When it comes to the skills required of opinion writers, there are certain rules to abide by.

Rule 1: Always generalize e.g."Everyone is angry these days," or "Everyone has a smartphone.".. Difficult to argue with but it's important to appeal to people emotionally. It probably isn't true but that doesn't really matter today.

Rule 2: Always use the royal "WE." The Pope and the Queen and the President use "WE" because it makes them sound as if they know what they are talking about and we know that this may not be the case. It sounds authoritative.

Rule 3: Assume a lofty intellectual tone as if you know far more than you are letting on. Useful expressions - "The rest of it was beyond me." "I have a fading number of brain cells and I can't afford to fill my brain with nonsense."

Rule 4: Use cool abbreviations like "convo" to show that you are "hip."

Rule 5: Make erudite references to popular culture like Ghostbusters 2 so that you sound in tune with society generally.

Rule 6: State a personal belief as undeniable fact, true for all the ages, such as "People should mind their own business."

In the modern age of journalism, following such rules will guarantee publication.