This is an example opinion article to show you how to structure your commentary and analysis pieces. Opinion articles follow the same format as news articles but are placed in the opinion folder instead of latest.
## The Structure of Opinion Pieces
Opinion articles give you more freedom to express analysis, commentary, and personal perspectives on current events. While news articles aim for objectivity, opinion pieces allow you to:
- Present your viewpoint on controversial issues
- Analyze trends and predict outcomes
- Critique policies and decisions
- Offer solutions to problems
- Challenge conventional wisdom
## Writing Effective Opinion Content
The key to good opinion journalism is backing up your views with facts, logic, and evidence. Even though you’re expressing opinions, your arguments should be:
1. **Well-researched**: Support claims with data and sources
2. **Clearly argued**: Present a logical flow of reasoning
3. **Fair**: Acknowledge counterarguments
4. **Honest**: Disclose any conflicts of interest
### Using This Template
To create your own opinion piece:
1. Copy this file to src/content/opinion/your-article-name.md
2. Update the frontmatter with your article details
3. Make sure category: "opinion" is set correctly
4. Write your commentary using Markdown formatting
5. Build and deploy as normal
## Differentiating Opinion from News
While both article types use the same technical format, they serve different purposes:
**News articles** (in latest/):
- Report facts and events
- Present multiple perspectives
- Minimize personal commentary
- Focus on “what happened”
**Opinion articles** (in opinion/):
- Analyze and interpret events
- Present your perspective
- Make arguments and recommendations
- Focus on “what it means” and “what should happen”
## The Power of Independent Commentary
As an independent journalist, your opinion pieces aren’t constrained by corporate interests or editorial boards. This freedom comes with responsibility to maintain ethical standards and serve the public interest.
Use your opinion platform to spark important conversations, challenge assumptions, and contribute to informed democratic discourse.
## Publishing Your Opinion
The publishing process is identical to news articles:
1. Save your file in src/content/opinion/
2. Build: npm run build
3. Deploy: wrangler pages deploy dist --project-name=oznewsnet
Your opinion piece will appear in the Opinion section and on the homepage, marked clearly as commentary rather than straight news reporting.