Recently, BPS data has been under constant public scrutiny. Sharp criticism has been directed at the data, which largely serves as indicators of national development. However, BPS can be proud of the significant number of its employees who care about explaining and clarifying each highlighted data to the public. One way this is done is through the mass media, both print and online. BPS strongly encourages its employees to write for the media, especially opinion pieces, not only to clarify but also to publicize the data produced by BPS.

Regarding this, BPS leadership believes it is necessary to develop new talent for opinion writers from the Otista 64C Campus. To address this, an Opinion Writing Workshop was held on Friday (April 12th). Themed "Building Public Opinion with Statistics," the workshop took place in the Polstat Auditorium of STIS and was attended by student and faculty representatives.

The workshop featured three renowned speakers in the field of writing. Roni Tabroni, a literacy observer, delivered the first session, discussing the need for academics to express opinions on various social issues in everyday life. By expressing opinions, academics can clarify misconceptions in society. Of course, these opinions must be based on their field of expertise and expertise so that their accuracy can be accounted for. As aspiring statisticians, students at the Politeknik Statistika STIS have more opportunities to express their opinions. This is because their field of expertise will produce opinions based on accurate data. Furthermore, the Bandung-based speaker also emphasized the use of easy-to-understand grammar. According to him, expressing opinions means writing in the public domain, and therefore the language used must be understandable to all levels of society.

Equally interesting was Kadir Ruslan, an employee of the Indonesian Statistics Agency (BPS RI), who is also active in opinion writing, as the second speaker at this workshop. Having a similar background to the Politeknik Statistika STIS students and having produced numerous articles that have been published in local, national, and international media, he certainly served as an inspiration to the participants. He emphasized the importance of productive writing for a State Civil Apparatus (ASN). Through writing, a statistician can bring statistics to the public's attention. By writing, we work for eternity. Furthermore, he also shared tips and tricks for writing for the mass media.

Next, Feby Siahaan, a book author and Tempo journalist, delivered a very engaging final session. For most people, opinion writing exercises can be quite boring, but he managed to keep the participants focused and enthusiastic. Participants practiced writing opinion pieces directly, and their writings were also evaluated together. The author of the book "7 Days, 1,500 Kilometers Around Tibet" explained techniques and tips for writing opinion pieces that will have a high chance of being accepted and published in the media. Writing opinion pieces isn't just about argumentation; it requires a strong foundation and reliable references. Through this activity, it is hoped that new opinion writers will emerge who are able to utilize and leverage BPS data.