Public Essays

Public Essays

Exploring Social Issues

• Writers have always used essays as a way to express their views.

• Essays that deal with social issues and current events by examining their influence on society and the public are known as public essays.

• Writers use public essays to engage the public in conversation about issues and events that affect society. 

• Their purpose is to bring attention to those issues that impact the quality of life of many individuals in society. Social issues impact people from all backgrounds.

Public Essay vs. Personal Essay

• In personal essays, writers discuss any topic they want to explore or one that is significant in their own lives.

• The topic of discussion in a public essay, on the other hand, should be relevant and accessible to a broad audience.

• Another defining feature of a public essay is the language used. Because the essay will address a diverse audience, the writer must place greater emphasis on earning the trust and respect of readers.

• 
  

Prewriting 

• Prewriting typically involves listing ideas about a topic and conducting further research before the drafting stage.

• Before starting the prewriting process, you'll need to select an appropriate topic to explore.

• 
  

Research

• Conducting research will help you understand your topic and build solid content for your readers.

• Typically, writers start the research process by trying to address a particular question about an event.

• To answer this question accurately, a writer must conduct focused research. This research allows a writer to refine an approach and develop a thesis that answers the question.

Drafting

• Because public essays address a broad audience, it's important for writers to use clear language that allows readers to connect with the topic.

• Writers use logical and ethical appeals to accomplish this task.

• People want to listen to a respected and credible source.

Evaluating Sources

• While researching your essay topic, make sure your sources are sound and valid.

• Also, check on the date of the information you find so that you know it's current.

• Also, consider the qualifications of the person writing on a particular topic.

• It’s always a good idea to refer to information from government sources and educational institutions because they are more reliable than blogs or private websites with unknown authors.

Multiple Choice

How is a public essay different from a personal essay?

• Personal essays are based on topics of personal significance to the writer, while public essays are based on topics of social relevance.

• Personal essays reflect the writer's opinion, while public essays state objective, historical facts.

• Personal essays are meant to be published in biographies, while public essays are meant to be published in newspapers.

• Personal essays are addressed to literary circles, while public essays are addressed to a general audience.

Multiple Choice

You're doing research for a public essay on alternative medicine. Which of the following sources has the most reliable information?

• an online recent government report comparing the results of alternative and contemporary medicine

• a post on a social networking site about the undesired side-effects of different alternative medicines

• an anonymous article on a medical website that claims the success of alternative medicine

• a 2003 study conducted by a medical research center about the effects of alternative medicine

Open Ended

What are the differences between a speech and a public essay? In other words, what would you do differently when writing a public essay instead of a speech?