.
5. Give examples that support your opinion. Point out the effectiveness of the United Nations in controlling conflict in Iraq, North and South Korea and the Balkans. You could show how much easier the world would be if the Middle East was no longer boiling with controversy and violence.
Tags: Middle East, United Nations, persuasive article, change opinion, reader attention, rest world