Choose from one of two options below:

Finding Your Voice/Writing for Change

Instructor: Rekha Basu

Do you get frustrated reading the news? Do you sometimes feel there's an angle to the story that people aren't seeing, maybe one that leaves out an entire sector of people or the planet? This social-justice focused opinion-writing workshop will teach you to draw upon your own experience, values, and research to fill in the missing pieces, critique status quo thinking and look for solutions. You'll learn tools for writing pieces that connect with your audience in a more personal and meaningful way.

Rekha Basu has worked as a reporter, editorial writer, and columnist, and authored the collection Finding Her Voice. She recently retired from her role as an opinion columnist for the Des Moines Register.

Writing Opinion and Self Expression

Instructor: Jarrin Williams

Let’s be honest. What’s more fun to write: an eight-paragraph news story about the German Club’s field trip, or 600 words that flow from your soul? Four-hundred words about this year’s homecoming theme, or your take on Tarantino’s latest movie? Don’t just write. Express yourself and have fun. Editorials are the lifeblood of any publication. Reviews take you into the world of culture and sports. Columns let you put your personality into the story. The thing is, opinion writing is hard. As one high school journalism judge once wrote, “If there’s one thing high school journalists are consistently bad at, it’s persuasive writing.” Here’s your chance to stand out, to find your voice, and return to your publication next fall as the writer everyone is talking about. We will also include audio and visual storytelling modes (blogs, podcasts, and social media tools), so bring your phones and chargers because students will take their written storytelling to the next level. Students can expect writing completed during the workshops to be published online via the Iowa Journalism website as well as on social media.

Workshop Pricing