WR121 Genres

This guide is for WR121 students to support their investigations related to writing in a variety of genres.

Ideas for finding issue/topic ideas for letter or op-ed

Read news editorials and opinion essays: Google search for opinion and editorials You can add you topic to the search.

If you are looking for topics to write your open letter or op-ed about, consider browsing these sources for current issues in the news:

Willamette Week
Local news and politics.
Street Roots
Addresses homelessness and poverty in Portland.
News Feeds for Topic Ideas
Browse current news stories about current events related to science, health, the environment, business, US and the world.
Oregon Policy Directory
Find analysis and advocacy from all perspectives on Oregon public policy.
Google News
Browse "Top Stories" or use broad keywords, like racism, science, art, culture, etc. to get ideas.
Wikipedia
Wikipedia can be a fine place to start with your topic to build some understanding and use the references that the Wikipedia articles site.
The Oregonian
Browse stories or use google site: search to see local reporting on issues. See site: search box on this page for more info.

OSPIRG Student Campaings
A list of campaigns from the Oregon Student Public Interest Research Group. This is a national student advocacy group with state chapters.
Inside HigherEd
An online news magazine focused on issues in higher education. Some articles are from the point of view of college staff, but you may find ideas for issues.
PCC Board Meeting Agendas and Minutes
Get a peek into what issues are on the minds of PCC board members, college administration and PCC employees by browsing meeting minutes.
PCC Student Life
Browse clubs, student events, student resources and more. Maybe these will inspire you to think about PCC-related issues?
The Clarion - PPS Student Newspaper
The high school newspaper of Portland Public Schools. Browse for local issues.