Diversity Belonging + Inclusion and Master Media Engagement
November 4th, 2020
and Amy Ede. In the context of our collaboration to engage and support more Indigenous women and gender diverse people in being heard through the media, the two recently sat down (virtually) to discuss related ideas. SHARI: I’m embarrassed to admit that when we started Informed Opinions in 2010, I seriously under-estimated the obstacles to […]
read more...Why is it so crucial that we hear from Indigenous women?
Improve your Writing
August 9th, 2016
“I nearly fell out of my chair,” laughs Janet McLaughlin, recalling her shock upon hearing the Leader of the Opposition publicly quote her in the Ontario legislature. The House was embroiled in a critical debate about funding for autism programs, an issue McLaughlin cares about deeply. That’s when the Assistant Professor of Health Studies at […]
read more...“They read my entire op-ed in the debate!”
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?
Master Media Engagement
January 31st, 2013
Guilt didn’t play a big role in my upbringing: I was never discouraged from having sex in order to prevent my mother from having a heart attack, nor was I warned to do well in school to compensate for any sacrifices my parents suffered in raising me. So it comes as a surprise to me […]
read more...The Motivational Power of Guilt
Master Media Engagement
February 22nd, 2012
Should she or shouldn’t she? I was chatting on the phone a few weeks ago with a woman who is listed in our Experts Database. She had written an excellent piece of commentary about First Nations and non-aboriginal Canadians that appeared in the Toronto Star, and was wondering why, since the article appeared at the […]
read more...To Tweet or Not to Tweet…