check your facts

     When you write an opinion piece, it's important not only to check your facts, but to write so that others can check your facts if they want to.  If you are writing about what happened in a movie, a book, a play, a TV show, a magazine or newspaper article, a website or a blog, tell your readers the name of it--and the  issue/episode/page/chapter, or whatever. Give the address of the website. Name ( politely ) the author of the book, play or article. Your readers may not take the trouble to check your facts, but by showing them that you don't mind if they do, they may not feel a need to--and they'll have more respect for your opinion because of it.