One of the Howe Center for Writing Excellence’s goals is to support writing in all of its forms, including genres beyond the walls of higher education. In a brand-new workshop series, Howe Writing Across the Curriculum and the Howe Writing Center invited undergraduate students, graduate students, faculty, and staff to learn about and work to develop their own writing for public-facing genres.

The workshop series, titled “Make Your Voice Heard: Writing to Our Publics,” consisted of three separate workshops spread throughout October and November, each with a focus on a specific type of writing to various publics. Participants who RSVP’d received a free lunch and had the opportunity to workshop their writing ideas with Howe Writing Center consultants.

Make Your Voice Heard was a collaboration between the Howe Writing Center and Howe Writing Across the Curriculum, as well as several campus departments and members of the Oxford community. This series was planned and carried out by HWC graduate assistant Emma Boddy, a PhD student in the Composition and Rhetoric program, and HWAC graduate assistant Will Chesher, a PhD candidate in the same program.

Part 1: Writing Op-Eds

The workshop series began with a session on October 5th all about how to solicit, write, and publish op-eds. Special guests included Meredith Perkins, a HWC writing consultant and avid op-ed writer, and Devin Ankeney, an opinion editor and business manager for The Miami Student.

Perkins, who has had her opinion pieces published in the Wall Street Journal, Cleveland Plain Dealer, Cincinnati Enquirer, The New York Times, and other outlets, began the discussion on op-eds by establishing the conventions and purpose for the genre. She then elaborated on what makes the genre of op-ed writing so unique, including the differences between letters to the editor and long-form editorials. She wrapped up her presentation with tips on how to structure and write a strong op-ed, as well as what the submission and publication process might look like from the writer’s perspective.

Ankeney, on the other hand, discussed the publishing process for op-eds and columns from the lens of an opinion editor. They explained the responsibilities of an opinion editor, what makes for an attractive op-ed piece, and some of the common pitfalls that hold back good op-ed writing.

The workshop concluded with work time for attendees to explore their opportunities for op-ed writing.

Part 2: Talking and Writing to Local Governments

The second workshop in this series took place on October 26th, 2023, and it explored how community members can plan and write testimonies and public comments to local governments. Special guests for this session included Alex French, an Oxford city council member, and Kathie Brinkman, the communications director for League of Women Voters of Oxford.

Brinkman, a resident of Oxford with much experience with contacting elected officials at both the state and local levels, began the workshop with a discussion on how and when to give either vocal or written testimony, as well as why you might choose to do one over the other. She also emphasized the importance of knowing limitations placed on speaking time, as well as knowing your audience and your “ask.”

French, an Oxford resident since 2006 and an elected member of the city council since 2021, continued the workshop with an explanation of how to write to council members, as well as what individuals can expect as a result. She discussed how the city council operates–including who sits on it and when they meet–as well as Sunshine Laws which affect what the council can and cannot discuss outside of public settings. French also discussed several tips to help individuals ensure that their writings to the city council are effective and further emphasized that each person’s voice matters.

Like the previous workshop in this series, the session wrapped up with work time for attendees to ask questions or engage in their own planning and writing.

Part 3: Composing with Digital Media

The third and final workshop for the fall semester, held on November 30th, had a special focus on composing with media for digital audiences, primarily social media outlets such as Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn, and TikTok. Special guests included Courtney O’Banion, Director of Digital Marketing with Miami University Communications and Marketing, and Dr. Bernadette “bird” Bowen, a Visiting Assistant Professor in Strategic Communication and educational TikTok content creator with over 35,000 followers and 1.1 million likes.

O’Banion highlighted the importance of videos and reels on content creation platforms such as Instagram and TikTok, and she further detailed the profiles of Miami audiences on each of the major social media platforms, as well as the types of video content most effective for each of them. O’Banion wrapped up her portion of the presentation with a discussion on how to measure video success, which consists of several factors such as engagement rate, view through rate, and click through rate.

Dr. Bowen continued the discussion with an exploration of her experience and research on content creation, specifically on the TikTok platform. She examined the biases of TikTok’s algorithms, how data can inform content creation, and–perhaps the most impactful–how TikTok can help users question norms, access knowledge, refine authority, and create culture. Dr. Bowen provided prompts to help individuals consider the types of content they wish to create (and why), and she also emphasized that creator authenticity and consistency should be more important than creation time.

The Howe Center for Writing Excellence remains committed to sharing research and information on writing beyond the wall of higher education, as well as actionable steps individuals can take to more effectively communicate their thoughts and expertise to their audiences. Writers wanting to learn more about how writing can be used in high-impact environments outside of academia can keep an eye out for more events and workshops by the HCWE.