Writing opinion pieces with Suzanne Moore and Polly Toynbee

This course teaches you how to research the news to find stories, and express your personality in your writing. You’ll learn essential skills for developing original and engaging angles, and gain pointers on the ethics and legalities of opinion writing from our panel of experts. It’s the ultimate primer for anyone who wants to learn how to present a strong argument with confidence.

Course content

• Guardian columnist Suzanne Moore on how to find your voice in articles
• Weekend magazine writer Tim Dowling on how to use your own life experiences in your writing
• Freelance writer Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett on starting your career and taking the first steps towards being a comment writer
• Guardian columnist Polly Toynbee on how to write a column and raise important issues through your writing

This course is for you if...

• You’re a journalist who wants to establish a stronger editorial voice, or get more interesting commissions
• You write for a website or blog and want to learn how to present your arguments with skill and confidence
• You work for a NGO, lobby group or similar and need to submit advocacy pieces to comment pages and websites
• You’re new to writing and want to break into the industry through comment pieces or citizen journalism

Tutor profiles

Suzanne Moore is an award-winning columnist for the Guardian. She has also written for the Mail on Sunday and the Independent, and previously worked as culture editor of Marxism Today and contributing editor of New Statesman.

Polly Toynbee is a columnist for the Guardian. She was formerly BBC social affairs editor, columnist and associate editor of the Independent, co-editor of the Washington Monthly and a reporter and feature writer for the Observer. She won the Orwell Prize for journalism in 1998 and in 2007 was named Columnist of the Year at the British Press Awards. Polly has also written and co-authored many books – her latest Cameron’s Coup, co-authored with David Walker, reveals how in four short years the Conservative Party has reversed decades of social progress. Read Polly’s Guardian articles here.

Tim Dowling is a journalist for the Guardian. He writes a weekly column for Weekend magazine and is the author of several books, including How To Be A Husband. Read Tim’s Guardian articles here.

Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett is a London-based freelance writer. She co-founded The Vagenda blog and is co-author of The Vagenda: A Zero Tolerance Guide to the Media.

Full course and returns information on the Masterclasses website