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Composition: Finding Arguments

Essays that present an argument are commonly included in the opinion/editorial pages of newspapers. Magazines often present arguments in their articles, even though they may not be specifically labeled as opinions. This guide provides information on how to access these essays in many popular magazines and newspapers available to you through the SMS Libraries. 

Newspapers will provide their argument writing in sections called Opinions, Columns, Editorials, Guest Essays, and Letters to the Editor. 

Reviews of books, movies, and TV shows are also argument pieces. Some will even provide a perspective on conversations related to books, movies, and TV shows. 

Local Newspapers

If you need the SMS login and password for the Commercial Appeal, click here. 

Use the pull-down menu at the top of the Commercial Appeal homepage to access the opinions section -- or you can click here. 

Click on Opinion at the top of the Daily Memphian homepage. 

New York Times

Click on Opinion at the top of the New York Times homepage to access the many different types of argument essays published in the newspaper.

The Atlantic

The Atlantic is a magazine that has been around since 1857 and provides commentary on all aspects of American culture. Although some articles are very clearly labeled as opinions, most of the writing in the magazine presents some form of argument, which you'll be able to see from the headlines.

The Atlantic website is easy to use and you can access 5 articles a month for free. If you need more access, you can get the full magazine from Flipster. 

The section labeled Opening Argument can be a good place to find articles with strong opinions. 

According to AllSides, The Atlantic has a media bias ranking of leans left. 

Reason

Reason is a libertarian magazine that publishes various types of articles on politics and culture. Although many of the articles are arguments, they will not be labeled as opinions. You will have to determine if the article is an argument by reading the headline and the first couple of paragraphs. Older articles are easily available on the Reason website, but the latest issues are available from Flipster.

According to AllSides, Reason has a media bias ranking of leans right. 

Teen Vogue

Teen Vogue 

Teen Vogue was once a print magazine but is now a fully online publication. Though largely devoted to fashion and lifestyle topics, Teen Vogue has been lauded in recent years for its coverage of politics and culture. Many articles will have arguments, although they will not necessarily be labeled as opinion pieces. You will have to determine if the articles are arguments by reading the headlines and the first couple of paragraphs.

According to AllSides, Teen Vogue has a media bias ranking of leans left. 

The Week

The Week is a magazine that summarizes articles from other sources. If you are struggling to find a good argument piece, check out The Week's list of Best Columns. These summaries will give you some ideas and then you can find the full article that has been summarized. 

Go to The Week and click on All Issues and then Table of Contents for a recent issue. See what page the "Best Columns: US" begins on and then click to that page. You will likely be able to Google any of the summarized articles to find the full articles in their original publications. 

According to AllSides, The Week has a media bias ranking of leans left.