how to write a opposing viewpoints essay

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Addressing Opposing Point of Views in an Argumentative Essay

by  Antony W

January 16, 2023

Argumentative essay writing is about persuading your readers to accept your stand on an issue or subject as being right regardless of their opinion on the topic.

Unlike a college reflection essay and an expository essay , argumentative writing allows you to remain biased and provide your point of view to your audience, provided your arguments are convincingly logical, reasoned, informed, ethical, and ultimately right and persuasive.

However, argumentative essays need more than your ability to present your stance, or claim, and use relevant, objective evidence to defend your position.

You also need to address the opposing point of views in your argument and there are reasons why.

Why Is It Important to Address Opposing Point of Views in an Argumentative Essay?

As you write your argumentative essays, you’ll come across sensible arguments that challenge your very own.

We call these counterclaims , and they’re significant in persuasive essay writing. Remember, you’ve taken a stand on one position, but your readers know that the other position exists.

In some cases, your audience may even prefer the opposing view to yours until you convince them that your point of view is better or more truthful than the position they currently hold.

So it’s important to address the opposing point of view in your argument as a balancing act. It’s understandable that you don’t want to undermine your argument. But you can’t as easily dismiss the validity of the opposing views or ignore them straight outright.

Again, essays that don’t include counterclaims are generally weak and less persuasive.

When reading such an essay, it’s acceptable to make the assumption that you considered only one side of the subject or issue, even if you looked into both areas in the real sense. 

You end up undermining your very own argument, eventually making the essay less effective in communicating your message.

Also by including counterclaims, or the opposing point of views in your argumentative essay, you show your target audience that you invested your time in researching the two sides of an issue.

By doing so, you’re not only able to match your argument to the corresponding counterclaim. You are also able to strengthen your own argument.

When Should Address Opposing Point of Views in an Argumentative Essay?

First address your position on an issue, making sure you provide sufficient objective and reasonable evidence to support your claim. Then, you can work on the counterclaim thereafter.

Of course, you don’t want to go into great details when it comes to addressing the opposing point of views in your essay.

What you have to do instead is to state that you recognize the counterclaim to be accurate, but only to some degree.

Then, you’ll point out what’s wrong with it, using the strongest points or evidence possible so that you don’t weaken your argument.

The Right Way to Address the Opposing Views

When it comes to addressing the opposing point of views in your argumentative essay, you have to do so carefully so that your essay doesn’t end up weak.

The rule of thumb is to be objective and respectful . Also, be distinctive, making sure you make your audience know that this is clearly not your argument. It makes sense to be fair and making sure you address the issue accurately.

Recognizing the opposing point of view isn’t enough. You also have to refute them by showing that your logic clearly supersedes or negates the opposition.

In this case, start with the opposing view, follow that up with a refutation relevant to your argument, and then give concrete evidence to support your refutation.

How to Address Opposing Point of Views in Your Argumentative Essay

Like in a criminal trial, there’s far less conviction and satisfaction if you don’t consider the opposing claims in your argumentative essay.

In other words, you can’t leave objections unanswered and evidence from counterclaims swept under a rag and expect to make your stance convincing.

You have to look into the other side of the issue carefully to convince and satisfy your audience.

1. Research Both Sides of the Argument

We insist on looking at both sides of an argument because your audience may initially not accept your point of view on an issue.

So you need to research both sides before you start to write an argumentative essay .  It’s important that you don’t limit yourself to sympathetic sources.

Instead, find sources that both agree and disagree with your argument. Check the authors’ rationale and implementation of evidence so that you can easily understand the opposing view.

2. Understand the Opposing Point of View

Now that you have a clue on what the opposing point of views look like, you should find out why people would hold those positions in the first place.

Are there evidences they look at to arrive to their conclusions? How exactly do they interpret the evidence?

To put this in another way, understanding the opposing point of views will make it easy for you to figure out why your audience may likely disagree with your argument in the first place.

3. Prove Your Position to Be True

When it comes to dealing with counterarguments in argumentative essay,  the burden of proof is wholly on you. So don’t just state the opposing view, refute them.

Tell your audience that as much as you recognize the counterclaims as true, they have shortcomings that make them generally weak. Use your strongest points to refute those positions.

Include evidence such as quotes from experts, research studies, statistics, and literary materials to back your argument. Don’t leave readers’ excuse to chance.

Final Thoughts

Arguments that look into both sides of an issue are often stronger and convincing.

Balanced and properly articulated, such essays give your argument more strength and draw in the attention of your readers easily.

Even your readers are more than likely to show respect for the efforts you put in place to give your most reasonable views on the issue. And if you can persuade them well, they’ll be more than willing to consider your position on an issue, even if they didn’t agree with you initially. 

About the author 

Antony W is a professional writer and coach at Help for Assessment. He spends countless hours every day researching and writing great content filled with expert advice on how to write engaging essays, research papers, and assignments.

Part 2: Situation and Analysis

7 Opposing Viewpoints

Handling opposing viewpoints.

Because an argument implies differing points of view on the subject, you must be sure to acknowledge those opposing ideas. Avoiding ideas that conflict with your own gives the reader the impression that you may be uncertain, fearful, or unaware of opposing ideas. Thus it is essential that you not only address counterarguments but also do so respectfully.

Try to address opposing arguments earlier rather than later in your essay. Rhetorically speaking, ordering your positive arguments last allows you to better address ideas that conflict with your own, so you can spend the rest of the essay countering those arguments. This way, you leave your reader thinking about your argument rather than someone else’s. You have the last word.

Acknowledging points of view different from your own also has the effect of fostering more credibility between you and the audience. They know from the outset that you are aware of opposing ideas and that you are not afraid to give them space.

It is also helpful to establish the limits of your argument and what you are trying to accomplish. In effect, you are conceding early on that your argument is not the ultimate authority on a given topic. Such humility can go a long way toward earning credibility and trust with an audience. Audience members will know from the beginning that you are a reasonable writer, and audience members will trust your argument as a result. For example, in the following concessionary statement, the writer advocates for stricter gun control laws, but she admits it will not solve all of our problems with crimes:

Such a concession will be welcome by those who might disagree with this writer’s argument in the first place. To effectively persuade their readers, writers need to be modest in their goals and humble in their approach to get readers to listen to the ideas. Certain transitional words and phrases aid in keeping the reader oriented in the sequencing of a story. Some of these phrases are listed here:

Phrases of Concession

Opposing Argument Examples

As you read, look for the following:

• What is the author’s thesis?
• What key points does the author use to argue the thesis?
• How does the author use reasoning, research and/or examples to affirm his viewpoint?
• How does the author attempt to refute opposing arguments?

“The Case Against Torture,” by Alisa Soloman

In  “The Case Against Torture,” author and professor Alisa Soloman enumerate the reasons torture should never be practiced or justified in a civil society.

Click on the link to view the essay:  “The Case Against Torture” by Alisa Soloman

“The Case for Torture” by Michael Levin

In  “The Case for Torture,”  philosophy professor Michael Levin argues the circumstances under which torture may be justified in a civil society.

Click on the link to view the essay:  “The Case for Torture” by Michael Levin

Bias in Writing

Everyone has various biases on any number of topics. For example, you might have a bias toward wearing black instead of brightly colored clothes or wearing jeans rather than formal wear. You might have a bias toward working at night rather than in the morning, or working by deadlines rather than getting tasks done in advance. These examples identify minor biases, of course, but they still indicate preferences and opinions.

Handling bias in writing and in daily life can be a useful skill. It will allow you to articulate your own points of view while also defending yourself against unreasonable points of view. The ideal in persuasive writing is to let your reader know your bias, but do not let that bias blind you to the primary components of good argumentation: sound, thoughtful evidence and a respectful and reasonable address of opposing sides.

The strength of a personal bias is that it can motivate you to construct a strong argument. If you are invested in the topic, you are more likely to care about the piece of writing. Similarly, the more you care, the more time and effort you are apt to put forth and the better the final product will be.

The weakness of bias is when the bias begins to take over the essay—when, for example, you neglect opposing ideas, exaggerate your points, or repeatedly insert yourself ahead of the subject by using Itoo often. Being aware of all three of these pitfalls will help you avoid them.

Key Takeaway

• You should let your reader know your bias, but do not let that bias blind you to the primary components of good argumentation: sound, thoughtful evidence and respectfully and reasonably addressing opposing ideas.

ATTRIBUTIONS

• Content Adapted from Composition II. Authored by : Alexis McMillan-Clifton.  Provided by : Tacoma Community College.  Located at :  http://www.tacomacc.edu .  Project : Kaleidoscope Open Course Initiative.  License :  CC BY: Attribution

English 102: Journey Into Open Copyright © 2021 by Christine Jones is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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How to Write an Opposing Viewpoint Essay

An opposing viewpoint essay calls for a student to investigate a topic and evaluate the evidence supporting one side of an argument. This type of essay calls for extensive research of literature and, at times, empirical research through surveys and interviews. Opposing essays cover controversial topics, such as environmental policy, media violence, illegal immigration, genetic engineering, and globalization. The essay should leave no doubt about the writer's argument.

Introduction

Set the context by addressing the topic in a general manner. Include background information and explicate the debate. Review the topic and explain why it is important. Why should the reader care about the issue?

Present a concise thesis statement.

Transition into the body of the essay with a logical, clear progression. Summarize the ideas presented in the introductory section.

Body and Conclusion

Limit each paragraph in the body of the essay to one main idea. Connect the body of each paragraph to your thesis statement. Provide at least three detailed examples per paragraph that explain why the evidence supports the thesis.

Discuss opposing viewpoints of each paragraph's main idea. Explain how the opposing arguments do not align with your thesis (rather than dismissing them outright). Consider the other points of view when collecting anecdotal and statistical evidence.

Overcome objections by covering both sides of the issue. Consider arguments against your thesis. Signal refutations with transition words such as "but," "however," or "although."

Synthesize the information to leave a lasting impression on the reader. Link the last paragraph to the introduction and reiterate a key word or phrase used in the beginning. Conclude with a quotation from a primary reference, redefine a key term, or set your argument in a larger context by demonstrating how your paper falls within a larger area of concern or by posing further questions.

• Proofread carefully for grammar and spelling errors.
• Double-check your source information and documentation.

Things You'll Need

• Purdue University: Purdue Online Writing Lab: The Argumentative Essay
• Alamo Colleges: Writer and Grammar Resources: Argumentative Techniques

Nicole Newman is a Dartmouth College associate who works in Tiltfactor Laboratory, Dartmouth's premier game design center. Her research has included investigating the digital humanities through "Writing as a Dimensional Artifact" and "Evolution of the Ghetto: The Decline of America’s Inner Cities," a research initiative on urban design.

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A Guide to Rebuttals in Argumentative Essays

4-minute read

• 27th May 2023

Rebuttals are an essential part of a strong argument. But what are they, exactly, and how can you use them effectively? Read on to find out.

What Is a Rebuttal?

When writing an argumentative essay , there’s always an opposing point of view. You can’t present an argument without the possibility of someone disagreeing.

Sure, you could just focus on your argument and ignore the other perspective, but that weakens your essay. Coming up with possible alternative points of view, or counterarguments, and being prepared to address them, gives you an edge. A rebuttal is your response to these opposing viewpoints.

How Do Rebuttals Work?

With a rebuttal, you can take the fighting power away from any opposition to your idea before they have a chance to attack. For a rebuttal to work, it needs to follow the same formula as the other key points in your essay: it should be researched, developed, and presented with evidence.

Rebuttals in Action

Suppose you’re writing an essay arguing that strawberries are the best fruit. A potential counterargument could be that strawberries don’t work as well in baked goods as other berries do, as they can get soggy and lose some of their flavor. Your rebuttal would state this point and then explain why it’s not valid:

Read on for a few simple steps to formulating an effective rebuttal.

Step 1. Come up with a Counterargument

A strong rebuttal is only possible when there’s a strong counterargument. You may be convinced of your idea but try to place yourself on the other side. Rather than addressing weak opposing views that are easy to fend off, try to come up with the strongest claims that could be made.

In your essay, explain the counterargument and agree with it. That’s right, agree with it – to an extent. State why there’s some truth to it and validate the concerns it presents.

Step 2. Point Out Its Flaws

Now that you’ve presented a counterargument, poke holes in it . To do so, analyze the argument carefully and notice if there are any biases or caveats that weaken it. Looking at the claim that strawberries don’t work well in baked goods, a weakness could be that this argument only applies when strawberries are baked in a pie.

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Step 3. Present New Points

Once you reveal the counterargument’s weakness, present a new perspective, and provide supporting evidence to show that your argument is still the correct one. This means providing new points that the opposer may not have considered when presenting their claim.

Offering new ideas that weaken a counterargument makes you come off as authoritative and informed, which will make your readers more likely to agree with you.

Summary: Rebuttals

Rebuttals are essential when presenting an argument. Even if a counterargument is stronger than your point, you can construct an effective rebuttal that stands a chance against it.

We hope this guide helps you to structure and format your argumentative essay . And once you’ve finished writing, send a copy to our expert editors. We’ll ensure perfect grammar, spelling, punctuation, referencing, and more. Try it out for free today!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a rebuttal in an essay.

A rebuttal is a response to a counterargument. It presents the potential counterclaim, discusses why it could be valid, and then explains why the original argument is still correct.

How do you form an effective rebuttal?

To use rebuttals effectively, come up with a strong counterclaim and respectfully point out its weaknesses. Then present new ideas that fill those gaps and strengthen your point.

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Opposing Viewpoints in Context

Information and opinions and on hundreds of today's hottest social issues; provides sources such as viewpoints, topic overviews, full-text magazines, academic journals, news articles, primary source documents, statistics, images, videos, audio files and links to reviewed websites.

Viewpoints, in the database Opposing Viewpoints in Context,  may be essays, reports or articles with a clear perspective on an issue or topic. The database provides more than two perspectives to guide users in the right direction of a balanced perspective.

In the screenshot above we see that the first viewpoint, a newspaper article from  The Washington Post,  suggests reducing homework could impact student performance, while the second viewpoint, a newspaper article from  The Los Angeles Times  with commentary from the database Gale Opposing Viewpoints , suggests reducing homework benefits student success.

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Opposing viewpoints and position papers.

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About This Guide

The purpose of this LibGuide is to display resources that will help you respectfully and thoughtfully write papers and create assignments that address topics with opposing viewpoints and varying positions. 

In addressing difficult or divisive topics, let us look to the example of Supreme Court Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Antonin Scalia, who - despite having vastly differing beliefs - maintained a close and respectful friendship. 

"We are two people who are quite different in their core beliefs, but who respect each other's character and ability." - Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, on her friendship with Justice Antonin Scalia

Top 5 Resources

• Gale in Context: Opposing Viewpoints Gale in Context: Opposing Viewpoints covers social issues such as capital punishment, immigration, and marijuana use. This research database supports science, social studies, current events, and language arts classes by providing differing views with the goal of helping learners to develop critical-thinking skills and to draw their own conclusions about issues. Gale in Context: Opposing Viewpoints is also recommended for debaters and includes frequently studied and debated issues, pro/con viewpoints, reference articles, interactive maps, and infographics.
• Social Issues POWERSEARCH This link opens in a new window The Social Issues PowerSearch searches the following databases simultaneously: Applied Social Sciences Index and Abstracts , Sociological Abstracts , Worldwide Political Science Abstracts , Social Services Abstracts , and PAIS International .
• Race Relations Abstracts Race Relations Abstracts contains thousands of bibliographic records from various magazines and journals relevant to the study of race relations.
• Access World News Research Collection Access World News Research Collection covers news and current events on the local, regional, national, and international levels. Access thousands of newspapers, blogs, newswires, journals, broadcast transcripts, and videos. The library subscription includes Dallas Morning News, Dallas Metropolitan Collection, Arlington Morning News, and multiple news sources from across Texas.

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English 1013 - Composition I: Opposing Arguments

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Synthesizing and Analyzing Opposing Arguments

A well-informed citizen should seek to analyze and understand the many sides of a controversial issue.  While debates about controversial issues can be found across many social media platforms and websites, fact-based opinions by experts can be more difficult to find.  Use the resources below to find viewpoints from experts, policy-makers, and professionals with fact-based opinions about controversial topics.

Using Opposing Viewpoints to find Viewpoints

Liberal and Conservative Publications

Need a counter-argument to your argument?  Try searching for editorials in these popular magazines and newspapers who, according to AllSides.com, have a liberal or conservative bias.  The bias within each publication is not a reflection of their accuracy or credibility.  Additionally, the news stories themselves may or may not be written with a specific bias.  However, look for editorials or opinion columns for the conservative or liberal opinions on issues and news.

Information on bias comes from AllSides Media Bias Chart, Version 3, 2020:  https://www.allsides.com/media-bias/media-bias-ratings  

Conservative Point-of-View Publications

• National Review
• Wall Street Journal
• The American Conservative
• The Federalist

Liberal Point-of-View Publications

• The Atlantic
• The Washington Post
• Mother Jones
• The New York Times

Library Databases for Controversial Issues

Background and analysis on leading issues, providing pros and cons on social, scientific, health, historic, economic, political, and global issues. 

Databases provided by the Arkansas State Library [ASL] Traveler project are funded by a grant from the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services (Grant LS-00-14-0004-14) and the Arkansas Department of Education.

Viewpoints on a broad spectrum of global issues and current events.

HeinOnline is a fully searchable, image-based government document and legal research database. 

Resources contained in HeinOnline’s U.S. Academic Core+

U.S. & international newspapers with selective full text for regional (U.S.) newspapers.

How to Find Editorials and Opinions

Once you have found a news source or publication, use the "Search Within" features which appear in the library databases for your keyword terms.  Pair these terms with the words, " Opinion ", " Editorial ", or " Perspective " to find opinion articles.

You can also look for Advanced Search option to limit results to Document Type " Editorials ":

Depending on the database, you may see different options to browse or search.  Within Ebsco branded databases, you'll need to click " Search Within This Publication " to find editorials and opinions.

You can also try searching for the words "Pros and Cons" or "Pro and Con" for opposing viewpoints, particularly within publications like the Congressional Diges t:

Websites for Opposing Arguments

• Room for Debate This free, online resource includes opinions from experts published in the New York Times. Search for specific topics or browse by Topic
• ProCon.org Non-profit organization that organizes statements and resources on controversial issues into "pro/con" style content.
• AllSides.org A news aggregator that curates news and uses crowd-sourcing technology to identify perspective in news stories. Use this site to see how different sides of an issue are reported on.
• Politifact A fact-checking service that provide truth-o-meter ratings for statements made by politicians, news agencies, and other groups.
• idebate Created by the International Debate Education Associates, this website features the 'debatabase' which includes hundreds of debates on a variety of topics. Each debate includes a section "Points For" and "Points Against" along with a list of cited sources.

Government Sources

These government publications are found in Academic Search Complete as individual periodicals. You can search within each publication for information related to congress, legislation, and the arguments on both sides of the issues. 

• Congressional Digest Reports on pros and cons, background and verbatim arguments of legislation before Congress, each issue dealing with one law under consideration
• Supreme Court Debates Spotlights a current case before the U.S. Supreme Court. Follows, analyzes & reports what's going on in our highest courts.
• International Debates Pro & Con analysis of current issues before the United Nations & other international forums.
• Every Congressional Research Service Reports These are research reports prepared for members of Congress that they use to make policy decisions.

Sources for Public Opinion

• Pew Research Center Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research.
• Roper Center for Public Opinion Research An educational and research facility whose mission includes, "to collect, preserve, and disseminate public opinion data; to serve as a resource to help improve the practice of survey research; and to broaden the understanding of public opinion through the use of survey data in the United States and around the world."
• The Quinnipiac University Poll Frequently cited by journalists, public officials and researchers, the independent Quinnipiac University Poll regularly surveys residents nationwide and polls in more than a dozen states about political races, state and national elections, and issues of public concern, such as schools, taxes, transportation, municipal services and the environment.
• The Public Agenda A non-partison, non-profit organization that uses research and public engagement to foster progress on the issues people care about most. They issue surveys and reports on topics like healthcare, police reform, economic issues, and more.
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The Power of Opposing Views in Crafting Effective Arguments in Your Essay

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Picture this: You're passionately crafting an argumentative essay, each sentence filled with your unyielding beliefs. But then you wonder, "What about the other side?" That's when it hits you – considering opposing points of view can indeed enhance your essay. This realization may seem daunting, but trust us when we say that it adds a depth to your argumentative essay that can be quite powerful.

This post is your guide to understanding the significance of opposing points of view in an argumentative essay. We'll explore what it means to consider different perspectives, why it’s vital, and how you can effectively include these viewpoints in your own essays. This isn't about losing your standpoint, but rather, about enriching it, making it more nuanced, and ultimately, convincing.

By the end of this article, you'll see opposing points of view not as a challenge, but as an opportunity to elevate your essay to the next level. So, let's jump in, shall we?

Understanding the Role of Opposing Points of View in an Argumentative Essay

Before we delve into how to include opposing views in your essay, it's essential to understand what role they play. By definition, an argumentative essay is about presenting an argument on a particular subject. But an argument isn't just about supporting your viewpoint – it's also about recognizing and addressing contrary perspectives.

The presence of differing viewpoints does two main things:

1. Enhances the Depth and Quality of Your Argument

Including opposing views shows that you've considered the topic from various angles. It demonstrates your understanding of the subject and enhances the depth and quality of your argument.

2. Strengthens Your Position

When you acknowledge and counter opposing viewpoints, you strengthen your position. It shows your readers that you've thought about potential criticisms or alternatives and still believe in your argument.

So, in essence, opposing views don't weaken your argument; instead, they make it more robust and well-rounded.

Recognizing and Researching Opposing Points of View

Once you understand the value of incorporating opposing viewpoints in your argument, the next step is to identify and research these alternative perspectives. This process involves:

Think about what objections someone might have to your argument. What are the possible holes or weaknesses in your position? These are the points you will need to address.

Conduct thorough research to understand these opposing points of view. Look for credible sources that present these perspectives convincingly.

Assess these counterarguments' strength. Are they valid and supported by evidence? Acknowledge strong opposing arguments in your essay and address them effectively.

Prepare your responses to these counterarguments. You will need to rebut these opposing viewpoints in a way that further reinforces your own argument.

REMEMBER : the goal here isn't to dismiss or ignore differing perspectives, but to understand them fully so you can construct a more convincing argument.

How to Effectively Incorporate Opposing Points in Your Argument

Successfully integrating opposing viewpoints in your argument is not just about acknowledging them – it's about how you position them in your argument and the way you respond to them.

Deciding where to place these counterarguments in your essay is key . They can go either before you present your arguments, serving as a preemptive strike, or after, as a rebuttal to potential objections. The choice depends on the nature of the argument and the counterarguments themselves.

Address each counterargument with respect and a logical, well-reasoned response. It's essential not to belittle the counterargument but to present a response that strengthens your position.

Acknowledge the validity of the opposing point of view where appropriate, but reinforce how your own viewpoint is more convincing. Make use of concrete evidence, logical reasoning, and persuasive language.

Maintain a respectful, objective tone throughout. Avoid emotional language and stick to the facts.

By treating opposing points of view with respect and responding to them logically and thoroughly, you can make your argument stronger and more persuasive.

The Importance of Refutation in Presenting Opposing Points of View

Refutation is the part of the essay where the writer tackles the opposing viewpoints. A strong refutation will address the argument and prove it incorrect or not powerful enough using statements backed by evidence.

Understanding the concept of refutation is crucial in addressing opposing viewpoints. It is where you challenge the counterarguments by proving them wrong, providing a stronger argument, or offering a compromise that still supports your main argument.

A strong refutation is more than just saying the opposing view is wrong. You need to explain why it's wrong and provide evidence supporting your claim.

An effective refutation can help in gaining the trust of your readers as it demonstrates your comprehensive understanding of the topic, including the counterarguments. It also allows you to reinforce your standpoint while respecting other viewpoints.

REMEMBER : a successful argumentative essay strikes a balance between asserting your points and acknowledging the valid counterarguments.

The Role of Counterarguments in Strengthening Your Main Argument

The inclusion of counterarguments in your essay does more than just present a balanced view. It also contributes significantly to making your main argument stronger and more compelling.

Counterarguments provide a broader perspective on the issue at hand, leading to a well-rounded view. This comprehensive approach can make your essay more credible and interesting to read.

Including counterarguments shows that you have done thorough research and understand all aspects of the topic. This makes your argument more believable.

When you successfully refute an opposing viewpoint, it helps prove that your argument is superior. This further convinces the reader of your standpoint.

Debating various viewpoints makes the essay more engaging for readers. They will appreciate your effort in understanding and addressing opposing views.

IN SUMMARY : counterarguments enrich your essay, enhance your credibility, and strengthen your primary argument.

How to Address Counterarguments Effectively

It's not enough just to mention opposing points of view in your essay; you need to know how to address them effectively. Here's a step-by-step guide to help you:

• Identify the Counterarguments
• Understand the Counterarguments
• Acknowledge the Counterarguments
• Refute the Counterarguments
• Summarize and Reinforce Your Argument

REMEMBER : handling counterarguments effectively can significantly improve your argumentative essay's quality and credibility.

Case Study: Effectively Addressing Opposing Points of View

To better illustrate the importance and method of handling opposing viewpoints, let's consider a practical example.

Imagine we are writing an argumentative essay on the topic: " Should physical education be mandatory in schools? "

Your thesis statement might be: " Physical education should be mandatory in schools because it promotes physical fitness, aids in stress management, and instills teamwork and discipline. "

Here are a few potential counterarguments and how to address them:

Counterargument 1: "Physical education takes away time that could be used for academic subjects."

Response: While academics are undeniably important, it's equally crucial to promote holistic development in students. Physical education not only helps improve health and fitness but also aids in better focus and productivity in academic tasks. Furthermore, it helps students understand the importance of balance in life.

Counterargument 2: "Not all students enjoy physical activities or sports."

Response: The aim of mandatory physical education isn't to turn all students into athletes. Instead, it's to expose students to the importance of regular physical activity, instill healthy habits, and foster a lifelong appreciation for fitness. Various activities can cater to different interests and capabilities, ensuring inclusivity.

As seen from the example above, addressing counterarguments not only strengthens your argument but also makes your essay more comprehensive and balanced. It shows that you've considered the topic from all angles and have strong, compelling responses to potential objections.

Final Thoughts

Understanding and acknowledging opposing views is more than a debating strategy; it's a life skill. It equips us to engage in constructive conversations, fostering empathy, open-mindedness, and respect for differing opinions.

In the context of writing an argumentative essay, considering opposing points of view allows you to create more convincing and comprehensive arguments. It shows readers that you've deeply considered the topic and are presenting a well-rounded, thoughtful perspective.

But remember, it's not about who has the last word—it's about who makes the most sense. So, next time you write an argumentative essay, take the time to explore the counterarguments. Your essay will be more persuasive for it.

Struggling with your argumentative essay? Don't let the fear of opposition deter you. Our team of experienced writers at Writers Per Hour is ready to help you craft a compelling, well-rounded argumentative essay. Reach out to us and hire a professional college essay writer .

To continue building your argumentative essay skills, explore our other posts and resources. Remember, practice makes perfect.

Additional Resources

To continue your journey in becoming adept at addressing opposing points of view in argumentative essays, here are some additional resources worth exploring:

Articles from the Writers Per Hour Blog

• How to Write a Good Conclusion for an Argumentative Essay
• How to Write a Hook for an Argumentative Essay
• 50 Strong Argumentative Essay Topics
• Guide for Writing A Strong Intro for an Argumentative Essay
• Rebuttal in Argumentative Essay
• Argumentative Essay: Dos and Don’ts

External Resources

• How to Write an Argument - Counterarguments

Remember, writing argumentative essays effectively is a skill that takes time and practice. Don't hesitate to seek help if you're feeling overwhelmed. Our argumentative essay writers are here to support you.

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Writing an Argumentative Research Paper

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Examples of argumentative essays

Skyline College libguides: MLA Sample Argumentative Papers

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Structure & Outline

Usually written in the five-paragraph structure, the argumentative essay format consists of an introduction, 2-3 body paragraphs, and a conclusion.

A works cited page or reference page (depending on format) will be included at the end of the essay along with in-text citations within the essay.

When writing an argumentative research essay, create an outline to structure the research you find as well as help with the writing process. The outline of an argumentative essay should include an introduction with thesis statement, 3 main body paragraphs with supporting evidence and opposing viewpoints with evidence to disprove, along with an conclusion.

The example below is just a basic outline and structure

I. Introduction: tells what you are going to write about. Basic information about the issue along with your thesis statement.

 A. Basic information

B. Thesis Statement

II. Body 1 : Reason 1 write about the first reason that proves your claim on the issue and give supporting evidence

A. supporting evidence 

B. Supporting evidence 

II. Body 2 .: Reason 2 write about the third reason that proves your claim on the issue and give supporting evidence

A. supporting evidence

III. Body 3 : Reason 3 write about the fourth reason that proves your claim on the issue and give supporting evidence

IV. Counter arguments and responses. Write about opposing viewpoints and use evidence to refute their argument and persuade audience in your direction or viewpoint

A. Arguments from other side of the issue

B. Refute the arguments

V. Conclusion

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A Simple Formula for Discussing Two Opposing Views in Your IELTS Essay

Doing your best on the writing section of the IELTS exam is easier if you take the time to get to know the different essay types that can appear.

Once you know the kinds of tasks you might face, it’s possible to make a general outline or map for each into which you can organize your ideas. Having an outline will give you some breathing room to focus on your answer during this time sensitive test as you only have about 40 minutes to write the essay.

Those of you who have been preparing already know that there are 4 question types that often appear on the exam*.

*Note, most other essays ask direct questions (usually 2) about a subject and you should answer each of those questions in separate paragraphs making sure you include an introduction and conclusion. They will likely be some form of the above essays.

** I have already provided a simple formula for agree/disagree essays here .

In this blog we will look at how to organize discussion essays or essays that present two opposing views and ask for your opinion. This sample outline isn’t the definitive or only way to put a discussion essay together, but I hope that by looking at the example, you will see the basic essentials of an essay format (introduction, body, conclusion, including support/examples) and understand, generally, what to do in order to get the score you need to succeed.

CAUTION: Before we begin, you should remember that when you are asked to discuss two opposing views, you must put yourself in the shoes of the people who hold each opinion - seeing the issue from both sides of the fence. If you don’t, you will limit your score.

Now, while you look at the response to the following task, see if you can identify what each sentence does before you look at the outline below.

Some people believe that the best way to control accidents on city streets is to lower the speed limit but others think there are more important issues that need attention before roads can be safe.

Discuss both views and give your opinion.

Paragraph One – Introduction

Here is the map or outline explaining how the above essay was created:

DISCUSSION ESSAY - 5 PARAGRAPH FORMULA

Paragraph Two – Body

Paragraph Three – Body

Paragraph Four – Body

Paragraph Five – Conclusion

In this example, the opinion of the writer is different than the two given opinions but it is also possible to agree with one or both of the opinions provided as well. In this case, you would use the same outline and give further or different support in the fourth paragraph.

Here is a template for the discussion essay that you can use to help you practice and learn how to organize your ideas for the exam.

More essay formulas to come! I hope you find them useful. Good luck and have fun with your preparations.

DISCUSSION ESSAY – 5 PARAGRAPH FORMULA TEMPLATE

Paragraph One - Introduction

Sentence 1: ___________________________________________________________________________ Introduce the main subject.

Sentence 2: ___________________________________________________________________________ State the two opposing views.

Sentence 3: ___________________________________________________________________________ State your opinion in the matter.

Sentence 4: ___________________________________________________________________________ Briefly outline what you are going to write about in the paragraphs that follow.

Paragraphs Two and Three and Four– the Body of Support

Sentence 1 (topic sentence): ___________________________________________________________________________ Tell the reader what this paragraph is about by stating the first view point.

Sentence 2: ___________________________________________________________________________ Assume that the reader doesn’t know anything about this topic and discuss why some people might have this view.

Sentence 3: ___________________________________________________________________________ Give a real life or made up example that supports this view.

Paragraph Three – Repeat the above for the other viewpoint

Sentence 1 (topic sentence): ___________________________________________________________________________ Tell the reader what this paragraph is about by stating the second view point.

Paragraph Four – Repeat above for your viewpoint

Sentence 1 (topic sentence): ___________________________________________________________________________ Tell the reader what this paragraph is about by stating your view point (whether you have a different opinion OR you agree with one more than the other OR how you might agree with both).

Sentence 2: ___________________________________________________________________________ Discuss why you have this view.

Sentence 3: ___________________________________________________________________________ Give a real life or made up example that supports your view.

Sentence 1: ___________________________________________________________________________ Rephrase or summarize the different opinions on the topic.

Sentence 2: ___________________________________________________________________________ State which opinion is better or more important in your view.

By Angela Rutherford

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Opposing Viewpoints (Gale In Context): Resource Overview

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WRT 205: Research Tips and Resources: Opposing Viewpoints

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Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints is an online library of current event topics: the facts as well as the arguments of each topic's proponents and detractors. Opposing Viewpoints' unique features include viewpoint article frameworks that allow students to explore each topic's many facets and exclusive electronic access to Thomson Gale's Information Plus series featuring statistics and government data placed in context.  HELP SHEET | VIDEO TUTORIAL

• Opposing Viewpoints Help Sheet

Opposing Viewpoints is a great database if you are writing an argument/persuasive paper, or if you doing research on a current and controversial topic.

A database is just a big, digital collection of records with a search interface, allowing you to search a large collection of information quickly for records that match your search criteria.

In the case of Opposing Viewpoints and many of our other databases, the records are individual articles from printed magazines, newspapers, and journals (sometimes called 'academic journals' or 'scholarly journals'). In addition to articles, you'll also find images, videos, statistics, audio files, and more.

Let's say you have an assignment that requires you to find an article that fits certain conditions: published in a scholarly journal, published within the last five years, etc. With Opposing Viewpoints, you can easily limit your search to make sure your results fit all of your assignment criteria.

Use the 'Search Limiters' tab in this guide to find out how to use the Advanced Search screen to your advantage.

There are a couple of different ways you can use Opposing Viewpoints to choose a topic.

1. If you don't have an idea of what you want to write about or speak on, then the Browse Issues button is for you. Clicking on Browse Issues will bring up an alphabetical list of broad topics covered by the database.

When you choose a topic this way, you'll see a webpage with lots of resources collected devoted to that topic. You can look at the resources according to the type (magazines, academic journals, etc.), or you can click on the 'Search within page' box on the right to type in a more specific keyword to your topic.

2. If the topic you want isn't listed under Browse Issues, use the search box on the main screen to see if there's a topic page for an issue you're interested in. You can type in a search phrase, and the database will suggest some other terms. Click on any of those, or just hit "Search" to see what is available on the topic you typed in.

When you search the Opposing Viewpoints database, one of the first things you'll see come up in your search results are Featured Viewpoints and  Viewpoints:

So what is a Viewpoints essay, and how is it different from other things you'll find in this database?

Viewpoints essays argue about a topic from a clear standpoint or side of the issue. Usually you'll find two of them relating the same issue, but arguing from two different points of  view. In this way, the purpose of Viewpoints are to give a balanced perspective to controversial topics :

So if you're writing a persuasive/argument paper, you could use one Viewpoint essay to provide support for your side of the argument, and the counterpoint Viewpoint essay for ideas on refuting opposing arguments.

Viewpoints essays are not periodicals like magazine, newspaper, or journal articles that are published regularly for a general or scholarly audience.

Viewpoints essays are written or compiled by the staff at Gale, the company that publishes the book series and the database. Sometimes they are reprints of articles or reports:

Viewpoints in the database are the same as chapters you'd find in the Opposing Viewpoints book series.  We have nearly 500 of them across all three libraries , so you may have run across them before. If you find a book in our library catalog that's part of the Opposing Viewpoints series, and the book is checked out or missing, you could try to find the same content in the database.  

If you are using the Opposing Viewpoints database in order to look for Viewpoints essays  only , there's an easy way to narrow your search. At the searchbox at the top right of the homepage, click on "Viewpoints" instead of "All," and enter your search terms:

Now your search results will  only be Viewpoints essays (not any of the other types of sources you can find in this database). If you have too many, use the limiting options on the left to make your search results more specific to your topic:

A word of caution: some professors think Viewpoints are OK to use as sources for research papers, and some professors do not. Always check your assignment and with your professor to make sure you know what sources will be accepted for your own research paper or speech.

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Opinions, Opinions - How to Find Them: Sources with a Viewpoint

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Guide to Sources with a Viewpoint

What is a source with a viewpoint.

Sources (books, essays, articles, websites, videos, etc.) all have a viewpoint. The viewpoints may be clearly stated or hidden but sometimes it is somewhere in between. There are some sources that try to be objective or show both viewpoints of a topic. It's up to you, the researcher, to find out what viewpoint your source is advocating.

This guide lists some of the known sources with a viewpoint. Use this guide as a starting point, and if you do not find the type of source you need, ask the librarian for help.

Essays "Opposing Viewpoints" series - topical pro/con essays in a book

Opposing Viewpoints A series of titles on hot social and current issues with essays advocating various viewpoints. Each book has chapters that pose a question on the topic followed by essays written by subject experts and individuals with varying opinions in response to the question. These titles are available for check-out and can be found within the library catalog on the Books link on the library's homepage. How To find the titles in the Opposing Viewpoints series in the library catalog (books search): 1. In the first box, type the search phrase "opposing viewpoints" (with quotes) and your subject, e.g., gun control. 2. Results will show you titles or chapter headings that include "gun control" within Opposing Viewpoints series. Don't hesitate to ask for help locating the book volume on the library shelves. If a book is located at another library campus, you can order the book for intercampus delivery. Click on the blue button labeled "Place hold." Allow 24-48 hours for book delivery, and check your TCC email for notification of its arrival at your selected campus.

More Pro/con viewpoint essays on a topic - book

Similar to Opposing Viewpoints, other series available in the Library are: Current Controversies See list of titles in series. Each book can be checked out for two weeks and is renewable in the fall and spring semester. At Issue This series is more focused on specific issue within a broad controversial topic such as Does Capital Punishment Deter a Crime ?  

Example of Opposing Viewpoints book

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Opinion | NBC News will part ways with Ronna McDaniel, but that won’t end the drama

While it’s never too late to do the right thing, this is going to leave a scar at NBC News

I have to admit, I’m a bit surprised. NBC News is cutting ties with contributor Ronna McDaniel before she even really contributed.

McDaniel is the former chair of the Republican National Committee who was hired by NBC News, presumably to bring a conservative voice and perspective to the network’s political coverage.

But after an avalanche of criticism from outside and, especially, inside the network, Cesar Conde, NBCU News Group chairman, sent a note to staff Tuesday evening saying, “There is no doubt that the last several days have been difficult for the News Group. After listening to the legitimate concerns of many of you, I have decided that Ronna McDaniel will not be an NBC News contributor. No organization, particularly a newsroom, can succeed unless it is cohesive and aligned. Over the last few days, it has become clear that this appointment undermines that goal.”

The beef that many had was not about McDaniel’s conservative background or right-leaning ideas. It was that she perpetuated lies that the 2020 presidential election was rigged, and then verbally attacked honest journalists for accurate coverage, including pointing out the lies that Donald Trump and some Republicans were trying to sell.

McDaniel’s entire NBC career will last all of one contentious interview on last Sunday’s “Meet the Press.” That’s when moderator Kristen Welker relentlessly pressed McDaniel on her contradictions and showed that NBC News’ newest contributor had a serious credibility problem.

What followed was a conga line of harsh, on-air criticism, starting with former “Meet the Press” moderator Chuck Todd. His no-holding-back commentary clearly galvanized the staff and emboldened others to speak up. Todd was followed by MSNBC personalities such as Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski, Nicolle Wallace, Joy Reid, Jen Psaki, Rachel Maddow and Lawrence O’Donnell. It was an unprecedented mutiny played out for viewers to watch from their living rooms.

Writing for CNN, former longtime Baltimore Sun media critic David Zurawik wrote , “It was two days of the most aggressive, public and passionate pushback by employees against a decision by their bosses that I have seen in 35 years of covering the media.”

Yet, even after all that pushback — all of which was completely fair and accurate — and after all the external roasting, my guess was NBC would hunker down and wait for the storm to pass. Then, at a later date, they would quietly put McDaniel back on the air in the safe space of a big panel.

But that isn’t going to happen. NBC News is cutting ties with McDaniel. And while it’s never too late to do the right thing, this is going to leave a scar at NBC News.

Let’s start with this: Clearly, none of the executives behind the decision to bring McDaniel aboard consulted with actual journalists at the network ahead of time. If they had, perhaps all the stunning on-air criticism would have been shared behind closed doors, away from a gawking TV audience. That, perhaps, would have saved NBC News the embarrassment of hiring McDaniel in the first place and then having an equally embarrassing public revolt on their hands.

It also seems painfully obvious that NBC News executives were completely unaware of McDaniel’s past attacks on the media and, specifically, NBC News.

Conde took responsibility in the memo to staff, writing, “I want to personally apologize to our team members who felt we let them down. While this was a collective recommendation by some members of our leadership team, I approved it and take full responsibility for it. Our initial decision was made because of our deep commitment to presenting our audiences with a widely diverse set of viewpoints and experiences, particularly during these consequential times. We continue to be committed to the principle that we must have diverse viewpoints on our programs, and to that end, we will redouble our efforts to seek voices that represent different parts of the political spectrum.”

Therein lies the key problem. Executives at NBC News were too focused on adding a conservative voice that they didn’t do the proper vetting before hiring McDaniel. The vetting process, as it turned out, was Welker’s interview with her on “Meet the Press” — an interview that turned out to be disastrous for McDaniel.

While she did condemn the violence of Jan. 6 and ultimately said Joe Biden won the election “fair and square,” McDaniel tried to straddle the fence by still saying there were concerns about the 2020 election. And as far as her past comments when she was at the RNC, McDaniel essentially said she was taking one for the team back then. That led Todd to ask if McDaniel’s opinions were solely based on who was signing her latest paycheck.

Maybe if McDaniel had been less defensive, more humble and completely apologetic, she and NBC would have survived this mess. But she showed just enough defiance and not enough culpability to placate anyone.

In the end, maybe management wanted to keep McDaniel, but whatever shred of credibility she had was torched by some of the biggest names at NBC News and MSNBC. Maybe NBC News leaders realized she was no longer of any value to them.

After the blowback from within NBC’s walls, but before she was let go, The Atlantic’s David A. Graham wrote , “This leaves McDaniel without any constituency. Her hire offended NBC News journalists. No liberal viewers will like seeing her, and some MSNBC hosts have already ruled out booking her. Neither MAGA Republicans nor the establishment rump will accept her.”

Now she won’t be on NBC/MSNBC at all. That part of the problem will be solved. But a whole new problem — the trust of many NBC/MSNBC journalists in leadership — is just beginning.

Now what for NBC?

It should be no surprise that McDaniel was immediately scooped up by a network news organization not long after being ousted as chair of the RNC. In fact, there are rumors that if NBC News hadn’t hired her, another network would have.

This essentially follows the TV news playbook.

Axios’ Sara Fischer and Zachary Basu pointed out the pipeline between the White House and TV news operations. They found that going back to 2000, more than half (16 of 31) of White House press secretaries and communications directors have gone on to become paid contributors, commentators or hosts on news programs. And 10 of the past 14 press secretaries have gone on to TV jobs.

Still, places such as NBC struggle to find voices that expertly provide the Republican perspective, especially from the MAGA-Trump faction.

In his piece for The Atlantic, Graham wrote, “This is a devilish moment for news organizations. Outlets that seek to understand Trump and his movement — even those that are very critical — want to find voices that represent them. But finding people who are still connected to Trump and can also speak with intellectual honesty is exceedingly difficult, if not inherently impossible. The McDaniel fiasco shows NBC hasn’t solved the puzzle yet.”

Longtime media journalist and former Washington Post reporter Paul Farhi tweeted , “Implicit in the Ronna McDaniel-@NBCNews hiring controversy: How can, or should, MSM news orgs reflect Trump-centric perspectives in discussions of the campaign? They can’t just stack the panel in a one-sided way. So who’s a ‘responsible’ Trump voice?”

Washington Post media reporter Jeremy Barr wrote earlier this week , “Since Trump began his first campaign for president more than eight years ago, television networks have struggled to balance a desire to welcome voices that reflect the pro-Trump perspective with a resolve to adhere to basic standards of truth — a challenge that has only been magnified in the wake of the 2020 election and the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol insurrection. The networks have also sought to do so without attracting the ire of their own employees and the viewing public, almost always with limited success.”

Now what for McDaniel?

NBC News reportedly had signed McDaniel for $300,000 a year to be a contributor. Axios’ Sara Fischer reported Tuesday that McDaniel was exploring legal action.

Then, later in the day, New York Times media reporter Michael M. Grynbaum tweeted that McDaniel is no longer represented by CAA and that she is “interviewing attorneys to engage with NBC on her behalf.”

Aside from whether she will get the money and what an exit package might look like, the big question is whether she has a future on TV. You have to wonder if the whole soap opera of the past few days has made her too toxic for networks such as ABC, CBS and CNN. And seeing as how she’s not particularly embraced at the moment by Trump, Fox News might not be an option for her either.

Psaki speaks out

Throughout this whole NBC-McDaniel matter, many — including me — have talked about how those who work in politics often then go into TV. A go-to notable example is Jen Psaki, who went from being the White House press secretary for Joe Biden to hosting a show on MSNBC.

Well, Psaki isn’t a fan of that comparison, and she spoke about it on her show Monday night. Her comments seemed more directed at right-wing commentators who are making that false equivalency.

Psaki said, “I was in the room for tough debates, for difficult decisions, for the messy and at times incredibly grueling process of governing, and that experience is something that I am extremely proud to bring to this table and to this network. There are many others who have followed a similar path. … But here’s the thing, that kind of experience only matters and only has value to viewers, all of you, if it is paired with honesty and with good faith.”

Psaki pointed out McDaniel’s past comments and actions questioning the legitimacy of the 2020 election, as well as her views on Jan. 6. Then Psaki added, “Look, this isn’t about Republicans versus Democrats. This isn’t about red versus blue. This is about truth versus lies. Service to the country versus service to one man committed to toppling our democratic system.”

Mediaite’s Zachary Leeman has more , including video from Psaki’s show.

Horrific accident

A container ship rests against wreckage of the Francis Scott Key Bridge on Tuesday in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

The Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore collapsed early Tuesday morning after it was struck by a cargo ship. As of Tuesday night, six construction workers who were working on the bridge at the time were still missing.

This is a media newsletter, so I did want to write a little about the media coverage.

Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott appeared on CNN on Tuesday, and while being interviewed, CNN showed dramatic video of the bridge collapsing over and over.

During the interview, Scott said , “I’m going to be the first to ask that CNN and everyone else stop showing the video. No one needs to see … a possibility of their family member being severely injured or otherwise, over and over and over again because it’s just traumatizing our community.”

To be clear, CNN wasn’t the only news outlet showing video of the bridge being hit by the ship and then collapsing. In fact, as far as I could tell, every major news network showed the video. And it was on the homepages of The New York Times and The Washington Post for most of Tuesday.

Often, accidents and tragedies are caught on video, and so a question arises: What responsibility do news organizations have when showing these kinds of videos?

When it comes to the Key Bridge collapse, I asked my colleague Kelly McBride, Poynter’s senior vice president and chair of Craig Newmark Center for Ethics and Leadership, to share her thoughts.

She told me, “The image of the bridge collapsing isn’t particularly traumatic to the audience viewing it. The camera is quite distant, and it wasn’t a targeted act of violence meant to terrorize, the way that 9/11 was or the many mass shootings that we’ve experienced. It was an accident, like a volcano erupting or an avalanche tumbling down.”

McBride added, “It is likely traumatic to the loved ones of the missing workers, as is all coverage of this news story, including images of the rescue operation and images of the bridge the moment before impact. For that reason, I could see some newsrooms electing to use a still image or limit the use of the video. But given the widespread distribution of the video, that won’t make much of a difference in the overall use of it. I don’t think using the video is particularly insensitive as long as the news coverage is advancing the story, by bringing in new perspectives and information.”

I also wanted to point you to a piece by Axios’ Zachary Basu and Sara Fischer: “Misinformation runs rampant after Baltimore bridge collapse.” They note how a bunch of conspiracy theories ran wild following the accident. Authorities were clear when they said there was no evidence that this was a terrorist attack.

Basu and Fischer wrote, “Rampant misinformation during mass casualty events is not a new phenomenon. But under Elon Musk’s ownership of X, the platform has evolved from an essential real-time news source to a breeding ground for conspiracy theories.”

Gannett sheds three news executives

For this item, I turn it over to Poynter media business analyst Rick Edmonds

In a month that Gannett announced it is dropping its expensive Associated Press service , it has also parted company with three high-level news executives.

It was announced internally that Rachel Lobdell will leave the company and her position will be eliminated. She joined Gannett in May of last year and has been deputy to chief content officer Kristin Roberts.

Lobdell, a digital specialist, came to Gannett from a similar position at Fortune magazine, with earlier stops at Vice and The Wall Street Journal.

Senior director of news learning Cynthia Benjamin, who has spent her entire 36-year career at Gannett papers and corporate jobs, is also leaving. In a LinkedIn post, she said that she was contemplating retiring later this year but was told her last day would be April 1.

Roberts, who has been at Gannett for just over a year, declined a request for an interview about the changes. Chief communications officer Lark-Marie Antón said this should not be viewed as cutting back the news side of the company, Rather, Antón said, “Kristin is integrating teams and making strategic decisions to mitigate redundancies.”

A previously announced commitment to fill or add 800 editorial positions remains intact, Antón said.

In a third departure, Manny Garcia, executive editor of the Austin American-Statesman, resigned to become editor-in-chief of nonprofit startup Houston Landing . Besides holding one of the top big city editorships in the chain, Garcia had previously been editor of the Naples Daily News and an executive at Gannett corporate.

Gannett, the nation’s largest newspaper company with more than 200 outlets, has experienced heavy turnover in its top ranks over the last 18 months. News president Maribel Perez Wadsworth left in November 2022, and a year later was named president and CEO of the Knight Foundation. Amalie Nash, who oversaw editorial at the regional papers, has joined the nonprofit National Trust for News.

In other Gannett top editor departures, Garcia’s boss at Houston Landing, CEO Peter Bhatia, came to that position from the Detroit Free Press. And, George Stanley, the longtime editor of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, retired in December 2022 and has since become CEO of the nonprofit Wisconsin Watch.

Check it out

Take some time to check out this excellent piece from my Poynter colleague Amaris Castillo: “In New Orleans, a pioneering nonprofit newsroom ponders a future beyond its founder.”

Castillo writes about Karen Gadbois and The Lens — a nonprofit, nonpartisan public-interest newsroom.

Castillo writes, “In a time of growing news deserts, local newsroom closures, and what feels like a never-ending stream of job cuts at legacy news publications, The Lens — a pioneer in nonprofit news — operates with a newer and attention-grabbing business model. What comes next for it and for its co-founder? Even Gadbois herself seems unsure. But the answer is important for this newsroom and for an entire industry, where nonprofits are seen as a new way forward, but founders play an outsized role — and their retirement or departure can upend even successful endeavors.”

The Clark Effect

University of Iowa basketball star Caitlin Clark reacts during a second-round college basketball game against West Virginia in the NCAA Tournament on Monday. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

University of Iowa basketball star Caitlin Clark continues to make TV history. Iowa’s opening round game in the NCAA Tournament against Holy Cross last Saturday drew 3.23 million viewers on ABC, according to Sports Media Watch’s Jon Lewis . That made it the most-watched women’s tournament game ever before the Final Four. The previous high was when Clark’s Iowa team played Louisville in the Elite Eight — a game that drew 2.50 million TV viewers.

ESPN/ABC certainly breathed a sigh of relief on Monday night when Iowa was severely tested but survived for a 64-54 victory against West Virginia.

Media tidbits

• Mediaite’s Colby Hall with “‘Such an (expletive)!’ Jon Stewart Gives Cutting Takedown of Kevin O’Leary Defending Trump Fraud.”
• The Daily Beast’s Justin Baragona with “Laura Ingraham’s Sidekick Vanishes From Fox News After Viral Clip About Black Voters.”
• For Nieman Lab, Hanaa’ Tameez with “War correspondent Jane Ferguson pulls back the curtain on her career covering global conflicts.”
• Smart and timely words from The Athletic’s Richard Deitsch: “Shohei Ohtani and sports media’s big gambling problem that isn’t going away.”
• Stanford University sophomore Theo Baker, winner of a 2022 George Polk Award in Journalism, writes for The Atlantic: “The War at Stanford.”

More resources for journalists

• Poynter Producer Project (Seminar) (June 4-Sept. 10) — Apply by April 14 .
• Editorial Integrity and Leadership Initiative (2024-25) (Fellowship for public media journalists) — Sept. 30, 2024-April 13, 2025. Apply by April 22 .
• Reporter’s Toolkit (Seminar) (May 7-June 11) — Get equipped with the tools you need to be successful and receive one-on-one coaching. Apply by April 28 .
• Get the edge on reporting on the eight hot topics of the 2024 election with Beat Academy (webinar series) — Rolling enrollment from now through September. Enroll today.

Have feedback or a tip? Email Poynter senior media writer Tom Jones at [email protected] .

The Poynter Report is our daily media newsletter. To have it delivered to your inbox Monday-Friday, sign up here .

Baltimore’s mayor asked journalists to stop airing footage of the Key Bridge collapse. Should they?

What responsibilities do news organizations have when showing dramatic images of disasters?

How politicians abuse language to magnify fear and reflect grievances

Orwell, Trump, and the zombie apocalypse: An essay about diss, dys, and dat

A spokesperson said the moves should not be viewed as a news side cutback, but rather ‘strategic decisions to mitigate redundancies’

Nickelodeon’s splat logo is a nod to its past, not Jeffrey Epstein’s island

The logo, part of the network’s 2023 rebranding, was created to create a sense of nostalgia for the network’s early branding

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Election Updates: R.F.K. Jr. announces Nicole Shanahan as his running mate.

• Share full article
• Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is running for president, announced Nicole Shanahan as his running mate. By The Associated Press
• Oakland, Calif. A crowd of supporters for Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as he announced his running mate, Nicole Shanahan. Jim Wilson/The New York Times
• Raleigh, N.C. President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris embraced following their remarks during a health care event. Doug Mills/The New York Times
• Raleigh, N.C. Protesters angry about President Biden's handling of the war in Gaza gathered as his motorcade approached. Doug Mills/The New York Times

Michael Gold

Donald Trump criticized NBC’s decision to cut ties with Ronna McDaniel, the former R.N.C. chair who he encouraged to step down. In a social media post, he called the network “fake news,” his favorite term for mainstream media outlets he opposes, and said its leaders were “weak.” The decision, he added, left McDaniel “in a very strange place, it’s called NEVER NEVERLAND, and it’s not a place you want to be.”

Chris Cameron

My colleague Katie Rogers is reporting that former President Barack Obama, fearing that President Biden could lose to Donald Trump, is making regular calls to the White House to help strategize for his expected rematch with his predecessor in November. The two are set to appear together in New York later this week. Read the full story here .

Kellen Browning

Kari Lake, the close Trump ally running for Senate in Arizona, has asked a court for a hearing to determine how much money she owes a local election official who sued her for defamation after she accused him of helping to steal the 2022 governor’s race from her. By asking a court to proceed straight to a judgment, she is effectively choosing not to fight his defamation suit, which she called a “political witch hunt.”

Vice President Kamala Harris, in her remarks to supporters in North Carolina, highlighted the White House’s work in expanding access to health care. She castigated “extremists in our country trying to take away medical care" or make it more expensive, a thinly-veiled criticism of Republicans, who have long sought to cut or repeal the Affordable Care Act.

Rebecca Davis O’Brien

Nicole Shanahan, after Kennedy announced her as his running mate in California, just described a “crisis in reproductive health, embedded in a larger epidemic of chronic disease,” which she attributed to toxic substances in the environment, “electromagnetic pollution,” and medications. Chronic disease, she said, will be a major focus of her candidacy and a Kennedy White House.

President Biden, speaking about health care in Raleigh, N.C., today, promised to restore abortion protections as “the law of the land” if re-elected in November, though he didn't address how. He was joined on stage by Gov. Roy Cooper, who he called “the best governor” in the nation, as he wrapped up.

Early on in his health care remarks today in North Carolina, President Biden was interrupted by protesters imploring him to consider the health of displaced Palestinians in Gaza. “Everybody deserves health care,” he replied. After the protesters were removed from the room, he added: “They have a point. We need to get a lot more care in to the Gaza Strip."

Shanahan just took the stage, at first looking teary-eyed and emotional, as she did in the deeply personal video that just aired . But as she began to speak, her voice got steadier as she described her difficult childhood here in Oakland — her family relied on food stamps and government aid. Her mother was a Chinese immigrant who worked as a family caretaker, and her father struggled with addiction and regular unemployment .

In the video from Kennedy's running mate, Nicole Shanahan, she just described how her young daughter was diagnosed with autism as a toddler, then pivoted to a discussion of chronic disease and environmental toxins. This is a major source of her affinity with Kennedy — she did not mention vaccines, but this will be a signal to his supporters that she is on board with one of his central causes: vaccines and childhood health.

“Here she is, Nicole Shanahan,” Kennedy said, and then he left the stage. But instead of seeing her, we get a campaign video of her. (The footage is glossy, but her audio is pretty gritty, attesting to the perhaps last-minute production here.) Campaign aides are passing “Kennedy Shanahan” signs around the gymnasium.

He has pivoted now to another central argument of his campaign: That he is speaking for the millions of Americans who don’t want “more of the same,” meaning President Biden or former President Donald J. Trump. "If we can persuade enough Americans to vote out of hope, rather than out of fear, we are going to be in the White House," he said.

Kennedy has been talking for nearly half an hour now. A major theme of his speech, and the hour of speeches before him, is health and the environment — he said he wanted a vice president who “shared my passion for wholesome, healthy foods, chemical free" and, he added, that are, "from good soils.”

Nicole Shanahan, who was introduced at least 20 minutes ago as Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s running mate, has yet to walk onto the stage here in Oakland. It's been an unusually protracted V.P. rollout, but Kennedy likes to talk. He just finished a florid description of corporate and government power as a “harpy” straddling Washington, somewhere above the “bleaching bones of the American middle class.”

I’m in Oakland, Calif., for Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s announcement of his running mate — crowds are still trickling into the Henry J. Kaiser Center for the Arts. Right now, Metta Sandiford-Artest — the former N.B.A. player once known as Metta World Peace and Ron Artest — is giving brief remarks of support for Mr. Kennedy. “It is such an honor to be here, and let’s bring a new president into America,” he told the audience.

North Carolina Democrats are trickling into the gymnasium of a community center in Raleigh to hear President Biden and Vice President Harris speak today. This is one of the last stops on the Biden campaign’s tour of battleground states. President Biden is expected to give remarks in about an hour.

Neil Vigdor

NBC News faced a fresh round of internal dissent on Monday over its hiring of Ronna McDaniel, the former Republican National Committee chairwoman, as an on-air contributor. On MSNBC, several hosts protested the move, including Joe Scarborough, Nicolle Wallace and Rachel Maddow, who criticized Ms. McDaniel for her role in trying to overturn the 2020 presidential election results. “You wouldn’t hire a made man, like a mobster, to work in a D.A.’s office,” Ms. Maddow said on her show.

Maggie Astor

Oral arguments are underway in the big abortion case the Supreme Court is hearing today. You can follow along live here .

Gov. Roy Cooper of North Carolina, a Democrat, lashed out at the G.O.P. candidates in his state as “the most extreme right-wing Republican ticket in the country” while speaking at a journalism awards dinner in Washington on Monday night. He singled out inflammatory statements made by Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, the Republican nominee for governor, though he did not name him directly. (Mr. Cooper is term-limited from running again.)

Katie Glueck

David McCormick, a Republican seeking to challenge Senator Bob Casey in Pennsylvania’s Senate race, is out with his first television ad focused on his time as a wrestler growing up. Mr. Casey’s campaign responded by calling McCormick “Connecticut man,” a reference to the time he spends out of state. “David McCormick can’t pronounce the iconic Pennsylvania beer Yuengling,” the statement concluded.

The Supreme Court will hear arguments today on the availability of the abortion pill mifepristone — a highly consequential case that, if the justices ruled against the pill, could sharply restrict access to abortion in every state. Democrats widely see the abortion issue as a political winner, while Republicans acknowledge that it damaged the party in the 2022 midterms.

Nicole Shanahan, a wealthy lawyer, is Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s vice-presidential pick.

In an explicit play for young voters and Americans disillusioned by the state of the country’s politics, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Tuesday named Nicole Shanahan , a 38-year-old Silicon Valley lawyer, investor and political unknown, as his running mate in his independent presidential bid.

The selection of Ms. Shanahan brings youth and an outsider’s idealism to the ticket for Mr. Kennedy, the political scion whose long-shot White House campaign is threatening to complicate the electoral calculus for both President Biden and former President Donald J. Trump.

But it also brings a source of financial support: Ms. Shanahan, who was formerly married to the Google co-founder Sergey Brin, has already contributed more than $4.5 million to help Mr. Kennedy’s bid. Mr. Kennedy faces a costly effort to get on the ballot in all 50 states, as he says he will try to do. And he had a tighter timeline to name a vice-presidential choice, because some states require a full ticket to be on the petition for independent candidates to be placed on the ballot.

“I found exactly the right person,” Mr. Kennedy said at a rally in Oakland, Calif., as he revealed his choice. Praising Ms. Shanahan as a “gifted administrator” and a “fierce warrior mom” with experience navigating issues of artificial intelligence and intellectual property, he described her as “the daughter of immigrants who overcame every daunting obstacle and went on to achieve the highest levels of the American dream.”

Taking the stage more than a half-hour after Mr. Kennedy had announced her as his running mate, Ms. Shanahan echoed many of the themes of his campaign, including skepticism of vaccines, concerns about chronic disease and corruption in America, calls for a cleaner environment and the elimination of pesticides and genetically modified foods.

“The very failure of both parties to do their job, to protect their founding values, has contributed to the decline of this country in my lifetime,” said Ms. Shanahan, who described herself as a lifelong Democrat. “Maybe that’s why I see so many Republicans disillusioned with their party as I become disillusioned with mine. If you are one of those disillusioned Republicans, I welcome you to join me, a disillusioned Democrat, in this movement to unify and heal America.”

As recently as last month, Ms. Shanahan’s only public connection to Mr. Kennedy was her $4 million donation helping to pay for a Super Bowl ad backing him.

Though trained as a lawyer, her work in recent years has focused on funding research on health and the environment, issues that Mr. Kennedy — an environmental lawyer and vaccine skeptic who has promoted conspiracy theories — has made cornerstones of his campaign.

Ms. Shanahan took the stage on Tuesday more than two hours into the rally, after a lengthy parade of speakers who variously denounced school shutdowns during the pandemic, carcinogenic pesticides in the American food supply, the “corporate capture” of the American government and what they called censorship of dissident voices in the mainstream news media.

One speaker, Calley Means, the founder of a supplement and health company, said, “An unemotional statement of economic fact is that there has been no more profitable invention in the history of America than a sick child, a child with chronic disease.” Another speaker was Metta Sandiford-Artest, the former N.B.A. player who used to be known as Ron Artest and Metta World Peace.

Mr. Kennedy spoke alone onstage at length after naming Ms. Shanahan, saying she was going to stand up to Wall Street, “the crony capitalists” and Silicon Valley. He later said she was “going to help me free our country” from the “corrupt merger of state and corporate power that now straddles our nation’s capital like a mythical harpy.”

Ms. Shanahan first appeared to Tuesday’s audience in a prerecorded video, in which she described how her young daughter’s diagnosis with autism led her to research chronic disease and environmental toxins. Though she did not mention vaccines, this experience and her interest in the subject appeared to speak to a notable slice of Mr. Kennedy’s base: parents who are skeptical of childhood vaccinations and who criticize a medical establishment that they say pushes medical interventions on children.

When she took the stage, Ms. Shanahan at first appeared teary-eyed, but as she spoke, her voice grew steadier as she described her difficult childhood in Oakland. Her mother — who was in the audience — immigrated from China and worked as a caretaker and a secretary. Her father was often out of work, she said, and struggled with substance abuse.

In her remarks, Ms. Shanahan described a “crisis in reproductive health, embedded in a larger epidemic of chronic disease,” which she attributed to toxic substances in the environment, “electromagnetic pollution” — a reference that drew a loud and relieved “yes!” from a woman at the back of the cavernous event space — and medications. Chronic disease, she said, would be a major focus of her candidacy and a Kennedy White House.

Ms. Shanahan emerged as Mr. Kennedy’s favored vice-presidential pick in recent weeks, after the N.F.L. quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the former Minnesota governor Jesse Ventura had been at the top of his shortlist .

She has a history of contributing to Democrats, including Mr. Biden’s 2020 campaign. She has backed Mr. Kennedy since last spring, when he was still seeking the Democratic nomination. In October, he became an independent candidate, saying the Democratic Party had corruptly blocked his efforts to challenge Mr. Biden in the primary race.

In an interview last month, Ms. Shanahan said she had initially backed Mr. Kennedy because she was “excited” by him and was worried about Mr. Biden’s health. She said she had spoken with Mr. Kennedy only once, on the phone, when he was still running as a Democrat.

When Mr. Kennedy left the party, she was “incredibly disappointed,” she said, alarmed by how “divisive” she thought the move was. “I kind of withdrew, and paused all my political giving.”

It was only in January that she began to re-engage with Mr. Kennedy’s campaign, and as she did, she said, she found “almost like a secret society of individuals” who were backing him. “It was very, very interesting to me to hear how people have been kind of stirred by his message and his willingness to be out there,” she said.

She made the large donation helping to bankroll the Super Bowl ad supporting Mr. Kennedy, which was bought by an allied super PAC, and told The New York Times that she had provided creative guidance. The ad, which repurposed a 1960 ad for Mr. Kennedy’s uncle, John F. Kennedy, drew criticism from members of the Kennedy family, who have emphatically distanced themselves from the campaign.

Democratic allies of Mr. Biden have worried that Mr. Kennedy could tip the election to Mr. Trump, although polls have left a muddled picture of which major-party contender Mr. Kennedy would siphon more votes from. A recent Fox News national poll put his support at around 13 percent, drawing roughly equal shares of voters away from his dominant rivals.

Still, the Democratic Party has embarked on a legal offensive against Mr. Kennedy that aims to block him from the ballot, especially in crucial battleground states.

In a call arranged by the Democratic National Committee on Tuesday as a response to Mr. Kennedy’s announcement, Representative Robert Garcia of California said: “This is who Robert Kennedy selects, essentially a mega donor to fund his campaign with no experience, who is leaning into his anti-vax conspiracy theories, and has no real core as it relates to the truth or science.”

Allies of Mr. Trump also appeared wary of Mr. Kennedy on Tuesday.

A super PAC supporting the former president put out a statement describing Mr. Kennedy as a “far-left liberal with a far-left liberal running mate.”

Mr. Trump’s campaign spokesman, Steven Cheung, said later: “R.F.K. Jr. is a radical leftist — an environmental whack job who loves E.V. mandates, wants to end gasoline-powered engines. He’s no independent.”

Michael Gold contributed reporting

3 things to know about Nicole Shanahan, R.F.K. Jr.’s running mate.

The independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced Nicole Shanahan as his running mate on Tuesday, elevating a little-known philanthropist and political donor to second-in-command on a ticket challenging President Biden and former President Donald J. Trump.

Here are three things to know about Ms. Shanahan.

She has signaled her support for Kennedy’s vaccine stance.

Ms. Shanahan told The New York Times in February that she had been drawn to Mr. Kennedy in part for his efforts to challenge scientific consensus on matters including vaccines.

Mr. Kennedy and his organization, Children’s Health Defense, have promoted debunked claims about the risks of vaccinations against measles, polio, tetanus, meningitis, Covid and other diseases.

“I do wonder about vaccine injuries,” Ms. Shanahan said last month, while saying she was “not an anti-vaxxer.” “I think there needs to be a space to have these conversations.”

She also praised Mr. Kennedy’s work as an environmental lawyer, though he has become better known for his anti-vaccine activism and his embrace of political conspiracy theories.

“I do think we have an environmental health crisis in this country,” she said. “I do believe Americans deserve clean water. And we can’t achieve that in the current climate of politics.”

She has never held elected office.

Ms. Shanahan has been a Democratic donor for over a decade but has never held or run for office. She has spent her career as a lawyer and tech entrepreneur focused on health and environmental research.

She founded and leads the Bia-Echo Foundation, which funds reproductive rights, criminal-justice reform and environmental projects, and previously founded ClearAccessIP, a patent analytics firm.

Ms. Shanahan married Sergey Brin, a co-founder of Google, in 2018, and they divorced last summer. Before that, she worked with the Sergey Brin Family Foundation, which funded a variety of left-leaning organizations.

She contributed $6,600 — the legal maximum — to Mr. Kennedy when he was running for the Democratic nomination last year, before he switched to running as an independent. She also gave $500,000 over the summer to Common Sense, a super PAC backing him. In 2020, she donated $25,000 to the Biden Victory Fund, following a donation of $2,800 to Marianne Williamson during the Democratic primaries.

She bankrolled Kennedy’s Super Bowl ad.

Earlier this year, Ms. Shanahan gave $4 million to American Values 2024, a super PAC supporting Mr. Kennedy, for the purpose of running an ad during the Super Bowl. She also helped coordinate production.

That contribution covered more than half the cost of the ad, which was nearly identical to one that John F. Kennedy, Mr. Kennedy’s uncle, ran during his 1960 presidential campaign. The remake angered some of Mr. Kennedy’s relatives , who criticized him for using images of — and Democratic nostalgia for — his uncle to promote a campaign that they argued the former president would have rejected.

A co-chairman of the super PAC, Tony Lyons, said last month that Ms. Shanahan had been “the driving force behind the decision” to remake the 1960 ad, after the group had to scrap an earlier ad idea because it showed Mr. Kennedy speaking directly to the camera and could have violated a ban on candidates’ coordinating with super PACs.

Rebecca Davis O’Brien contributed reporting.

In North Carolina, Biden attacks Trump and G.O.P. over health care.

President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris used a North Carolina visit on Tuesday to highlight their administration’s work on expanding access to affordable health care, as Democrats seek a contrast with Republicans on the issue.

Speaking to a crowd of more than 200 Democratic leaders and supporters in the gymnasium of a community center near downtown Raleigh, the president and vice president attacked Republicans for seeking to repeal or limit parts of the Affordable Care Act. Ms. Harris called them “extremists,” who are “trying to take away medical care in our country or make it more expensive.”

Mr. Biden echoed those denouncements and pointed blame at his rival, former President Donald J. Trump, for repeatedly trying to repeal the Affordable Care Act and for spreading disinformation about Covid-19 as the death toll soared.

“Trump didn’t level with the American people. He told Americans, all they had to do was inject bleach into themselves,” Mr. Biden said.

He sought to highlight how long members of the opposing party have been trying to unwind former President Barack Obama’s signature health care measure. “Even before the pandemic, Republicans in Congress were hellbent on getting rid of the A.C.A.,” he said.

After reading a laundry list of ways Americans could lose health care coverage if the Affordable Care Act were repealed or restricted, Mr. Biden vowed to protect access to abortion, which has animated national politics since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. If he and Ms. Harris are re-elected in November, Mr. Biden said, they would restore its protections as “the law of the land.”

While the brief mention of abortion signaled that it would be one of his health care priorities for a second term, he did not offer details on how he planned to deliver on his pledge to protect abortion rights.

He was interrupted by protesters calling for a cease-fire in the war between Israel and Hamas and urging him to consider the health of displaced Palestinians in Gaza. “Everyone deserves health care,” Mr. Biden responded, and he agreed with the demonstrators that more should be done to aid those in the Gaza Strip.

The North Carolina visit was one of the last stops on Mr. Biden’s “Month of Action” tour of battleground states; his appearances in several other states were without interruption.

His focus on health care comes as Democrats celebrate the 14th anniversary of the Affordable Care Act and the more than 20 million people who signed up for coverage this year — the most since the law was enacted in 2010. The White House has used the benchmark to criticize Republicans, who have spent the past decade attempting to repeal parts or all of the law.

Former President Donald J. Trump, seeking a second term, revived his attacks on the Affordable Care Act toward the end of last year, calling for it to be “replaced.” Just last week, the Republican Study Committee, a large group of House Republicans, released a budget proposal that took aim at the law’s funding .

“If they got their way, these Republican officials would want a country where 45 million Americans — including 1.4 million North Carolinians — would lose their health insurance,” Anita Dunn, a senior adviser to the president, said during a call with reporters on Monday.

The president and the vice president attended a campaign fund-raiser in the state after their remarks. Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat who signed North Carolina’s Medicaid expansion into law last year , was onstage with the president after the rally. Mr. Biden referred to him as “the best governor” in the nation.

The stop in North Carolina underscores the state’s growing significance to Democrats, as they work to defeat Mr. Trump in November. Mr. Biden lost the state by less than two points in 2020 — the same year that he carried Georgia, a state he visited earlier this month, by fewer than 12,000 votes.

Some Democrats have expressed more confidence in the party’s prospects in North Carolina, pointing to a governor’s race that is likely to be among the most closely watched in the country. Josh Stein, the state’s Democratic attorney general, is running against Mark Robinson, the Republican lieutenant governor, who has a history of inflammatory and divisive statements . Mr. Robinson has also called for the repeal of the Affordable Care Act.

Georgia, for its part, does not have a potentially galvanizing top-of-ticket race outside of the presidency. But Mr. Biden’s campaign is maintaining its focus on both states.

Mr. Biden’s campaign manager, Julie Chavez Rodriguez, said Tuesday that the campaign had poured hundreds of thousands of dollars onto the airwaves in Georgia and North Carolina, through advertisements that focus on Black, Latino and Asian American voters. Georgia and North Carolina, she said, make up “a critical piece” of the campaign’s path to victory.

“Our campaign will engage voters across these states, from urban centers to the suburbs and rural areas, where there are more Democratic voters than any other region in the country,” Ms. Chavez Rodriguez said.

Democrats have found electoral success by running on health care before: in 2018, when Mr. Trump and his administration focused on undoing the Affordable Care Act.

Reid J. Epstein and Maya King

Reid J. Epstein reported from Washington, and Maya King from Raleigh, N.C.

Biden, interrupted by Gaza protesters, says they ‘have a point.’

President Biden, after being interrupted at an event in North Carolina on Tuesday by protesters angry about his approach to the war in Gaza, told the audience that the demonstrators “have a point,” adding, “We need to get a lot more care into Gaza.”

Mr. Biden’s remark, which drew cheers and applause from the crowd at a community center gymnasium in Raleigh, came after the White House and the Biden campaign had spent weeks trying to keep pro-Palestinian protesters away from the president’s events, hoping to keep the spotlight on his domestic agenda.

In Raleigh on Tuesday, more than 200 people invited by the White House attended an event where Mr. Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris spoke about the Affordable Care Act and their administration’s health care record.

The interruption came from a group of about half a dozen people.

“What about the health care in Gaza?” one person shouted, before another yelled it again.

Mr. Biden stopped. “Everyone deserves health care,” he said.

Many people then began calling out at once. Mr. Biden paused for about 15 seconds. “Be patient with them,” he said.

There was more shouting. One person yelled that Mr. Biden was “complicit.” Another said that health centers in Gaza were “being bombed.”

“They have a point,” Mr. Biden said. “We need to get a lot more care into Gaza.”

The brief back and forth was Mr. Biden’s first direct exchange in weeks with protesters who are angry about his approach to the Israel-Gaza war. His recent campaign stops have been small, invitation-only events at which he has spoken only to his most dedicated supporters. During a campaign event in Milwaukee this month, hundreds of protesters against the war in Gaza were kept a block away, where their chants of “Genocide Joe” could not be heard inside the building hosting the Biden gathering.

In January, Mr. Biden was repeatedly interrupted by Gaza demonstrators during a speech about abortion rights in Virginia. After that episode, he met privately with a small group of his supporters and urged them not to view the protesters as political enemies, saying that they deserved sympathy and that their cause was “really important.”

Mr. Biden’s latest remarks about Gaza came at a particularly fraught moment for relations between the White House and the Israeli government. This week, the United States allowed a United Nations Security Council resolution calling for an “immediate cease-fire” in Gaza to pass after vetoing several prior proposals.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel responded by canceling meetings planned in Washington between a high-level Israeli delegation and Biden administration officials.

And on Sunday, Vice President Harris, who has been more publicly sympathetic to the plight of Palestinians than Mr. Biden, said during an interview with ABC News that “it would be a mistake” for Mr. Netanyahu to begin a military operation into the city of Rafah in southern Gaza, as he has been threatening.

Asked in the interview if there would be “consequences” if Israel does invade Rafah, Ms. Harris replied, “I am ruling out nothing.”

Mr. Biden’s stop in North Carolina was the end of a tour of presidential battleground states he embarked upon after his State of the Union address this month. His public appearances in seven other states took place without interruption.

Fretting about election-year deep fakes, states roll out new rules for A.I. content.

Wisconsin for the first time this year will begin requiring political advertisers to disclose the use of content generated by artificial intelligence or face financial penalties. But the battleground state, one that played a critical role in the last two elections, is not alone.

An increasing number of states have advanced A.I.-related legislation to combat attempts to mislead voters during the 2024 election, according to a new analysis by the Voting Rights Lab, a national voting rights organization.

Voting Rights Lab said it was tracking over 100 bills in 40 state legislatures, amid some high-profile cases of “deep-fake” video technology and computer-generated avatars and voices being used in political campaigns and advertisements.

One of the more glaring examples happened in New Hampshire, where a criminal investigation was opened after voters there received robocalls mimicking President Biden’s voice and urging Democrats to not vote in the state’s primary in January.

Another instance marred last year’s election in Slovakia , where deep-fake voice recordings falsely purported to be of the leader of a pro-Western political party depicted him as buying votes. The party narrowly lost to a pro-Kremlin party.

In Wisconsin, political advertisers will face a $1,000 fine for each violation under a bill signed into law on Thursday by Gov. Tony Evers, a Democrat.

A similar measure won approval from both chambers of the state legislature in Florida and is heading to Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, for review. A spokeswoman for Mr. DeSantis said that he had not yet received the final version of the bill, which includes both civil and criminal penalties.

In Arizona, the State Senate and State House have passed their own versions of bills that would ban the use of deep fakes, or artificial images. Each chamber’s legislation still hasn’t been taken up by the other chamber yet. One version would make it a crime to engage in deep fakes, though only within 90 days of an election. Repeat violations would be a felony.

States like California, Texas, Washington, Minnesota and Michigan have already rolled out laws regulating the use of A.I . in campaign advertising.

Michael M. Grynbaum and John Koblin

NBC News cut ties with Ronna McDaniel, the former R.N.C. chair, after a network firestorm.

The Ronna McDaniel era at NBC News has come to an abrupt and chaotic end.

Facing an extraordinary on-air revolt by its leading stars, NBC’s top news executive said on Tuesday that he had decided to cut ties with Ms. McDaniel, the former chairwoman of the Republican National Committee, who was hired last week as an on-air political commentator.

Her tenure at NBC lasted four days.

Ms. McDaniel’s appointment, announced with fanfare on Friday, was immediately criticized by reporters at the network and viewers on social media. Fans of MSNBC, NBC’s left-leaning cable arm, were particularly outraged, citing Ms. McDaniel’s leadership of the Republican Party under former President Donald J. Trump and her handling of his false claims that the 2020 election was rigged.

“After listening to the legitimate concerns of many of you, I have decided that Ronna McDaniel will not be an NBC News contributor,” Cesar Conde, the chairman of the NBCUniversal News Group, wrote in a staff memo on Tuesday.

“No organization, particularly a newsroom, can succeed unless it is cohesive and aligned,” Mr. Conde continued. “Over the last few days, it has become clear that this appointment undermines that goal.”

Ms. McDaniel did not respond to requests for comment. She learned of her dismissal through media reports on Tuesday evening, before NBC told her directly, a person close to her said.

The firestorm over Ms. McDaniel is a major test for Mr. Conde, who has led NBC’s news arm since 2020.

He had approved her hiring to help ensure that election-year coverage included a broader range of political perspectives. Networks regularly hire Washington veterans as commentators; Reince Priebus, Mr. Trump’s former chief of staff, recently joined ABC News.

But multiple star anchors viewed Ms. McDaniel’s involvement in Mr. Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election result as disqualifying, and they lined up one by one to denounce NBC’s decision on its own airwaves.

On Monday night, Rachel Maddow devoted 29 minutes of her show — the top-rated program on MSNBC — to addressing Ms. McDaniel’s hiring, calling it “inexplicable” and associating her with historical figures who attempted authoritarian takeovers of the government. She told her bosses: “Take a minute, acknowledge that maybe it wasn’t the right call.”

Her monologue followed similar calls from the MSNBC hosts Joe Scarborough, Mika Brzezinski and Nicolle Wallace, among others. Ms. Wallace, a former Republican who once earned Democrats’ ire as a chief defender of George W. Bush, said on Monday that NBC had given a green light for “election deniers” to spread falsehoods “as paid contributors to our sacred airwaves.”

Ms. McDaniel, who occasionally clashed with Mr. Trump, left the Republican National Committee this month under pressure from the former president and his allies. She quickly signed with Creative Artists Agency, the Hollywood powerhouse, and met with executives at several networks. Her deal with NBC was worth about $300,000 a year, according to a person familiar with its details.

In his memo on Tuesday, Mr. Conde described Ms. McDaniel’s hiring as “a collective recommendation” by members of his leadership team. Those deputies included Carrie Budoff Brown, who oversees NBC News political coverage; Rebecca Blumenstein, the NBC News president; and Rashida Jones, the MSNBC president. (Ms. Blumenstein is a former editor at The New York Times.)

But Mr. Conde acknowledged that he had ultimately approved her appointment, and he accepted full responsibility for the decision. “I want to personally apologize to our team members who felt we let them down,” he wrote.

The episode underscored the deeply partisan sphere in which news organizations are trying to operate — and the challenge of fairly representing conservative and pro-Trump viewpoints in their coverage, if major Republican Party figures like Ms. McDaniel are deemed unacceptable by viewers or colleagues.

Mr. Conde wrote that NBC remained “committed to the principle that we must have diverse viewpoints on our programs, and to that end, we will redouble our efforts to seek voices that represent different parts of the political spectrum.”

Shortly after Mr. Conde’s decision to reverse course on Tuesday, the anti-Trump MSNBC anchors Joy Reid and Ms. Maddow applauded the move on the air.

Ms. McDaniel had tried to walk a fine line regarding Mr. Trump’s baseless conspiracy theories about the 2020 election. She participated in a call with Mr. Trump in which he placed pressure on Michigan officials to not certify election results. But she also kept the Republican National Committee separated from many of Mr. Trump’s audacious lawsuits to overturn the results, and she confronted criticism from the Trump camp for not taking more aggressive steps to question national election processes.

The backlash at NBC has created other problems for Ms. McDaniel. She is no longer represented by CAA, which negotiated her deal with NBC, a person with knowledge of the change said.

Mr. Trump, for his part, criticized NBC on Tuesday after Ms. McDaniel’s exit. “The top people at NBC ARE WEAK,” the former president wrote in a post on his social media site. He added that Ms. McDaniel, whose departure from the national committee he had encouraged, was now in a kind of limbo.

“It leaves her in a very strange place,” Mr. Trump wrote. “It’s called NEVER NEVERLAND, and it’s not a place you want to be.”

Michael Gold contributed reporting.

Reid J. Epstein

Reporting from Washington

Biden vows federal help after bridge collapse in Baltimore.

President Biden said on Tuesday that the federal government would “pay the entire cost of reconstructing” the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, adding that he hoped it would be rebuilt and reopened “as soon as humanly possible.”

Mr. Biden’s midday remarks from the White House came as he sought to demonstrate a robust federal government response to the bridge disaster, the second on a major interstate highway in the nation’s Northeast Corridor in 10 months.

The president’s optimism about rebuilding Baltimore’s bridge follows the successful effort last summer to put back together an Interstate 95 overpass in Philadelphia that collapsed after a fire .

Mr. Biden visited six days later and stood alongside Pennsylvania’s governor for an announcement that the overpass would be repaired and reopened within two weeks. Baltimore’s bridge collapse is a far larger infrastructure project that is all but certain to take much longer to repair. Mr. Biden said at the White House that he expected to visit “as soon as I can.” No trip has yet been arranged, officials said.

Maryland isn’t a presidential battleground, but like Pennsylvania, it does have a Democratic governor who is a key Biden ally with significant political ambitions of his own and a Senate race that will help determine which party controls the chamber next year.

Gov. Wes Moore of Maryland declared a state of emergency. Mr. Biden said he and the governor had spoken Tuesday morning.

It will take time to determine the political fallout from the Baltimore bridge collapse. The human toll of the collapse remains undetermined, though emergency responders were searching for six construction workers. And if Baltimore’s port is closed for a significant period, it would enact a severe and extended economic toll on the region.

So far Maryland officials have not sought to cast blame or seek a partisan advantage. Former Gov. Larry Hogan, a centrist Republican who is running for the Senate, wrote on social media that he was praying for those still missing. The two Democrats in a primary to face Mr. Hogan, Representative David Trone and Angela Alsobrooks , the Prince George’s County executive, released similar statements of grief and shock.

When the Interstate 95 bridge in Philadelphia reopened 15 days after it collapsed , Gov. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania declared it a feat of government competence and has since incorporated it into his talking points for why Mr. Biden deserves a second term.

Now Mr. Biden, who is scheduled to travel to North Carolina on Tuesday, has another high-profile opportunity to demonstrate how his administration responds to a major civic calamity.

Michael Gold and Maggie Haberman

Trump’s newest venture? A $60 Bible.

Before he turned to politics, former President Donald J. Trump lent his star power and celebrity endorsement to a slew of consumer products — steaks, vodka and even for-profit education, to name just a few.

On Tuesday, Mr. Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, added a new item to the list: a $60 Bible.

Days before Easter, Mr. Trump posted a video on his social media platform in which he encouraged his supporters to buy the “God Bless the USA Bible,” named after the ballad by the country singer Lee Greenwood, which Mr. Trump plays as he takes the stage at his rallies.

“All Americans need a Bible in their home, and I have many. It’s my favorite book,” said Mr. Trump, who before entering politics was not overtly religious and who notably stumbled while referencing a book of the Bible during his 2016 campaign. “It’s a lot of people’s favorite book.”

Though Mr. Trump is not selling the Bible, he is getting royalties from purchases, according to a person familiar with the details of the business arrangement.

Priced at $59.99, plus shipping and tax, the “God Bless the USA Bible” includes a King James Bible and a handwritten version of the chorus of Mr. Greenwood’s song, and copies of the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the Declaration of Independence and the Pledge of Allegiance.

In his video, Mr. Trump expressed his approval of the book’s blend of theology with foundational American political documents, framing that mix as central to the political call that has been his longtime campaign slogan, Make America Great Again.

“Religion and Christianity are the biggest things missing from this country,” Mr. Trump said. Later, he added, “We must make America pray again.”

As he runs for president this year, Mr. Trump has framed his campaign as a crusade to defend Christian values from the left. He often makes false or misleading claims that Democrats are persecuting Christians. Last month, he told a religious media convention that Democrats wanted to “tear down crosses.”

His Bible sales pitch comes as he appears to be confronting a significant financial squeeze. With his legal fees growing while he fights four criminal cases and a number of civil lawsuits, Mr. Trump is also being required to post a $175 million bond while he appeals his New York civil fraud case — a hefty amount, though one that is significantly smaller than the $454 million penalty imposed in the case.

According to the Bible’s website, Mr. Trump’s “name, likeness and image” are being used “under paid license from CIC Ventures LLC.”

The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to questions about the business arrangement. But CIC Ventures is also connected to another product Mr. Trump has hawked while campaigning: $399 “Never Surrender” sneakers that he announced at a sneaker convention in Philadelphia last month.

Michael C. Bender

A G.O.P. aide dropped his groping lawsuit against Matt Schlapp, a powerful conservative.

A lawsuit has been dropped against Matt Schlapp, the head of one of the nation’s largest conservative advocacy groups, after his accuser said the allegations were the result of a misunderstanding.

Carlton Huffman, 40, had accused Mr. Schlapp, 56, the head of the American Conservative Union and an adviser to former President Donald J. Trump, of groping him after a campaign event in Georgia in 2022.

In a statement on Tuesday, Mr. Huffman said he dropped his lawsuit against Mr. Schlapp, as well as related lawsuits against the American Conservative Union, the Conservative Political Action Conference and Caroline Wren, an adviser to Mr. Schlapp.

“The claims made in my lawsuits were the result of a complete misunderstanding, and I regret that the lawsuit caused pain to the Schlapp family,” Mr. Huffman said. “The Schlapps have advised that the statements made about me were the result of a misunderstanding, which was regrettable. Neither the Schlapps nor the ACU paid me anything to dismiss my claims against them.”

Mr. Schlapp also released a statement that didn’t mention Mr. Huffman, a longtime Republican political aide, and instead attacked the “left-wing media.”

“From the beginning, I asserted my innocence,” Mr. Schlapp said, adding that he and his wife, Mercedes Schlapp, a former Trump White House official, will “emerge from this ordeal stronger as husband and wife, stronger as parents to our five daughters, stronger as friends to those who stood by us.”

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