There are a lot of pieces out there that are opinions presented as fact. Articles and stories that tell people what they should do with their lives based off of the opinions of one or a few individuals.
I am constantly tagged in articles or posts by my friends who are fired up about someone telling them how to live and that they are wrong if they don't follow certain guidelines.
Here's my opinion
I do not pretend to know everything. I do not act like I am the smartest, wisest, or am not guilty of any of what is about to be written.
If you are going to write an article, you are here to relay your opinion or facts, not one disguised as the other. I have always believed that journalists are here to ask the questions and not judge the answers.
If you are going to write an article in order to persuade someone to do something and you are using facts to do so, cite your sources and make sure you have everything correct. If not, you look like you don't know what you're doing and I hate to say it but you will be judged for it. You will look ridiculous.
Never present a topic in a way that makes you sound cynical. I read one the other day. A girl basically attacked her audience and was trying to use fear factors and guilt trips into convincing them that they were wrong and they needed to change their entire outlook on the particular topic.
A lesson I've learned is that you should never tell someone that they're wrong if you want them to do something. You have to present facts very carefully because you don't know exactly where they stand on the issue, especially if it's controversial.
Don't write an article angry. If you do, you're more likely to use hateful speech and not realize the separate problem that you are creating.
Realize before you write anything that you may not be right and you may want to do more research. If not, make sure the audience understands that it is your opinion and only your opinion.
If you manage to write an article that makes me, my mom, and my friends mad... there might be a slight issue.
Again, I don't pretend I'm not guilty of this. I have tried very much to keep names out of it and am not shooting at anyone. I think all writers are writers with promise.
But this is only my opinion.