Agribusiness Department Professor of The University of Bengkulu Gives Tips in Opinion Writing for Newspapers and Media
The Association of Indonesian Academics and Scientists (ASASI) arrange Webinar Two Hours With ASASI, with the topic "Popular Scientific Writing and opinion Articles in Print and Online Media" on Saturday, October 8, 2022 (03.45 – 05.45 PM) with speaker Nur Hasan Murtiaji (representative chief editor of Republika), and Prof. Dr. Andi Irawan (Professor of the Agribusiness department, Faculty of Agriculture, The University of Bengkulu. Prof. Dr. Anuraga Jayanegara, a Professor at IPB University, moderated this webinar event.
Prof. Dr. Andi Irawan said that the most critical provisions in writing are: Reading (literature and non-literature/phenomena). Writers must have a hobby of reading both in the form of literature and non-literature. Kinds of literature are all kinds of reading sources in writing forms, such as books, newspapers, magazines, social media, and scientific journals. At the same time, non-literature is a phenomenon around the writer. A writer must be sensitive to their surrounding environment because the environment is an essential source of inspiration in writing.
The second thing that the writer must own, according to Prof. Andi Irawan, is The writers who must have time to contemplate, reflect, think, predict and find solutions to every important phenomenon and event around them. Through contemplation, the writer builds the sensitivity of his mind and soul to the sensations and events he feels, experiences, and sees.
Another provision that the writer must have is literal and oral skills in delivering ideas with logic and using a language that can attract other people. Through this provision, a writer can present different and unique points of view, knowledge, ideas, and solutions from others.
According to Prof. Andi Irawan, the opinion article that can be published in national media, the writer should submit an opinion that meets the following requirements: 1) Relating to an issue currently being discussed hotly or viral and attracting great public attention. To find out about these hot general issues, the writers can get them from 1) The front pages of national newspapers and 2) News or viral posts on social media. 3) issues and events that become the topic of TV talk show speakers.
Other tips given by Prof. Dr. Andi Irawan for opinion articles that can be accepted and published in national media are as follows:
- Use sentences as if the writer takes a conversation with readers.
- Read a lot of other writings to understand the style, taste, and way of conveying ideas in written form.
- Learn to write about specific topics using your language style (avoid copying and pasting from other references).
- Learn to write about specific topics from different points of view.
- After being able to write with a length of 5000 characters (about 4-5 pages of A4 with 1.5 spaces), the writer must have the courage to send their articles to the media.
- Keep writing and improving your writing skills day by day.
