Editorial Journalism

In this webinar, Wall Street Journal editorial page writer Sohrab Ahmari provides guidance on writing editorials and op-eds. Explaining the characteristics of different types of articles, Ahmari outlines the writing process from the initial idea to the final edits, highlighting the importance of fact-based journalism at each step. He delves into questions which must be asked at each stage of the process, such as “What makes something a story?,” “Why is this story important?,” and “What constitutes a good source?” By emphasizing the importance of reliable sources, strong arguments, and clear writing, Ahmari illustrates the components of a well-written article.
Inspired by the protests which followed Iran’s 2009 presidential election, Mr. Ahmari began working as a freelance journalist and contributed pieces to The Wall Street Journal as well as The Boston Globe, The New Republic, The Chronicle of Higher Education, and Commentary Magazine. He earned his law degree from Northeastern University and was a nonresident fellow at the Henry Jackson Society, a British foreign policy think tank. Currently, Sohrab Ahmari is a London-based editorial page writer at the Wall Street Journal,where he writes editorials and commissions and edits op-eds for the Journal’s European edition.