Production of a journalistic piece of analysis (international issue or development)
Task: To write an interpretive article (journalism of analysis) on any of the following topics:
- The War in Ukraine.
- Disinformation/misinformation, fake news, and conspiracy theories as related to public opinion and international relations.
- Leaked U.S. Documents
- Suggestions for other international developments and issues as topic themes for the pieces may also be considered.
Proposed structure for the interpretive article:
1. Title (maximum of 3 words). Example: Disinformation campaigns
2. Subtitle. The subtitle will be used to give the reader a more detailed idea of what the article is about. Example: Conspiracy theories on the origin of the coronavirus are being disseminated through digital outlets and social media channels
2. Key points: include 3 key points presented in your article. You will probably need to write these points once the whole article has been completed.
3. Body of the article
- Sub-section presenting the most current information and written as a news story. Start by including a short summary lead sentence.
- Background information. Provide details on where we come from regarding the topic issue so that this can help the reader to contextualize the most recent developments.
- Analysis. Include sub-sections that may help in further understanding the new developments (for example actors, channels, topic themes, and technologies)
- Conclusion
Length: 1500 words – 2000 words.
This structure is similar to the structure of pieces published in the security specialized magazine Jane's Intelligence Review
Further advice: It is important to keep the piece current and make argumentation based on facts. Interpretive articles are not opinion pieces. They do not include value judgments.
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