When You’re Only Told One Side of the Story
How to read an opinion piece
Have you ever read a piece of journalism that got your blood boiling? What about one that you completely agreed with? Did it ever make you think or reconsider your position on certain issues or at least make you look at them from a different perspective?
If that’s the case, you probably read an opinion piece. Opinion pieces, also known as editorial pieces or simply op-eds, are a type of journalism in which the writer expresses their personal thoughts, views, or beliefs about a particular subject.
They’re a platform for writers to share their thoughts and ideas with a wider audience and to contribute to public discourse on important topics.
These pieces are usually published in newspapers, magazines, or online media, and they can cover a wide range of topics, including politics, social issues, celebrities, cultural trends, and more. They’re a platform for writers to share their thoughts and ideas with a wider audience and to contribute to public discourse on important topics.
It’s the only time when the writer is excluded from their mandate and duty to tell both sides of the story, to allow all voices to be heard, particularly on important issues. An opinion piece should still be truthful, but it’s allowed to indulge the writer’s bias.
Having said that, opinion pieces are a valuable source of information and insight. They allow us to see the world through the eyes of another and consider different perspectives. Reading different perspectives frees us to contemplate issues with a fresh attitude and allows us to either strengthen or reposition our stance on important topics.
However, it’s important to remember that because opinion pieces are subjective, reading just one piece about a certain topic won’t do, especially if you tend to agree with the writer. To expand your understanding, it’s always a good idea to consider multiple viewpoints and sources when forming your own opinions about a particular subject matter.
Reading a wider range of opinion pieces allows you to develop empathy to better understand others, helping you to avoid becoming arrogant.
Personally, I enjoy reading a variety of perspectives — I am against the gagging of dissent.
I recently read Bri Lee’s opinion piece in the Guardian, where she discusses issues surrounding Covid-19, particularly as they pertain to the immune-compromised.
She writes, “Since the very beginning of this pandemic in early 2020, people with ‘underlying conditions’ have been dehumanised.”
Now, both my parents are in their late 60s, but it’s my mum that belongs to the aforementioned group. Three years ago, she was diagnosed with bowel cancer which has now spread to her kidneys and lungs. In addition, she has renal failure, which means she’s at the hospital every other day for dialysis.
Yet she does not share Lee’s sentiment. She was furious about being robbed of the precious little time she has left on this earth by being imprisoned in her own home during lockdowns. Forced to take what she calls ‘an experimental vaccine’ without which she would have been denied healthcare and was physically restricted by being made to wear a mask.
All she wanted — and still wants — was to spend her last days, months, or by some miracle years, on this earth in freedom. She loves going out to cafes with my dad, just sitting there and talking. She also loves travelling.
And she’s not the only one; I’ve met many others during this pandemic who belong to the immune-compromised group who, like my mum, feel their voices are not represented by the media. They feel that only one perspective is getting all of the attention.
I’m not denying that there are many people out there who are immune-compromised and feel that they’re not being sufficiently protected with the easing of mandates, but we need to remember that there are those in this very same group who are jumping for joy, like my mum who, on this beautiful day, is sitting somewhere in a cafe, happily sipping her cappuccino and chatting away with my dad as I write this.
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