The Power of Opinion Writing
When: Thursday, August 14 at 7 p.m. EST
The event is free, but a donation is suggested. (Choose between a free and a donation ticket type.)
Presented by the Kiplinger Program in Public Affairs Journalism and National Society of Newspaper Columnists this online session will explore The Power of Opinion Writing in today’s digital age.
Opinion pieces, also known as Op-Eds, continue to play a crucial role in informing the public, shaping attitudes, and impacting conversations. These written articles allow journalists, and other experts the space to spotlight important issues and share meaningful narratives.
Our discussion will explore the power of opinion pieces in shaping public discourse. Our guests will discuss how they can make a significant impact on today’s media landscape.
Featured panelists will include Matthew Hall, John Diaz and Yvette Walker with a special appearance by Kevin Z. Smith, executive director at Kiplinger Program in Public Affairs Journalism. The event will be moderated by Ginny McCabe, executive director of National Society of Newspaper Columnists.
We hope you’ll join us virtually for this very special evening on August 14 at 7 p.m. EST
Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-power-of-opinion-writing-tickets-1534159555529?aff=oddtdtcreator
About Our Special Guests:
John Diaz was the San Francisco Chronicle’s editorial page editor from 1996 until his retirement in 2021. He has received multiple state and national awards for his editorial and column writing. He came to the Chronicle in 1990 after four years at the Denver Post, where he covered state politics. Before that, he worked as a reporter for the Associated Press in Philadelphia and as Washington, D.C. correspondent for the Donrey Media Group. He has served six times as a juror for the Pulitzer Prizes, most recently as jury chairs for National Reporting (2024) and Illustrated Reporting and Commentary (2025). He has served as commencement speaker for both his alma mater, Humboldt State University, and Saint Mary’s College of California.
Matthew T. Hall has been McClatchy’s South Carolina opinion editor since April 2024 and a journalist for 30 years. He has worked in New Hampshire, where he covered the 1996 presidential primary, and in California, where he spent 23 years at The San Diego Union-Tribune, eight as its editorial and opinion director. He is a past national president of the Society of Professional Journalists and current vice president of the Society of Professional Journalists Foundation. See his latest columns here. Say hi on Bluesky, @matthewthall.
Yvette Walker is The Kansas City Star’s opinion editor and leads its editorial board. She has been a senior editor for five award-winning news outlets. She was inducted into the Oklahoma Journalism Hall of Fame and was a college dean of journalism. Yvette is also the founder, director and CEO at Positively Joy Ministries, LLC.
Kevin Z. Smith knew he wanted to be a journalist from the moment he took his first high school journalism class at age 16. More than 40 years later with a career that spans newsrooms and classrooms, he now directs the Kiplinger Program in Public Affairs Journalism at Ohio University. He has been with Kiplinger since 2013. In 2024, he was awarded a Fulbright to spend five weeks in The Gambia conducting workshops in investigative reporting and media ethics for graduating seniors and the University of The Gambia.
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