Make Your Case, Get Published, Change the World

It’s easy enough to be an armchair critic of a current problem or issue, but it takes time, thought, and effort to suggest what to do about putting your passions on paper—by writing a letter to the editor or, even better, an OpEd essay. We want to encourage communication professionals to share their big ideas with the public in a forceful and effective way. The panelists will share their experiences as a journalism professor, an advocate for a conservation organization, and an opinion editor to help attendees craft a call to action. Attendees will leave knowing how to approach writing a Letter to the Editor or crafting an OpEd that may be fun, inspiring, and informative.

Lois Phillips, Ph.D., was the founder of AWC-SB, the co-author of the Women Seen and Heard series, and writes a blog about women’s speech, language, and style. She teaches clients how to deliver a pitch-perfect presentation. She’s written or co-authored op-eds that have appeared in Pacific Business Times, Noozhawk, and MS. http://www.loisphillips.com

Nomi Morris directs the Journalism track in UC Santa Barbara’s Professional Writing Minor. She joined UCSB as full-time faculty five years ago, after teaching at The USC Annenberg School of Journalism and chairing Brooks Institute’s Visual Journalism program. Nomi transferred to teaching after a two-decade career in journalism that included serving as TIME’s Berlin correspondent and the Middle East Bureau Chief for Knight Ridder Newspapers (now McClatchy). She got her start at the Toronto Star, for whom she covered the opening of the Berlin Wall. Since arriving in California in 2001, Nomi has been published in Newsweek, the Los Angeles Times, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and other media outlets and literary journals. She holds a B.A. in Political Science and Middle East Studies and an MFA in Creative Writing (Nonfiction). She has published many reviews, op-eds, columns, and essays in a wide variety of media and she teach opinion writing.

Katie Davis is Chair of the Sierra Club Los Padres Chapter and a member of Sierra Club California’s Executive Committee and the CEC’s President’s Council. She also serves on Sierra Club’s Marine Team and California Climate and Energy Committee. She was appointed by local elected leaders to the Community Advisory Council for Central Coast Community Energy, and the Santa Barbara Air Pollution Control District. A former VP of Web and Ecommerce at tech company Citrix, she was involved in corporate sustainability initiatives. In 2012 she trained with Al Gore’s Climate Reality Project, became a climate change speaker and advocate. As a volunteer advocate, she has helped lead successful campaigns including local goals for 100% renewable energy, 100% electric buses, fossil-free buildings, and stopping oil expansion. Her letters and op-eds have been published in the Santa Maria Times, Santa Maria Sun, The Independent, Santa Barbara News-Press, Pacific Coast Business Times, Montecito Journal, Noozhawk, Edhat, Coastal View, the LA Times, and The Atlantic.

Giana Magnoli is the managing editor of Noozhawk.com in Santa Barbara. She has been working at Noozhawk for 12 years and now guides newsroom coverage of everyday stories and special projects, including grant-funded investigations and solutions journalism. She earned her journalism degree from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. In her free time, she loves to adventure outdoors, visit friends all over the state, and buy more books than she has time to read.  @magnoli (and contributions to the @noozhawknews account)