hi! i am thomas, a teacher in journalism school of renmin university. my major is news commentary, sometimes, it also be called reviews and editorial. but more simply, you can just call it opinion writing, that may be commonly understood, as everyone has own opinion.
actually, i have thought it over for a long time about how to use my professional knowledge to help more people.
you may ask me: why do you have this idea? what can you do ?
as you know, news commentary may be considered as special ability of few journalists. they need strong sense to analyze the news and ability to express their viewpoint, in editorial or column. but according to some theories such as social responsibility theory, mass media should functions as a idea market, in which everyone can exchange their idea. that’s the opinion pages in most of newspapers of world. from the end of 20th century, more and more chinese newspapers have opinion pages, more and more chinese people express their idea in these pages. so they need training of express. that what i can do.
you may say that，everyone has born ability to express. but, in my opinion, the good expression in mass media publicly must be efficient, so as to make audiences easily understand what’s your point. according to some journalism scholars, the audiences of mass medias are always hurried, they have no more time to view or listen to it over and just scan your article. so your must express your idea in efficient text.
an efficient text means that the audiences pay less time and easily get your point. generally, that need logical thinking, clear writing, which include clear structure, short sentences, simple words so as to make sure text readable. otherwise, you will waste the resources of media and times of audiences, finally, you may lose the opportunity to express.
how to make a text efficient? actually, journalism pursue good effect of communication; news story and news commentary are efficient texts. journalism and communication scholars have found some rules and skills to enhance effect of text, such as formula of readability and primacy-recency effect. for example, putting your viewpoint into the beginning may be efficient generally, that help the reader get your opinion as early as possible and ensure them not to lose your thread.
now, let me end my speech. in modern society, medias take a more and more important role. they give us strong impact. peoples should know medias and use medias to participate public affair. it is my duty to help people using medias to express their ideas. more opinion expression will benefit society. i shall do my best.
thank you all.
