A current issue is an important topic that’s being debated. For example, the news might be discussing a new drug or an ongoing political scandal.
Writing about issues is a great way to engage with readers and get your voice out there. However, it’s important to remember that this type of article needs a lot of care.
Identifying the right issue for your blog
In order to write an issue-based post, you need to know what’s currently making people angry or what’s in the news that people can relate to. Once you’ve identified a potential issue, start researching it and collecting articles on the subject.
Make sure your topic is relevant, timely and important. For instance, don’t waste your time on canned lion hunting or climate change when journalists have already written a ton of stories about these topics. Instead, focus on an endangered species like the African penguin, a local animal sanctuary or a recent environmental news event that will grab attention and make it easy for editors to plan your story.
Create a file folder for your issue
Once you’ve selected an issue, start collecting articles, facts and statistics on it. Next, draft a one-sentence opinion about the issue and use that as your basis for drafting your blog post.
Then, put yourself in the shoes of your readers and ask yourself how the problem you’re writing about affects them. Then, come up with suggestions that you think will help them solve the problem or at least understand it better.