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How To Write an Op-ed: A Step By Step Guide

There’s a formula that we call the “ABCs” that can be used to write compelling op-eds, columns, or blogs. The same formula can also be used to write almost any document that offers up an argument or gives advice. This is a “news flash lede,” a comment that will make sense in a  moment .

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The ABC Formula

This formula for writing op-eds is based on our experience and our op-eds that appeared in the  New York Times , the  Wall Street Journal , and the  Washington Post .  I first came across a version of this formula while I was at  US News and World Report . It was called “FLUCK,” and we have tweaked it a bit since then. 

This is probably obvious, but this ABC formula is meant to guide writers rather than restrict them. In other words, these are recommendations, not a rigid set of instructions.

Better yet, think of the formula as a flexible template for making an effective argument in print—one that you personalize with your specific style, topic, and intended audience in mind.

This guide is divided into five parts.

Part I: Introduction:  In this section, we give a brief overview of the approach and discuss the importance of writing and opinion.

Part II: The ABCs:  Here we cover the important steps in writing for your audience: Attention, Billboard, and Context.

PART III: The ABCS in Example:  In this section, we give you different examples of the ABCs in action and how to effectively use them.

PART IV: Pitching:  Here we will go over how to effectively pitch ideas and submit ideas to an editor for publication.

PART V: Final tips and FAQs: Here we go over a few more key things to do and answer the most commonly asked questions.

Part I: Introduction To Op-Eds

Op-eds are one of the most powerful tools in communications today. They can make a career. They can break a career.

But there’s often lots of mystery around editorials and op-eds. I mean: What does op-ed even stand for?

Well, let’s start with editorials. Editorials are columns written by a member of a publication’s board or editors, and they are meant to represent the view of the publication. While reporting has the main purpose of informing the public, editorials can serve a large number of purposes. But typically editorials aim to persuade an audience on a controversial issue.

Op-eds, on the other hand, are “opposite the editorial” page columns. They began as a way for an author to present an opinion that opposed the one on the editorial board. Note that an op-ed is different than a letter to the editor, which is when someone writes a note to complain about an article, and that note is published. Think of a letter to the editor as an old, more stodgy form of the comments section of an article.

The New York Times  produced the first modern op-ed in 1970, and over time, op-eds became a way for people to simply express their opinions in the media. They tend to be written by experts, observers, or someone passionate about a topic, and as media in general becomes more partisan, op-eds have become more and more common.

How to start . The first step for writing an op-ed is to be sure to: Make. An. Argument.

Many op-eds fail because they just summarize key details. But, wrong or right, op-eds need to advance a strong contention. They need to assert something, and the first step is to write down your argument.

Here are some examples:

• I want to write an op-ed on the plague that are drinks that overflow with ice cubes. This op-ed would argue that restaurants serve drinks with too many ice cubes.
• Superman is clearly better than Batman. In this op-ed, I would convince readers why Superman is a better superhero than Batman.
• My op-ed is on lowering the voting age in America. An op-ed on this topic would list reasons why Congress should pass a law to allow those who are 14 years old like me to be able to vote in elections.

How to write.  So you have yourself an argument. It’s now time to write the op-ed. When it comes to writing, this guide assumes a decent command of the English language; we’re not going to cover the basics of nouns and verbs. However, keep in mind a few things:

• Blogs, op-eds, and columns are short.  Less than 1,000 words. Usually between 500 and 700 words. Many blogs are just a few hundred words, basically a few graphs and a pull quote often does the job.
• Simplicity, logic, and clarity are your best friends  when it comes to writing op-eds and blogs. In other words, write like a middle schooler. Use short sentences and clear words. Paragraphs should be less than four sentences. Please take a look at Strunk and White for more information. I used to work with John Podesta, who has written many great op-eds, and he was rumored to have given his staff a copy of Strunk and White on their first day of employment.
• Love yourself topic sentences.  The first sentence of each paragraph needs to be strong, and your topic sentences should give an overall idea of what’s to follow. In other words, a reader should be able to grasp your article’s argument by reading the first sentence of each paragraph.

How to make an argument.  This guide is not for reporters or news writers. That’s journalism. This guide is for people who make arguments. So keep in mind the following:

• Evidence . This might be obvious, but you need evidence to support your argument. This means data in the forms of published studies, government statistics, and anything that offers cold facts. Stories are good and can support your argument. But try and go beyond a good anecdote.
• Tone . Check out the bloggers and columnists that are in the publications that you’re aiming for, and try to emulate them when it comes to their  argumentative tone . Is their tone critical? Humorous? Breezy? Your tone largely hinges on what type of outlet you are writing for, which brings us to…
• Audience .  Almost everything in your article — from what type of language you use to your tone — depends on your audience. A piece for a children’s magazine is going to read differently than, say, an op-ed in the Washington Post. The best way to familiarize yourself with your audience is to read pieces that have already been published in the outlet you are writing for, or hoping to write for. Take note of how the author presents her argument and then adjust yours accordingly.

Sidebar: Advice vs Argument.  Offering advice in the form of a how-to article — like what you’re reading right now — is different than putting forth an argument in an actual op-ed piece.

That said, advice pieces, like this  one  by Lifehacker or this  one  by Hubspot, follow much of the same ABC formula. For instance, advice pieces will still often begin with an attention-grabbing opener and contextualize their subject matter.

However, instead of trying to make an argument in the body of the article, the advice pieces will typically list five to ten ways of “how to do” something. For example, “How to cook chicken quesadillas” or “How to ask someone out on a date.”

The primary purpose of an advice piece is to inform rather than to convince. In other words, advice pieces describe what you could do, while op-ed pieces show us what we should do.

Part II: Dissecting The ABC Approach

Formula.  Six steps make up the ABC method, and yes, that means it should be called the ABCDEF method. Either way, here are the steps:

Attention  (sometimes called the lede): Here’s your chance to grab the reader’s attention. The opening of an opinion piece should bring the reader into the article quickly. This is also sometimes referred to as the flash or the lede, and there are two types of flash introductions. They are: Option 1.  Narrative flash . A narrative flash is a story that brings readers into the article. It should be some sort of narrative hook that grabs attention and entices the reader to delve further into the piece. A brief and descriptive anecdote often works well as a narrative flash. It simultaneously catches the reader’s attention and hints at the weightier argument and evidence yet to come.

When I first started writing for US News, I wrote a flash lede to introduce an article about paddling school children. Here’s that text:

Ben Line didn’t think the assistant principal had the strength or the gumption. But he was wrong. The 13-year-old alleges that the educator hit him twice with a paddle in January, so hard it left scarlet lines across his buttocks. Ben’s crime? He says he talked back to a teacher in class, calling a math problem “dumb.”

Option 2.  News flash . Some pieces — especially those tied to the news — can have a lede without a narrative start. Other pieces, including many op-eds, are simply too short to begin with a narrative flash. In either of these instances, using the news flash as your lede is likely your best bet.

If I were writing a news flash lede for the paddling piece, I might start with something as simple as: Congress again is considering legislation to outlaw paddling.

• Billboard  (also often called the nut graph): The billboard portion of the lede should do two things:

First, the “billboard” section should make an argument that elevates the stakes and begins to introduce general evidence and context for the argument. So start to introduce some general evidence to support your argument in the nut portion of the lede.

For an example of a nut graph for a longer piece on say, sibling-on-sibling rivalry, consider the following:  The Smith sisters exemplify a disturbing trend. Research indicates that violence between siblings—defined as the physical, emotional, or sexual abuse of one sibling by another, ranging from mild to highly violent—is likely more common than child abuse by parents. A new report from the University of Michigan Health System indicates the most violent members of American families are indeed the children. Data suggests that three out of 100 children are considered dangerously violent toward a brother or sister, and nine-year-old Kayla Smith is one of those victims: “My sister used to get mad and hit me every once in a while, but now it happens at least twice a week. She just goes crazy sometimes. She’s broken my nose, kicked out two teeth, and dislocated my shoulder.”

Second, the billboard should begin to lay the framework of the piece and flush out important details—with important story components like Who, What, When, Where, How, Why, etc. A good billboard graph often ends with a quote or call to action. Think of it like this: if someone reads only your “billboard” section, she should be able to grasp your argument and the basic details. If you use a narrative flash lede, then the nut paragraph often starts with something like: They are not alone. So in the padding article, for instance, the nut might have been: “Ben is not alone. In fact, 160,000 students are subject to corporal punishment in U.S. schools each year, according to a 2016 social policy report.”

For another example, here’s a history graph from a recent op-ed by John Podesta that ran in the  Washington Post :

“To give some context: On Oct. 7, 2016, WikiLeaks began leaking emails from my personal inbox that had been hacked by Russian intelligence operatives. A few days earlier, Stone — a longtime Republican operative and close confidant of then-candidate Donald Trump — had mysteriously predicted that the organization would reveal damaging information about the Clinton campaign. And weeks before that, he’d even tweeted: ‘Trust me, it will soon [be] Podesta’s time in the barrel.’”

If you’re writing an advice piece, then similar advice applies. A how-to guide for Photoshop, for example, might include recent changes to the program and information on the many ways that Photoshop can be used to edit pictures.

• Demonstrate:  In this section, you must offer specific details to support your argument. If writing an op-ed, this section can be three or four paragraphs long. If writing a column, this section can be six or ten paragraphs long. Either way, the section should outline the most compelling evidence to support your thesis. For my paddling article, for instance, I offered this argument paragraph:  The problem with corporal punishment, Straus stresses, is that it has lasting effects that include increased aggression and social difficulties. Specifically, Straus studied more than 800 mothers over a period from 1988 to 1992 and found that children who were spanked were more rebellious after four years, even after controlling for their initial behaviors. Groups that advocate for children, like the American Academy of Pediatrics and the National Education Association, oppose the practice in schools for those reasons.

While narrative can be vital when capturing a reader’s attention, it’s equally important to offer hard facts in the evidence section. When demonstrating the details of your argument, be sure to present accurate facts from reputable sources. Studies published in established journals are a good source of evidence, for instance, but blogs with unverified claims are not.

Also, when providing supporting details, you should think about using what the Ancient Greeks called ethos, pathos, and logos. To explain, ethos refers to appeals based on your credibility, that you’re someone worth listening to. For example, if you are arguing why steroids should be banned in baseball, you might talk about how you once used steroids and their terrible impact on your health.

Pathos refers to using evidence that plays to the emotions. For example, if you are trying to show why people should evacuate during hurricanes, you might describe a family who lost their seven-year-old child during a hurricane.

Logos refers to logical statements, typically based on facts and statistics. For example, if you are trying to convince the audience why they should join the military when they are young, provide statistics on their income when they retire and the benefits they receive while in the military.

• Equivocate : You should strengthen your argument by including at least one graph that briefly describes—and then discounts—the strongest counterargument to your point. This is often called the “to be sure” paragraph, and it hedges your bets about the clarity of your piece with phrases such as “to be sure” or “in other words.”Here’s an  example  from a recent op-ed in Bloomberg:  Of course, that doesn’t mean that Hispanics simply change while other Americans stay the same. In  his 2017 book  “The Other Side of Assimilation: How Immigrants Are Changing American Life,” Jimenez recounts how more established American groups change their culture and broaden their horizons based on their personal relationships with more recently arrived immigrant groups. Assimilation isn’t slavish conformity to white norms, but a two-way process where the U.S. is changed by each new group that arrives.
• Forward : This is where you wrap up your piece. It carries greater impact, though, if you can write an ending that has some oomph to it and really looks forward. So try to provide some parting thoughts and, when appropriate to the topic, draw your readers to look toward the future. If you began with a narrative flash lede, it’s optimal whenever possible to find a way to tie back into that introductory story. It allows you to simultaneously finalize the premise of your argument and neatly conclude your article. In an  op-ed  about gun violence that ran last year, minister Jeff Blattner looks toward the future and seamlessly ties the end of his piece back to his lede with this simple but effective kicker:  If we don’t commit ourselves to solving them together—to seeing one another as part of a bigger “us”—we may reap a whirlwind of ever-widening division. Let Pittsburgh, in its grief, show us the way.

An op-ed needs to advance a strong contention. It needs to assert something, and and the first step is write down your argument.

Part III: The ABCs In Example

Now that we have gone over the basic ABC formula, let’s examine a recent blog item and identify the six ABC steps.

Written by E.A. Crunden, the piece appeared in  ThinkProgress  and is titled, “ Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke is embroiled in more than one scandal .”

• Attention :  “A controversial contract benefiting a small company based in his hometown is only the latest possible corruption scandal linked to Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke…” This opening sentence introduces the most recent news on Zinke while also signaling that other scandals might be discussed in the article.
• Billboard :  “On Monday, nonprofit watchdog group the Campaign Legal Center (CLC) accused Zinke’s dormant congressional campaign of dodging rules prohibiting individuals from converting political donations into individual revenue.” The second paragraph adds more information about Zinke’s alleged missteps.
• Context :  “Zinke’s other ethical close-calls, as the CLC noted, are plentiful.”  This provides some background to the main argument and lets the reader know that Zinke has a long history of questionable ethics, which the author expands upon in the following paragraphs.

• Demonstrate :  “As a Montana congressman, Zinke took thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from oil and gas companies, many of whom drill on the same public lands he now oversees…”  Here the author gives specific evidence of Zinke’s actions that some believe to be unethical. This fortifies the argument. The following few paragraphs continue in this vein.

• Equivocate :  “I had absolutely nothing to do with Whitefish Energy receiving a contract in Puerto Rico,” the interior secretary wrote in a statement on Friday.”  In this case, the equivocation appears in the form of a counterargument. The writer goes on to dismiss it by presenting additional clarifying evidence to support his point.
• Forward:   “Monday’s complaint comes amid a Special Counsel investigation into Zinke’s spending habits, as well as a separate investigation opened by the Interior Department’s inspector general. Audits into Puerto Rico’s canceled contract with Whitefish Energy Holdings are also ongoing.”  These final two sentences “zoom out” from the specifics of the article, showing that the main news item (i.e., Zinke’s poor ethics) will continue to be relevant in the future. These forward-looking sentences also circle back neatly to the point of the flash news lede by reiterating that “Monday’s complaint” is yet another in a growing list against Zinke.

Part IV: Pitching

When it comes to op-eds, most outlets want to review a finished article. In other words, you write the op-ed and then shop it around to different editors. In some cases, the outlet might want a pitch — or brief summary— of the op-ed before you write it.

Either way, you’ll need a short summary, even just a few sentences that describe your argument. Here is an example of the pitch that I wrote that landed me on the front page of the Washington Post’s Outlook section. Note that this pitch is long, but I was aiming for a more feature-like op-ed.

I wanted to pitch a first-person piece looking at Neurocore, the questionable brain-training program that’s funded by Betsy DeVos.  

DeVos just got confirmed as Secretary of Education, and for years, she’s been one of the major investors in Neurocore. Located in Michigan and Florida, the company makes some outlandish promises about brain-based training. The firm has argued, for instance, that its neuro-feedback programs can increase a person’s IQ by up to 12 points.

I was going to take Neurocore’s diagnostic program to get a better sense of the company’s claims. As part of the story, I was also going to discuss the research on neuro-feedback, which is pretty weak. Insurance companies are also skeptical, and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan recently refused to reimburse for Neurocore’s treatments. I’d also discuss some of my research in this area and talk about some of the dangers of spreading myths about learning.

There’s been some recent coverage of Neurocore. But the articles have typically focused on the conflict of interest posed by the company since DeVos herself has refused to disinvest. What’s more, no one appears to have written a first-person piece describing the experience of attending one of their brain training diagnostic sessions.

A few bits of advice:

• Newsy.  Whenever possible, build off the news. A good way to drum up interest in your piece is to connect it to current events. People naturally are interested in reading op-eds that are linked to recent news pieces — so, an op-ed on Electoral College reform will be more relevant around election season, for instance. It’s often effective to pitch your piece following a major news event. Even better if you can pitch your op-ed in advance; for example, a piece on voter suppression in the United States might be pitched in advance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Here’s an  article  from McGill University that has some advice on this idea.
• Tailor.  Again, in this step of the process, it’s worth considering the audience of the publication. For example, if you’re writing in the business section of a newspaper, you’ll want to frame the article around business. If you are writing for a sports magazine, you’ll want to write about topics like “Who is the greatest golfer of all time, Tiger Woods or Jack Nicklaus?”

Also, websites sometimes have information on pitching their editors. Be sure to follow whatever specific advice they give — this will improve your chances of catching an editor’s eye.

Advice pieces describe what you could do, while op-ed pieces show us what we should do.

Part V: FAQs And Tips

I have lots to say. Can I write a 3,000-word op-ed?

Not really. Most blog articles, op-eds, and columns are short. What’s more, your idea is more likely to gain traction if it’s clear and simple. Take the Bible. It can be broken down to a simple idea: Love one another as you love yourself. Or take the Bill of Rights. It can be shortened to: Individuals have protections.

I want to tell a story. Can I do that?

Maybe. If you do, keep it short and reference the story at the top and maybe again at the bottom. But again, the key to an op-ed is that it makes an argument.

What should do before I hit submit?

We could suggest two things:

• Make sure you cite all your sources. Avoid plagiarism of any kind. If you’re in doubt, provide a citation via a link or include endnotes citing your sources.
• Check your facts. The  New York Times  op-ed columnist Bret Stephens says it this way: “Sweat the small stuff. Read over each sentence—read it aloud—and ask yourself: Is this true? Can I defend every single word of it? Did I get the facts, quotes, dates, and spellings exactly right? Yes, sometimes those spellings are hard: the president of Turkmenistan is Gurbanguly Malikguliyevich Berdymukhammedov. But, believe me, nothing’s worse than having to run a correction.” For more guidance, see Stephen’s  list of tips for aspiring op-ed writers .
• Read it out loud. Before I submit something, I’ll read it out loud. It helps me catch typos and other errors. For more on talking out loud as a tool, see this  article  that I pulled together some time ago.

What’s the difference between a blog article and an op-ed?

A blog article can be about anything such as “What I had for lunch today” or “Why I love Disney World.” An op-ed typically revolves around something in the news and is meant to be persuasive. It typically runs in a news outlet of some kind.

What if no one takes my op-ed?

Be patient. You might need to offer your op-ed to multiple outlets before someone decides to publish it, and you can always tweak the op-ed to make it more news-y, tying the article to something that happened in the news that day or week.

Also, look for ways to improve the op-ed. You might, for instance, focus on changing the “attention” section to make it more creative and interesting or try to improve the context section.

What is the best way to start writing an op-ed?

Before writing, make sure to create an outline. I will often write out my topic sentences and make sure that I’m making a strong, evidence-based argument. Then I’ll focus on a creative way to open my op-ed.

Don’t worry if you get writer’s block while writing the “attention” step. You can always come back and make it more interesting. Really, the most important step is having an outline.

Should I hyperlink?

Yes, include hyperlinks in your articles to provide your readers with easy access to additional information.

–Ulrich Boser

15 thoughts on “How To Write an Op-ed: A Step By Step Guide”

Thanks for this excellent refresher!

I am writing this with the hope that the leasing of the port of Haifa will not come to fruition,It will give the Chinese a strong foothold in the middle east. No longer will the United States 6th fleet have a home away from home..May i remind those who are in command that NO OTHER COUNTRY in the world has helped Israel more than the US.and it would be a slap in the face of our best friend and cause many , many consequences in the future for the state of Israel. I pray to G-D that those in charge will come to their senses and hopefully cancel the agreement. M A, Modiin

Excellent piece of writing ideas, Thanks a lot for sharing these amazing tricks.

INTERESABTE TODA LA INFORMACION

Gracias, Julio!

Good information

So glad you enjoyed it!

Glad it was helpful. Did I miss something in your comment?

Well done, But it’s needs practice!! Hands on!

Write with is one of the most critical steps of the writing process and is probably relevant to the first point. If you want to get your blood pumping and give it your best, you might want to write with passion, and give it all you got. How do you do this? Make sure that you have the right mindset whenever you are writing.

Create a five-paragraph editorial about a topic that matters to you.

Reading this I realized I should get some more information on this subject. I feel like there’s a gap in my knowledge. Anyway, thanks.

Thank you very much for your really helpful tips. I’m currently writing a lesson plan to help students write better opinion pieces and your hands-on approach, if a bit too detailed for my needs, is truly valuable. I hope my students will see it the same way 😉

Thank you for sharing your expertise. Your advice on incorporating storytelling, providing evidence, and addressing counterarguments is invaluable for ensuring the effectiveness and persuasiveness of op-eds.

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What Is an Op-Ed Article? Op-Ed Examples, Guidelines, and More

Have you ever wondered the name of those articles in newspapers or online that seem to be more conversational in style than standard news stories?

These are called op-ed articles, and they are an entirely different style and format of writing that is typically found in the opinion section of a newspaper, magazine, or website.

In this article, I’m going to answer the question what is an op-ed article by digging into exactly what an op-ed article is as well as looking at some op-ed examples, how to write an op-ed, and how (and where) to submit an op-ed.

What Is an Op-Ed Article?

Op-ed stands for “opposite the editorial page,” and an op-ed article is an article in which the author states their opinion about a given topic, often with a view to persuade the reader toward their way of thinking.

Despite the “op” in “op-ed” not standing for “opinion,” op-eds are often called opinion pieces because, unlike standard news articles, the authors of op-eds are encouraged to give their opinions on a certain topic, as opposed to simply reporting the news.

Op-eds are sometimes written by a ghostwriter, which means somebody writes the op-ed on behalf of someone else (such as a businessperson or politician), then the intended author makes some tweaks, with the final version being attributed—bylined—to the intended author instead of the ghostwriter.

Anonymous Op-Eds

Op-eds can also be anonymous, although for larger publications, such as the New York Times , Wall Street Journal , and Washington Post , an anonymous op-ed is typically only allowed when the writer’s job (or in extreme cases, their life) would be jeopardized if their name or other distinguishing details were disclosed. In cases when an anonymous op-ed is allowed to go ahead, the author’s true identity is known by the publisher.

Whether or not anonymous op-eds should be allowed to be published comes up for frequent scrutiny, the most recent episode of which being in September 2018 after the New York Times published an anonymous opinion piece by a senior official working in the Trump administration. (In October 2020, former chief of staff in the Department of Homeland Security, Miles Taylor, publicly confirmed that he had authored the article.)

Op-Ed Responses

Often, op-ed articles are written in response to something that is happening in the news at a particular time; such as during a climate change summit or election cycle, or they are written as a response to another op-ed, whether the first opinion piece was published in the same newspaper or, for example, somebody decided to write an op-ed in the New York Times in response to an op-ed that appeared in the Wall Street Journal .

While there is no generalized word limit for an op-ed, most published op-eds run under 1,000 words. The New York Times notes that:

Written essays typically run from 800 to 1,200 words, although we sometimes publish essays that are shorter or longer.

Op-Ed Examples

For an article to be an op-ed it must, as noted above, appear in an opinion column. As many people find themselves reading op-eds after clicking a link online, op-ed columns typically also have the words ‘Opinion’ or ‘Guest Essay’ displayed above or close to the column’s headline.

If you’re looking for op-ed examples, look no further than the opinion pages of three of the largest newspapers in the United States, namely the New York Times , Wall Street Journal , and Washington Post opinion pages (for a longer list, see the How (and Where) to Submit an Op-Ed section below).

The Difference Between Op-Eds and Regular Articles

Some columns that look like a good op-ed article example are in fact lifestyle articles that, while not being timely in relation to the news of the day, aren’t defined as op-ed articles because they are purely factual, with no opinion being given.

Articles I have personally written for the New York Times , New York Observer , Quartz , and similar publications had to be meticulously sourced and fact-checked before publication; and my opinion surrounding any of the topics in question was not taken into consideration, unlike for an op-ed.

That’s not to say you can simply make up facts when writing an op-ed. You can’t have your own opinion about the year Queen Elizabeth II was born (1926), the height of the Empire State Building (1,454 ft.), or the length of the Great Wall of China (21,196 km). Depending on what your op-ed is discussing, you can sprinkle your opinion in around facts, but those facts must be deep-rooted in order for your audience to get on board with your argument—and for a reputable source to choose to print your article.

How to Write an Op-Ed

Of course, knowing what an op-ed is and knowing how to write an op-ed are two different things entirely.

Here are my top five tips on how to write an op-ed:

• Get to the point: The moment a reader (or your potential editor) starts reading your op-ed article they need to know what it is about, and why it matters to them.
• Have a clear thesis: Submitting a meandering opinion column is a surefire way to ensure you do not hear back from the editor. Outline your entire op-ed before sitting down to write, and keep a clear thesis in mind.
• Write what you know: While many factors go into the op-ed selection process, having authority in the topic you’re writing about, as well as a persuasive argument, is required above all else.
• Write for the publication you’re pitching: Don’t use technical phrases if it is a non-technical publication. Look into what they have published on your topic in the past. How can you advance this discussion?
• Stick to the rules: Most op-ed sections list their rules for publication. These often include information on how to source your facts, a well as the house style.

How (and Where) to Submit an Op-Ed

It’s easy to submit an op-ed to either a national or local newspaper, or to a trade publication in your field. Assuming you’ve read my advice on how to write an op-ed above, here are the links you’ll need to submit an op-ed to the following newspapers:

• New York Times
• Wall Street Journal
• Washington Post
• Los Angeles Times
• Houston Chronicle
• Chicago Tribune
• San Francisco Chronicle
• Tampa Bay Times
• Dallas Morning News
• Denver Post
• Seattle Times

If you want to submit an op-ed to your local newspaper or a trade publication, look in their opinion columns for information on how to send in your submission, or search for their name alongside the word “submissions” online.

I hope this article on what an op-ed article is will help you on your journey toward writing and submitting your first op-ed to a major newspaper or publication.

If you’re interested in hearing more from me, be sure to subscribe to my free email newsletter , and if you enjoyed this article, please share it on social media, link to it from your website, or bookmark it so you can come back to it often. ∎

Benjamin Spall

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How to write an op-ed

Through editorials, psychologists can alert the public to the work they do that addresses society’s greatest problems. Here’s advice on how to write an op-ed with impact.

By Katherine Lee

February 2018, Vol 49, No. 2

Print version: page 66

In an age when science is regarded with skepticism—even dismissed as “fake”—there’s an increasing need for psychologists and other scientists to communicate their work directly to the public. One powerful tool for disseminating research is through op-ed pieces. Such essays can, for example, showcase how psychologists’ expertise is promoting equality, advancing new treatments and helping the nation heal after disasters.

“I view it as my social responsibility as a social scientist to write op-eds,” says Jaana Juvonen, PhD, professor of developmental psychology at the University of California, Los Angeles. She has written several pieces for lay audiences, including the 2017 op-ed “ I Study the Psychology of Adolescent Bullies. Trump Makes Perfect Sense to Me ” for The Washington Post . “If I can shed light on something timely, then I need to communicate it,” says Juvonen.

With a growing stream of news and social media outlets all clamoring for content, there’s never been a better time for psychologists to communicate their expertise, says Lisa Damour, PhD, a senior adviser to the Schubert Center for Child Studies at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, and author of a monthly column in The New York Times about adolescence. “Everything is amped up and sped up, and we have ways to communicate with the public that we didn’t before,” she says.

While psychologists and psychology students may wonder whether they should carve out time from their already packed schedules to write op-eds, Juvonen points out that these articles also pay career dividends. “Op-eds can reach the largest audience we as researchers can ever reach,” she says. They can also establish you among the media as the go-to person on key issues.

With those points in mind, here are nine strategies for writing columns that editors will welcome and people will read:

• Come up with a news hook News outlets, both print and online, are much more likely to accept a piece about a topic that’s dominating national or local headlines, such as a congressional vote on mental health care or a perennially popular subject, such as stress management or child development, says Juvonen.
• Tailor your op-ed to the news outlet’s audience If it’s a local paper, talk about how the topic affects the local community. For example, a local newspaper may be interested in an op-ed that offers insights on how the opioid crisis is affecting the community and discusses the latest research on treatment, says Jamie Bodenlos, PhD, associate professor of psychology at Hobart and William Smith Colleges, in Geneva, New York. If it’s a national outlet, make sure the topic is broad enough to be of interest to readers nationwide.
• Read the publications you want to write for “Read those platforms to get a sense of style, length and level,” says Damour. One of the best columns to read regularly is “Gray Matter” in The New York Times Sunday edition, which features opinion columns about science and society, suggests Kim Mills, of APA’s Communications Department.
• Ditch the jargon Psychologists are taught to be very careful about how they cite, quote and describe, but if they try to do that in an op-ed, it won’t be accessible, says Juvonen. Instead, she says, “think about how you would reach your parents, grandma or next-door neighbor.” The best way to explain your work to the public is to write as if you’re talking to a good nonpsychologist friend, suggests Damour. To make sure you aren’t using too many technical terms, ask a nonacademic friend to critique your draft and make sure it is free of confusing language.
• Lead with your conclusion In academia, scientists carefully lay out the groundwork that supports their ideas before they articulate their conclusions. But in an op-ed, that order is reversed, says Damour. Start with a conclusion and then unpack it for readers. For example, a research manuscript might begin with a discussion of how spanking children may affect their mental health later in life, then present evidence that supports that conclusion. In an op-ed, writers should start out with the key finding that corporal punishment is not effective and can lead to a host of negative outcomes.
• Go light on the data Remember that you’re not writing a research paper or study, says Bodenlos. So, while you should offer numbers and statistics that illustrate your key points, limit how much you include to keep your piece streamlined.
• Make it compelling “What captures people is a story, a narrative,” says Alison Gopnik, PhD, professor of psychology and affiliate professor of philosophy at the University of California, Berkeley, who writes a monthly column called “Mind & Matter” for The Wall Street Journal . “Ask yourself, is there a way of integrating narrative with the scientific material that doesn’t sacrifice the science?” She suggests incorporating a joke or a personal anecdote and including lots of specifics, not abstract statements. “Put in some bit of vivid detail—what something smelled like, looked like, felt like,” Gopnik says.
• Consider a range of outlets “We don’t all need to shoot for The New York Times ,” says Bodenlos. Submit your articles to media outlets including Psychology Today and HuffPost, which are always looking for content, suggests Mills. You can also build a following on social media and publish your content there. “We’re all publishers today,” says Mills.
• Make it exclusive Don’t submit your op-ed to multiple outlets simultaneously, thinking that this will increase your chances of getting it published, says Mills. Most newspapers insist on exclusivity. If you don’t hear back from an editor within a week of submitting, follow up with an email asking if a decision has been made because you’d like to submit the piece elsewhere.

Dr. Damour’s monthly columns on adolescence appear at www.nytimes.com/column/well-adolescence . Dr. Gopnik’s monthly columns appear at www.wallstreetjournal.com under “Mind & Matter.”

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How To Write An Op-Ed

The Definitive Guide (2024)

What You're Going To Learn

In this post, you’re going to learn how to write an op-ed in 2024.

At Pinkston, we help develop, edit and place hundreds of op-eds a year for thought leaders, CEOs, politicians, professors and other experts in national publications ranging from The Wall Street Journal to The Washington Post and USA Today and more.

In this guide, we’ll be discussing what makes a successful op-ed and how you can improve your chances of getting yours published. It includes:

• Real-life examples
• Actionable, practical strategies
• Downloadable op-ed guide

So, if you want to have a better chance of getting your op-ed published in top-tier publications, then this guide is for you.

Let’s start with the basics:

Understand the Media.

What drives the news cycle? What are reporters looking for in a story? How can you break through the noise? Learn how you can tell your story clearly, effectively and uniquely.

• What is an Op-Ed?

Why Write an Op-Ed in 2024?

• Writing your Op-Ed
• The Writing Basics

Op-Ed Structure

Don't have time to read the whole guide now?

We'll send you a free digital copy so you can read it at your own convenience. Plus, we'll include a bonus chapter.

What is an Op-ed?

An op-ed is a short essay that expresses the opinion of an author on a particular subject.

The term “op-ed” comes from an opinion page created by the New York Times in 1970 , which meant, literally, “opposite the editorial page.” The term stuck, and today, op-eds are found everywhere from print publications to online media.

Are op-eds even a viable form of communication in a time when the traditional media landscape is shifting ?

In short: yes, if you do it correctly.

Writing an op-ed is an opportunity for you to write about the issues you care about or introduce an idea to new audiences. It’s also a chance for you to tell your story on your terms. In today’s increasingly fast-paced reporting environment, it’s often hard to make your voice heard through social media or television appearances alone. With an op-ed, you can craft a piece that will present your truth in an unfiltered medium and make a lasting impact on your audience.

Op-eds establish you as a respected voice in your field and open the door to new opportunities. As a matter of fact, successful op-ed writers have gone on to gain speaking, hosting and panelist invitations, book deals and other opportunities.

Some people think writing an op-ed is just preaching to the choir. But a 2018 study by Yale and the Cato Institute showed that op-eds have a strong and lasting effect on people’s positions and can actually change their perspective on an issue – not just in the short term, but in the long term.

In the study, researchers split 3,500 people into two groups—a control group who did not read any op-eds but were asked about their positions on specific op-ed issues; and treatment groups of those who read op-eds from the NYT, WSJ, Newsweek and USA Today on various topics, like climate change and federal spending. Sixty-five to seventy percent of readers said they agreed with the author of the op-ed they read. Only 50% of the control group agreed with the author’s point.

The effect is not restricted to an uneducated audience, but it also goes for key opinion leaders. The study was also performed with a group of 2,000 “elite readers”: professors, politicians, journalists, thank, bankers and congressional staffers. The results were the same.

Writing Your Op-Ed

Step 1: choose your topic first; know your audience.

Before you start writing, you should identify your ideal publication and who the typical readers are for that publication.

Your piece might not end up in that specific publication, but it’s a good way to determine what the tone of the writing should be.

For example, if you’re writing for USA Today , you’ll be writing for a more general audience – anyone from a stay-at-home parent to a business traveler in a hotel.

If you want your piece to appear in The Washington Post , consider writing for politically-minded readers.

For the Wall Street Journal , your readers will probably be people well-versed in business and finance.

Read the outlets where you would like your op-ed to be published so you can get a sense of what topics they publish and what kind of writing they like.

STEP 2: MAKE IT CURRENT

Track the news for the topics that matter to you and think about tying your op-ed to something that’s happening in current events – for example, a political event, a study that’s just been released, or a change in the markets.

Besides news-of-the-day angles, you can also tie a piece to big-picture topics or challenges that are relevant to a modern audience – like taxes, retirement, or health care.

Remember that the news moves fast. If your op-ed is referencing something coming up – like a holiday or an election – try to write the piece as early as possible, before a publication’s slots on that topic fill up.

If you’re writing about something that has just happened, you’ll want to write and submit it as soon as possible – ideally within hours of an event’s occurrence. The ideal time to publish a piece about something that just happened is the day after the event.

In reality, your op-ed should fall into one of these three categories. Your title, or headline, should state this topic upfront so the reader knows exactly what to expect.

STEP 3: WRITE ABOUT WHAT YOU KNOW AND HAVE AN OPINION

It’s important to pick a topic you’re passionate about – if you care about what you’re writing about, your readers will too.

This topic can be something related to your work, but it could also be something you came across in your day-to-day life. If you’re writing as a representative of a company or organization, think about the issues that might help strengthen that organization’s profile.

Next, think about what take on that topic might catch a reader’s eye.

This could be a provocative or unexpected view on a current issue, a solution to a problem or challenge people face, or a new thought on a neglected subject.

If it’s a news headline, what is your unique take on it? If it’s a more general topic, think about why this issue is relevant to people right now.

Regardless of your take on a topic, your piece should always have an opinion or an argument. An op-ed is not simply an educational or explanatory literature.

Remember that it’s okay to use the first-person “I” voice in an op-ed.

Here are some examples of op-ed topics:

• Carbon offsets are not enough. Leaders need to change the way we work to address climate change. (Fast Company)
• The Great Reshuffle is over. Welcome to the Big Stay. (Fortune)
• Why this modified pig heart transplant is a huge deal. (CNN)
• Nuclear power could save air quality. At what cost to the water? (LA Times)

THE WRITING BASICS

Op-eds don’t have to follow the same structure or pattern, but generally, this is a good road map to follow:

STEP ONE: THE LEDE

The lede, also known as a hook, is the opening sentence of your op-ed. It is what will hook your reader and should describe the event, situation or issue that prompted you to write your op-ed in the first place.

This can be a recent headline, a new statistic, a surprising fact, or a personal story or observation. You’ll want to keep this in the first paragraph.

Your lede could be:

• Something that just happened, is happening or is coming up in current events. For example: "After the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling that a Colorado web developer may refuse to create wedding websites for same-sex couples, the implications of the decision are becoming clear." (AdAge)
• Recently-released research, for example, "A recent study by the Pew Research Center suggests that the content of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s seismic “I Have a Dream” speech is fading in Americans’ collective memory.” (USA Today)
• A generally relevant topic that people should take note of.
• A persona story or observation that’s relevant to your argument.

To read more examples of successful ledes, download our “How to Write an Op-Ed” guide.

STEP TWO: THE FIRST PARAGRAPH

Next, you’ll want to state your particular argument or opinion on this hook, and why it’s relevant to a reader. This should immediately follow the hook, and should be conveyed in one to two sentences within the first or second paragraph.

Here’s an example of a strong op-ed opening paragraph:

“A 40-year-old man arrives in my hospital’s emergency department, blue from not breathing. It takes several rounds of medication and ventilators to save his life. That same day on the medical wards, an overhead speaker pages a “rapid response” announcement to my elderly patient’s room; she cannot wake up. And down the hallway, a middle-age finance manager is causing a scene because he isn’t prescribed the IV medication he wants. All of these scenes happen on a daily basis, not just in my hospital but in those around the country. And all three of these patients’ ailments have the same cause: opioids .”

This op-ed, written by a physician about the opioid crisis, uses a storytelling tactic, setting the scene with strong details.

Another Example:

“More than 115 biotech companies have announced layoffs this year, on track to easily surpass 2022’s numbers. While this is not a new trend, the current trajectory is concerning, as it portends more difficult times ahead for the pharmaceutical industry–already in the midst of a major upheaval. It should also be another wake-up call to pharma executives: the old way of doing business needs to change–and urgently.”

In this op-ed, the author uses a statistic to establish authority, then tells you upfront what she’s going to talk about.

STEP THREE: SUPPORT YOUR OPINION

The middle, or body, of your op-ed is the part where you convince a reader why your argument or opinion is valid. This will take up the bulk of your piece and you should aim for 3-6 short paragraphs between your introduction and conclusion.

Each individual paragraph should be its own point and can utilize one of these example types.

You should always use specific examples to support your claims. These examples could be:

• Statistics (like results from research or surveys)
• Personal stories or anecdotes
• A story about a person affected by the issue
• Problems caused by the status quo
• Details about the solution you’re proposing
• Bullet points or a list, if you are offering multiple solutions

Here is an example of a supporting paragraph for an op-ed titled “As antisemitism rises, Holocaust education is a deeply personal topic for me” (USA Today)

“A 2018 MIT study found that false information travels six times faster on social media than the truth. This is alarming. It’s difficult enough for adults who are aware of what’s going on to make sense of it. Absent any protections, these young minds are navigating a minefield of information while still learning what truth is.”

Note how the author, who is arguing for the urgency of teaching students more dynamically about the Holocaust, establishes his authority by citing a reputable source.

Want to learn how to write an Op-Ed for the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA TODAY or other national news outlet?

STEP FOUR: CONCLUSION

In your last paragraph or last two paragraphs, remind readers why this issue should matter to them.

Your conclusion is an opportunity for you to really drive home your point and leave the reader with something that they can walk away with. There’s a good chance that your last words will be the one that your reader remembers, so use them to their full potential.

You conclusion can include a recap of a solution you’re proposing, provide advice or a recommendation.

Here are some real-life examples of all three potential endings:

• A recap of the solution you’re proposing: “As the number of Holocaust survivors and citizens of the world who lived through World War II dwindles, it is through stories, objects and memories that the Jewish people’s legacy lives on. Survivors like me need to know that our experiences have meaning and that our community cares about what becomes of us. To make sure atrocities such as the Holocaust never happen again, we need to keep these stories alive.” (LA Times)
• Advice or a recommendation: “Hot spot policing works. Focusing surveillance and resources on the small group of individuals who commit most of the violence works. Employing street outreach workers to engage with these individuals also works, when properly implemented. The best time to redouble these strategies is when violence is already on the decline, giving the police and community groups more time to be proactive.” (USA Today)
• A call to action: “Anyone in either party who aspires to national leadership must resist these teachers unions and do what’s right—fight for families’ right to self-determination, especially for poor children trapped in failing schools. In Pennsylvania, we will never give up on this battle.” (The Wall Street Journal)

STEP 5: REVIEW YOUR OP-ED

Besides checking for spelling, grammar and length, review your op-ed to make sure it’s clear and concise. The best way to do this is to ask someone who isn’t an expert in your topic to read it. Does it make sense to them? Are there areas that need more clarity? Another great way to review a piece of writing is to read it out loud. Often, our brains overlook errors when we are reading silently; when we read something out loud, we can more easily catch errors or sentences that need adjustments.

Op-Ed rejected?

Download our free PDF and learn 6 common reasons why editors pass on op-ed submissions.

Remember, when you’re writing an op-ed, have these three important things:

• Relevant topic
• Your own opinion
• Evidence to back it up.

This is the start to crafting a well-written, interesting op-ed that will catch the eye of editors and readers alike.

Op-eds are a way to communicate your individual voice, personality and opinion. They are an opportunity for you to write about issues you care about, tell a personal story or introduce a provocative idea to new audiences. Despite changes in media, op-eds are still published by most major publications, and they continue to be one of the best tools for thought leadership today.

Your opinion matters. Learn how to get yours heard.

Download our free guide that includes a bonus chapter.

Your opinion matters; let it be heard.

Download our free PDF guide on how to write an op-ed and get an additional bonus chapter.

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How to Write an Impactful Op-Ed

by The Writing Workshop | Feb 8, 2024 | Persuasive Writing

What is an op-ed?

An op-ed goes by many names—an editorial, opinion piece, commentary, page op, etc.—but it is, in essence, a piece of writing within the public view that expresses an informed opinion focused on a specific topic or problem. Op-eds are fairly new as a writing style, first coming to prominence in the early 1900s as a way to attract the public back to print news in the age of radio. Today, they serve a similar niche; newspapers face a budget crisis as readership is at an all-time low, and op-eds offer a low-cost solution to providing daily content that engages readers in a way that more traditional journalism simply can’t.

The modern op-ed writer is not restricted by occupation either; professors, politicians, researchers, and professionals use them to take control of the narrative on a given topic rather than entrusting social media and search algorithms to do the job. There is also a rising trend in the sciences to compliment research with op-eds to address limitations in their work that can lead to pervasive misinterpretations.

For example, in early 2023, Cochrane, an influential organization that collects databases and reviews research, published an ambiguously worded review of RCT studies on masking and hand washing that led to gross misinterpretations of the study’s conclusions, even by one of its authors . Researchers and epidemiologists, including the editor in chief at Cochrane , were quick to point out that the study did not come to a conclusion due to a lack of evidence alongside glaring inadequacies in the review . Given the mistrust in science that has permeated from Covid-19 misinformation, academics continue to dispel the significance of the article months after its original publication .

Why does this matter? Well, just like in research writing, where you are one piece of a larger puzzle contributing to the cannon of knowledge on a given topic, op-ed writing is about making a small yet meaningful contribution to this cannon using persuasion. Unfortunately, many of the tools used to purvey a greater understanding can also be used to distort and mislead. While there is certainly something to be said of the severity and degree to which misinformation impacts the public in a digital age (in an op-ed, perhaps?), it is just an amplification of the truth’s dependence on the status quo; your job as an op-ed writer is to add nuance to widely held assumptions by offering alternative opinions, evidence, and interpretations.

So where do you begin? Well for one, you need some expertise on the topic you are writing about; persuading your audience to believe something you don’t understand yourself would be both unethical and a poor reflection of your abilities. You will also need to understand who you are writing to and what they care about, so let’s start there!

Identifying your audience

Good writing always has an audience, but writing to a large group of folks, each with their own unique needs and beliefs, can often be difficult. Your job in an op-ed is to speak to the aligned values and attitudes of your audience.

• Do you speak to what is most important to your audience?
• Is there a clear benefit to reading your piece?
• Do you present information in a way that is new and interesting to the audience?
• Does your audience have biases or preconceptions about the issue? Can you manage them?
• How do you want your audience to react to this piece?
• Is the language appropriate?

Successful op-eds also capitalize on what the audience may know (or not) about the topic.

• What does your audience already know about the topic?
• Is there a varying level of knowledge or familiarity with your topic?
• Does your audience “know” because they trust that someone does?
• What is new to your audience?
• Do you present new information in a way that is easy to understand?
• Why does your audience not know this information?

All writers struggle to understand their audiences, but for op-eds, it’s a little easier. Given the popularity of op-eds in most US newspapers, you can look to what other writers do in their pieces to engage readers—just remember that the point of an op-ed is to challenge a prominent belief or interpretation, and if you write only to those who share your views, you will lose the hearts and minds of those open to a critical dialogue on the topic.

For more on understanding your reader’s unique needs, check out our post below!

Choosing a role

Everyone from professional journalists to professors and politicians—including the president—writes op-eds. There are plenty of reasons someone would be compelled to write an op-ed, but we think it’s useful to divide them into three distinct roles, listed below, that a policy professional will find themselves in at one time or another.

The Witness

The Witness offers a firsthand account of the problem, whether they experienced it themselves or witnessed it in action. Witnesses focus on the material and human costs, but the true power of their opinion lies in their testimony, often speaking truth to power and serving up a distinctly human-centered narrative of what’s going on. Witnesses should focus on creating a strong narrative that is representative of the problem and conveys the cost of ignoring it.

The Practitioner

The Practitioner occupies an important space between witness and expert. The practitioner experiences the problem secondhand—through aid or non-profit work, for example—but uses their insider knowledge to further educate their audience on its root causes, often moving from problem identification to a solutions-focused narrative. Practitioners are challenged to create short, effective narratives followed by evidence-based arguments to contextualize their observations; they should lean into their role and the credibility it provides but be cautious in appealing to themselves as an authority in place of evidence.

The Expert can be both a witness and/or practitioner (a practicing epidemiologist, for example), but their power lies in their extensive knowledge of the problem and the landscape in which it occurs. While it may seem easy for the experts, they are plagued with the “curse of knowledge” and challenged to write about complex ideas in way that an average reader will understand. Experts should lean into their extensive knowledge but be careful in presenting too many contingencies, caveats, and abstractions. Experts tend to jump around in their op-eds, which can often disorient a reader, so having a second set of eyes that represents their intended audience will always be helpful.

Once you’ve identified where you fall within this spectrum, it’s time to begin developing your argument.

The nuts and bolts of an op-ed

Structurally, an op-ed can be somewhat free-form, and there will be a lot of variation between different schools of writers (i.e. researchers, academics, journalists, activists, etc.), but a deductive structure is always a great starting point, even if you alter it after your essentials are in place. To start, focus on creating adequate context for your argument in the first paragraph—making sure to provide your reader with the essentials—and then move on to crafting a strong connection between that background information and your argument in the second paragraph. From there, go point by point, keeping in mind that journalists use line breaks more often than academic writers, dividing each piece of evidence along with its analysis into individual paragraphs rather than adjoining them to their topic sentence. For more on deductive structure, read our post below!

Every op-ed should have a clear purpose that can be intuited in the first few paragraphs. However, the central claim of an op-ed often differs from an academic thesis in that it requires some action on your reader’s part. You may want them to consider, reconsider, deny, approve, march, vote, or a whole host of other activities, but your argument should always move toward a call to action. Aside from being persuasive, your piece should also:

Those writing for monthly publications will have a little more flexibility here, but your central claim should have some degree of relation to what is going on right now . Maybe it’s that the problem has finally reached its tipping point, or that some event has made it front and center in the public eye, but whatever it is, it should activate existing knowledge in your audience. Regularly reading the news will be essential to your success in the op-ed space as readers are simply uninterested in rehashing the issues of the past or predictions of the future unless they are pertinent today.

Start with a leading sentence

Traditional journalists often write a setting sentence to start their feature pieces (i.e. “John Doe sits on his front porch looking at his latest bill from the doctor.”), but you have much more flexibility in an op-ed. The goal in your leading sentence should be to entice your audience into reading your piece while providing them with a general sense of the topic or problem. Check out a few examples below (UChicago students have unlimited access to the New York Times via the library page).

• The air pollution in Emma Lockridge’s community in Detroit was often so bad, she had to wear a surgical mask inside her house.
• Tyler Parish thinks of himself as “the last dinosaur.”
• What comes to mind when you think of a mom-and-pop small business: A hardware store? A diner? A family-run clothing store or small-scale supermarket?

Get to the point

Timing is everything in an op-ed. If you present your case for change too early, the reader might not have the background knowledge they need to understand or support it; however, if you wait too long, they may lose interest. Depending on your topic, your point—one main argument per piece being the standard—may come sooner or later, but it should always be clearly stated by the halfway mark.

In this recent piece by Peter Coy on commercial real estate in the New York Times , notice how quickly the author presents his point. He uses the first paragraph to contextualize new information that will be familiar to the audience while attaching the issue to the larger concern of a potential banking crisis, then uses the second paragraph to present his argument (skepticism in the Fed’s approach to inflation as it pertains to commercial real estate). The New York Times has covered domestic inflation on a daily basis, so Coy is both capitalizing on this existing knowledge while encouraging the reader to further invest by presenting nuance and evidence for it. While this piece is heavier on the jargon than we would recommend, it is to be expected when targeting a more specific group.

In contrast, this piece on antitrust law by the editorial board of the Washington Post uses the first few paragraphs to explain a more complex issue that the reader may not be familiar with given the current direction of the FTC. Their main claim—that this is a classic example of antitrust enforcement—comes later because readers may not understand how Google’s ad stack functions nor the alleged monopolistic behavior within that space.

Create a realistic call to action

While a policy maker, organization, or politician may be the one who implements change, be sure to include your audience in the call to action as they will be essential in pushing your decision-maker to action. For example, you might want a senator to support a bill that you think will institute change; in this case, you should think of the voters in their district and how you can make the value of your argument resonate with them through a boycott, petition, or other activist work. 

Adding counterpoints to increase credibility

Sometimes it helps to present an argument against your own, which can earn credibility from a skeptical audience or consideration from one that is potentially hostile. A counterpoint assures readers that you’ve considered both sides and wrestled with discordant data or situations that don’t neatly fit the narrative thus far. Basic and fair counterpoints rhetorically position you to make your strongest case before the close. Avoid choosing a weak or widely discredited claim as a counterpoint—often referred to as a “strawman” argument—and instead focus on summarizing the most prominent or pervasive criticism of your main point.

The rebuttal, on the other hand, refutes the counterpoint while introducing a subclaim that directly addresses it. In the case that a previous claim already addresses the counterpoint, do not repeat it verbatim; instead, expand on that point’s scope with additional analysis or evidence to accommodate the counterpoint.

Sign posting language will be a useful tool in writing a compelling and concise counterargument, so make use of language like:

• Some might argue that . . . However . . .
• While it can be said that . . .
• There is a widely held belief that . . .  but . . .

Counterarguments (the counterpoint plus the rebuttal) should come at the end of your piece, right before the conclusion. If your piece contains a call to action, make sure to set yourself up for success in your counterargument (a good sign post to add in this case is “that is why . . .”).

Counterarguments can also be the focus of an op-ed when a belief about a given topic has become fallacious or dangerous to public discourse—a phenomena all too common in our current age. Politicians will often use these longform critiques to respond to opponents during election cycles, but in light of controversial bills and rulings within the United States, many have stepped up to the soapbox to dispel common myths and misinformation about a whole host of issues.

We think a recent op-ed on the value of the humanities in higher education by Professor John Keck did this exceptionally. Notice how he uses his first paragraph to build context through timeliness, capitalizing on the recent comments surrounding Texas’s HCR 64, an immigration bill, and their unwarranted criticism of higher education. As he progresses through his critique, he gradually reorients his reader to his home state and the work that he does there, navigating his role of the expert while utilizing the tools of the practitioner to give his narrative a distinctly human focus.

Using a behavioral framework to better persuade your audience

Knowing your target audience’s priorities, values, and concerns will help you craft an argument that is most likely to resonate with them. To better analyze how a given policy narrative might strike our potential readers, we can use insights from social-psychological theories like the Moral Foundations Theory, which was developed by Jonathan Haidt and colleagues to explain how individuals’ moral values are shaped by their cultural, social, and evolutionary contexts. Moral Foundations Theory won’t reveal exactly how your audience will react to your argument for change, but no theory can. At the Writing Workshop, we like to think of these social-psychological theories as additional tools in your kit to help you make quicker and better informed decisions about the arguments, evidence, and language you use within your piece rather than empirical frameworks you can apply with certainty.

If you are interested in acquiring other tools to help you become more persuasive, we recommend checking out the work of Paul Slovic and Daniel Kahneman as well. For further reading on Moral Foundations Theory, check out our post below:

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Writing Studio

How to write an op-ed.

These tips are based on an “ On Writing ” panel hosted by the Writing Studio and the Russell G. Hamilton Graduate Leadership Institute on November 20, 2019 that included Professor of Communications Bonnie Dow, Assistant Vice Chancellor of Strategic Communications Ian Morrison, Professor of History Moses Ochonu, and Associate Professor of Earth and Environmental Science Jonathan Gilligan.

Why Write an Op-Ed in Graduate School?

As our panelists pointed out, writing op-eds can be a useful exercise, even an important piece of academic training.

It can be a way for you to take your research, your expertise, and communicate to the public and make an engagement with people who aren’t in the academic world, regardless of where the op-ed is placed.

Writing an op-ed, in other words, is a way of practicing, or putting your effort into saying, “My work matters.”

Know Your Audience

“Really take the time to think about, where am I trying to place this? Who are their readers? How do they want to hear this? What is going to grab their attention?” – Ian Morrison

As an op-ed writer your audience is twofold: you need to think about both the publisher’s attention—for which you will be competing with thousands of other submissions—as well as the reader’s. For this reason, an attention-grabbing first paragraph, if not first sentence, is paramount.

It also helps to think about the role of opinion pages: as a forum for opinion, they create conversations that live beyond the pages of the publication in which they originally appear. In other words, op-eds seek to amplify the discussion.

Really take the time to think about where you are trying to place the op-ed, who the readers are, what and how do they want to hear this, and what is going to grab their attention. At the same time, aim to be interesting and relevant. You need to address issues in the public conversation.

Organization and Style

“Examples and anecdotes engage readers. Opening with an example, an anecdote, or with a startling statistic works really well at the top of an op-ed.” – Bonnie Dow

Short paragraphs—two to three sentences, maybe four—are a must. If you submit traditional academic paragraphs, you risk having them shortened by the publisher in ways you don’t like. You might end up with something that doesn’t make sense to you. So keep your paragraphs short.

Use structure to build to your point. In other words, make the paragraphs do the work of transitions and previews for you. Instead of saying “first,” “second,” or “third” in op-eds, start a new paragraph when you want to say something.

Use short, punchy, declarative sentences. This will help you stick to the word limit and avoid a situation in which the publisher chops up the piece for you. You absolutely want to maintain control of your own message. Be wary of semicolons or colons; if you need the latter, your sentences are probably too long. Use active rather than passive writing.

Content and Accuracy

“If you’re looking for places to have an impact, look at all the media that you can engage with. The op-ed is one specific thing, and it is one specific writing style, and one specific medium.” –Jonathan Gilligan

Think about your goals and your narrative. Ask yourself, does it fit with other op-eds I’ve read? Can I accomplish my goals using this structure of writing? Remember: don’t under-qualify things. Factual accuracy is incredibly important. If you write an op-ed and you oversimplify, your words are out there permanently.

Avoid giving the wrong impression of too much certainty that comes from blunting nuance or veering close to misrepresentation (even if there is wiggle-room for justification). That’s part of the struggle: strive for simplicity, be punchy, but make sure that you are willing to stand behind exactly what you said the way you said it with your reputation as a scholar.

And remember: Always proofread, proofread, proofread!

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Expert Commentary

How to write an op-ed or column

Tip sheet on formulating, researching, writing and editing news opinion articles.

Republish this article

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License .

by The Journalist's Resource, The Journalist's Resource January 28, 2013

This <a target="_blank" href="https://journalistsresource.org/home/how-to-write-an-op-ed-or-column/">article</a> first appeared on <a target="_blank" href="https://journalistsresource.org">The Journalist's Resource</a> and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.<img src="https://journalistsresource.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/cropped-jr-favicon-150x150.png" style="width:1em;height:1em;margin-left:10px;">

The following is reprinted courtesy of Jeffrey Seglin , lecturer in public policy and director of the Harvard Kennedy School Communications Program :

An op-ed piece derives its name from originally having appeared opposite the editorial page in a newspaper. Today, the term is used more widely to represent a column that represents the strong, informed and focused opinion of the writer on an issue of relevance to a targeted audience.

Distinguishing characteristics of an op-ed or column

Partly, a column is defined by where it appears, but it shares some common characteristics:

• Typically, it is short, between 750 and 800 words.
• It has a clearly defined point.
• It has a clearly defined point of view.
• It represents clarity of thinking.
• It contains the strong, distinctive voice of the writer.

Questions to ask yourself when writing an op-ed or column

• Do I have a clear point to make? If so, what is it?
• Who cares? (Writing with a particular audience in mind can inform how you execute your column. Who is it that you are trying to convince? Why are you targeting that specific reader?)
• Is there substance to my argument?

Topic and theme

Every successful op-ed piece or column must have a clearly defined topic and theme.

• The topic is the person, place, issue, incident or thing that is the primary focus of the column. The topic is usually stated in the first paragraph.
• The theme is the big, overarching idea of the column. What’s your point in writing about the chosen topic and why is it important? The theme may appear early in the piece or it may appear later when it may also serve as a turning point into a deeper level of argument.

While columns and op-ed pieces allow writers to include their own voice and express an opinion, to be successful the columns must be grounded in solid research. Research involves acquiring facts, quotations, citations or data from sources and personal observation. Research also allows a reader to include sensory data (touch, taste, smell, sound or sight) into a column. There are two basic methods of research:

• Field research: going to the scene, interviews, legwork; primary materials, observations, and knowledge.
• Library, academic, or internet research: using secondary materials, including graphs, charts, and scholarly articles.

Openings and endings

The first line of an op-ed is crucial. The opening “hook” may grab the reader’s attention with a strong claim, a surprising fact, a metaphor, a mystery, or a counter-intuitive observation that entices the reader into reading more. The opening also briefly lays the foundation for your argument.

Similarly, every good column or op-ed piece needs a strong ending that fulfills some basic requirements. It:

• Echoes or answers introduction.
• Has been foreshadowed by preceding thematic statements.
• Is the last and often most memorable detail.
• Contains a final epiphany or calls the reader to action.

There are two basic types of endings. An “open ending” suggests rather than states a conclusion, while a “closed ending” states rather than suggests a conclusion. The closed ending in which the point of the piece is resolved is by far the most commonly used.

Having a strong voice is critical to a successful column or op-ed piece. Columns are most typically conversational in tone, so you can imagine yourself have a conversation with your reader as you write (a short, focused conversation). But the range of voice used in columns can be wide: contemplative, conversational, descriptive, experienced, informative, informed, introspective, observant, plaintive, reportorial, self-effacing, sophisticated or humorous, among many other possibilities.

Sometimes what voice you use is driven by the publication for which you are writing. A good method of developing your voice is to get in the practice of reading your column or op-ed out loud. Doing so gives you a clear sense of how your piece might sound – what your voice may come off as – to your intended reader.

Revision checklist

Below are some things to remember as you revise your op-ed or column before you submit it for publication. You should always check:

• Coherence and unity.
• Simplicity.
• Voice and tone. Most are conversational; some require an authoritative voice.
• Direct quotations and paraphrasing for accuracy.
• That you properly credit all sources (though formal citations are not necessary).
• The consistency of your opinion throughout your op-ed or column.

Further resources

Below are links to some online resources related to op-ed and column writing:

• The Op-Ed Project is a terrific resource for anyone looking to strengthen their op-ed writing. It provides tips on op-ed writing, suggestions about basic op-ed structure, guidelines on how to pitch op-ed pieces to publications, and information about top outlets that publish op-eds. Started as an effort to increase the number of women op-ed writers, The Op-Ed Project also regularly runs daylong seminars around the country.
• “How to Write an Op-Ed Article,” which was prepared by David Jarmul, Duke’s associate vice president for news and communications, provides great guidelines on how to write a successful op-ed.
• “How to Write Op-Ed Columns,” which was prepared by The Earth Institute at Columbia University, is another useful guide to writing op-eds. It contains a useful list of op-ed guidelines for top-circulation newspapers in the U.S.
• “And Now a Word from Op-Ed,” offers some advice on how to think about and write op-eds from the Op-Ed editor of The New York Times .

Author Jeffrey Seglin is a lecturer in public policy and director of the Harvard Kennedy School Communications Program .

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Op Ed Essay Made Easy: Example And Topics From Experts

Do you have an op ed essay task but no idea how to go about it? You are not alone because a lot of people get stuck even before starting. Whether the trouble is in picking good op ed essay ideas or do not understand the right format to use, we are here to help.

This post is a comprehensive guide on how to write an op ed essay. Keep reading to find out more about the best op ed essay format and useful writing tips. To cap it all, we have listed the best 60 op ed topics for essay.

Table Of Contents

Op-Ed Essay Definition

How to write a good op ed essay, op ed essay example, writing an op ed essay: a step-by-step guide, top op ed essay writing tips, interesting op ed essay ideas.

Before looking at how to write a good op ed essay, it is crucial to start by answering the question, “What is it?” Traditionally, it is an opinion piece, mainly used in print media, appearing opposite the editorial page (hence the name “op-ed). These are essays done by authors who are not affiliated with the publisher and are used to provide an opinion to provoke discussion and thought among the readers.

Op-ed essays are slightly longer than the common letter to the editor and have become very common in both print and digital media. Because they offer expert opinions, it is important to start by learning how they are done by reading other top op ed essay examples in specific areas. However, most people still find using op ed examples essay not be enough and opt to seek essay writing help.

When writing an op ed essay, perhaps the most important thing is getting the right topic because it shapes the opinion that you will work on. Try to dig deeper into the topic and answer the question, “What is the latest trend about it?”

Like a standard essay, it is crucial to start your work by developing a good essay structure. Here is the most preferred op ed essay format, but you can also develop a different one.

A news hook. Thesis. Argument. 1 st point. 2 nd point. 3 rd point. Address counterarguments Op ed essay conclusion.

This Op ed is based on the article “Trump, and Great Business Ideas for America”. This is an economic review posted by Shiller Robert in the New York Times. The article mainly discuss the ideas that the new president elect of the United States of America, Donald Trump has on the nation. In essence, the people are hopeful that he will transform the nation’s economy since is a leader who has been in business and management for various years. Economists consider that this is an experiment that will prove whether the skills and techniques of a manager can be vital in enhancing the economy of a nation. Therefore, because of his success in business the Americans are expected that the economy will substantially improve. For Donald Trump, it is vital to be keen on the steps that he will take since people are expecting too much from him especially regarding economy.

Classical School

School of thoughts plays a vital role in the today’s economy. In essence, there are several ways in which the school of thoughts is applied mainly to enhance and solve economic challenges. Therefore, it is imperative to inform the members of the public the need to apply economic school of thoughts to enhance the economy. One of the major commonly use economic school of thoughts is the classical tool. The classical school of thought is regarded as the first economic school of thought that was developed by a Scottish economist Adam Smith. Hunt asserts that the main argument of the school is that the best way to enhance economy is to leave the markets alone (2). In this case, it means that the government had a minimal role to play. This means that the classical economic thought advocated for a free market that involves minimal or no rules. Thus, regarding explaining the value of the classical school, the determining factors were cost of production and scarcity. Concerning macro economy, there are self-re adjustment terms that allow the economy to automatically return to full employment.

Neoclassical School of Economics

This is a school of thought that emerged mainly as an improvement of the classical theory of economics. The school is also currently referred to as the marginal revolution. However, as an advancement of the classical school the theory left various aspects. Some of the most common aspects that were dropped include the value theory and the distribution of wealth in the society. As a result, neoclassical approach focuses on the strategies that promote effective allocation of scarce resources in the various markets. In that connection, there is a great emphasis on how various participants in the market such as the customers and producers utilize the function of utility and production. To achieve success in such markets, they must consider factors such as budgets and constraints. This is the main reason the neoclassical theory introduced the mechanism of maximizing utility and it challenge of cost minimization.

In addition to the above, the neoclassical school of thought can be defined as the theory that emphasizes the efficacy of the products and how it affects the market in terms of supply and demand. In essence, it is clear that the markets are based on the customers due to their control of the market forces such as price and demand. This is mainly because the goal of the consumer is utility maximization whereas the role of the goal of the business is to enhance profits. In that connection, there is a great emphasis on how various participants in the market such as the customers and producers utilize the function of utility and production.

The Theorist That Supports the Human Behavior School of Thought

Landreth and Colander confirm that Elton Mayo is the theorist who best supports this school of thought. Various principles are emphasized by the school of thought (10). One of the most important policies is employee motivation. By accepting diversity, managers demonstrate his management skill of motivating the employees to enhance their performance. The second principle of behavioral school of thought is leadership. This can be explained by the fact that managers can enable to adapt to internal changes swiftly. As well, the other principle of the theory is employee development. The management styled established by managers should ensure that employee development supports the people-focused strategy.

In conclusion, it is elemental to note that the economic school of thoughts may vary in one way or another. However, all these schools of thoughts such as the classical thought and the behavioral schools should be employed to enhance economic growth and development. There are various assumptions that are made in the neoclassical school of thought. One of the major assumption is that the decisions that are made are usually rational due to the availability of completed information about the product and service. The second assumption is that customers compare the available products and services in the market with the primary objective of making effective deceived based on utility. The third and most crucial assumption of the neoclassical economic school is that the primary objective of business is to maximize on profit making. On the contrary, customer’s main objective is to have improved satisfaction while using the service or product. Therefore, as the new president elect of the United States of America takes office he must ensure that the right polices are implemented to enhance economy. Otherwise, improving US economy might be a great challenge to overcome.

After developing the preferred structure for your essay, it is time to write a high-quality piece to impress readers. It might be a great idea to closely check another top op-ed essay example to learn how different components are put through.

• Develop a News Hook

Because an op ed essay is designed for the media, it is crucial to target a trending topic in the local, national, or global headlines. The first few sentences should also grab the reader’s attention, making him/her want to read more. During the just-concluded presidential elections, some topics revolving around the violence on the capitol, the American voting system, and the policy shift between outgoing President Trump and incoming President Joe Biden, would have been excellent.

• Tune Your Op Ed Essay to Match the Targeted Audience

If you read a high-rated op ed essay sample, one of the most notable things is the focus on a specific audience. For example, local print media might be targeted at providing insights on how wearing face masks affect the spread of COVID-19. So, it will be a great idea to try and understand the audience.

• Understand the Targeted Publication

As we have mentioned, op ed essays are written pieces of opinion, but they must follow the rules and guidelines of the targeted media. This means that although you might have a lengthy piece, it has to be cut to size to fit the recommended number of words for the respective media. Other attributes include a sense of style, level, image size and font.

• Back-Up Your Arguments with Facts

While it is true that you are writing a personal opinion, it is paramount to ensure it is based on facts. Once you bring out key arguments, try to incorporate data and statistics to reinforce them. Go ahead and use historical facts to bolster the case. Counterarguments can also help you to sound more professional and avoid bias.

• Use the O p Ed Essay Conclusion to Call Readers to Action

After articulating all the points in your essay, you should not leave readers hanging. Well, if you were discussing a very serious issue, be it the COVID-19 vaccine or the danger of the latest video games, the conclusion should be used to call readers to action. For example, you can ask people to go and get the vaccine, select non-violent games, speak against school bullying, or other actions.

The following op ed essay writing tips will come in handy to help you to stay focused, sharpen your skills, and craft top-notch work.

Try to make the op-ed essay as clear as possible. Even if you are working on a complex topic, it might be a good idea to ditch the complex words or explain them well when they appear in your essay. Take your time practicing how to write a good op ed essay. Particularly, it can be a good idea to check another op ed essay sample done by a professional and try crafting a better piece. Make sure to follow the guidelines for the essay you are writing strictly. These include the essay structure, number of words, style, font, and other formatting particulars. Proofread your work well. Once you are through working on your essay, make sure to proofread it well and clear all sorts of errors. You might also want to seek the assistance of expert writers when proofreading the work.

Top 30 Op Ed Topics for Essay

Now that we have looked at what is an op ed essay and tips for making it outstanding, what are some of the best topics to consider? Check out our top 60 op ed essay topics and pick the preferred option. You can use op ed essay ideas as they are or tweak a little to suit your preference.

There is nothing as enjoyable as writing a good op ed essay about a topic that you like . Here are some interesting op ed essay ideas to consider:

• Are professional athletes and actors paid too much for their work?
• Should we have a specific dress code for teachers in school?
• Nuclear weapons: Are they killing devices or global peacemakers?
• The bulk of high-level jobs are done by men. Should the government set a specific percentage of these jobs for women?
• What are the impacts of inaccurate sleep patterns?
• What factors contribute to the development of a good movie?
• Death penalty: Should it be abolished globally?
• What age should be considered appropriate for dating?
• Voting age: Should it be lowered to 11 years?

Top Op Ed essay ideas on Environment and Conservation

If you love the environment and conservation, here are some awesome op ed essay ideas.

• Use of animals in scientific research: Up to what extent is it acceptable?
• Zoos are often considered necessary, but they cannot be alternatives to natural environments.
• Are we doing enough to protect endangered animals?
• Is it impossible to address global warming?
• Facing the facts: Is it possible for the globe to entirely rely on green energy?
• Why do most governments hide their information on global warming?
• Are the benefits of electric cars worth the huge investments being directed into the industry?
• Explore the main arguments for or against keeping animals in zoos.
• What are the effects of whaling in the sea?
• Should we develop technology to bring back extinct animals, such as dinosaurs?

Education-Related Op-Ed Essay Topics

Education is one of the broad areas, meaning that identifying some good topics for your essay can be challenging. To help you out, here are some excellent topics suggestions.

• Should girls and boys be taught in separate classes?
• Imagine your geography teacher wants to take your class for a different subject and she is taking suggestions from students. What subjects should she pick? Write an essay supporting your decision.
• Has the modern generation become too dependent on computers?
• Should we replace all the textbooks with tablet computers?
• Should wealthy countries be compelled to share their wealth with poorer nations?
• Space exploration: Is it a worthy undertaking?
• Should we abolish all forms of punishment in schools?
• Using Homework in schools: Should it be abolished?
• College violence: Is it related to video games.
• Should students who are talented in sports go to school?
• Distance learning in modern education: Comparing the pros and cons.
• Students grading their teachers: Should it be allowed in schools?
• Should smartphones be allowed in elementary schools?
• If you had a chance to bring one person to a place that is so special, who would that be?

Culture Opinion Essay Opinion Essay Ideas

Here are some great cultural opinion essay topics to consider for your work.

• The bulk of 21 st -century fashion can result in serious eating disorders.
• Music and generation gap.
• Should a tax be placed on all junk to address the problem of obesity?
• If we wake up and found that the world has no rules and government, what would it be like?
• Online video and music streaming: What are the associated pros and cons?
• Anti-war culture in the 21 st century.
• Is fashion important?
• Should all companies screen their employees for mental disorders?
• Is the internet helping or destroying companies today?
• Online communications: A demonstration of how it affects physical relationships.

History Op Ed Essay Topics

Check out the leading op ed essay topics in history.

• Monarchy system in modern society: Does it have any benefits?
• The benefits of learning history
• Comparing Buddhism and Islam.
• Gender bias in the Roman Empire?
• Holocaust: How were the lessons learned used to shape modern-day Israel?
• Vietnam War: A closer look at the bias in media coverage.
• Slave Trade: Imagining a new world if the slave trade never took place.
• The distortion of Martin Luther King’s message today.
• Should the history of World War I and II be abolished to espouse a new globe?

Nursing and Psychology Op Ed Topics for Essay

If you are in nursing, medicine or psychology-related areas, here are some great easy ideas to consider:

• Why nurses and physicians should have very close cooperation.
• How effective is WHO in addressing global pandemics?
• Herbal practitioners and traditional medicine: Are they the same?
• Causes of racial bias in healthcare.
• Physical education and its role in reducing anxiety.
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders (PTSD): What are the best solutions?
• Nursing theorists: Are they relevant in nursing studies today?
• Legalization of cannabis use: Is it a good idea?

Time to Seek Writing Assistance

Now that we have provided a step-by-step guide to writing quality op ed essays, can you craft one? If it is still challenging, you need to keep trying, but how do you craft the op ed essay at hand? You should consider seeking essay writing help from experts.

Good custom essay firms work with professional writers in different areas and can craft some of the best pieces. Indeed, they are likely to have handled similar tasks before, and you can count on them for excellent essays. You will also love the fact that essay writing help is cheap, and your task can be completed very fast. With professionals, no writing task is too tough!

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What Is an Op-Ed Article?

Definition & Examples of an Op-Ed Article and How to Write One

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An opinion piece was traditionally published in print media opposite the editorial page (hence the term "op-ed"). These articles generally come from an author not affiliated with the media publisher and are used to publish an opinion that is meant to create thought and discussion among readers.

Sometimes people or organizations in positions of influence, respect, social status, or expertise need assistance writing and effectively communicating their educated opinions. Often, they turn to freelance writers for assistance.

What Is an Op-Ed?

Generally, op-eds are used to reflect opinions of an author or group. They are usually longer than a regular letter to the editor , often being written by a subject matter expert or otherwise notable person with the qualifications to have an opinion (or written by someone else for them).

A freelancer will sometimes be used as a ghostwriter—writing using someone else's byline. Additionally, public relations firms often write these articles, in attempts to forward an agenda. The op-ed is then published in a spot where it will be noticed, either in the traditional spot opposite the editorial in printed media, or somewhere on a website where viewers will see it.

These opinion pieces are relevant articles written to address popular or unknown issues, or in response to opinions expressed elsewhere.

Often, a biographical paragraph or two accompanies the piece to lend credence to it and the author. Sometimes, a photo of the author accompanies the piece in the biography portion.

If you are a freelance writer and have found a client who needs an op-ed written, there are a few key concepts you should use when submitting an opinion article. You'll have to be clear on the opinion, know how to hook the readers, understand the audience, back up the opinion with facts, follow any formatting rules, and give the readers a call to action.

How to Write an Op-Ed

The client will generally dictate the opinion for you, and give you the main points they would like to have covered. You may have written for them for a long time and are familiar with their opinions—it still helps to be sure that you understand their goals and thoughts on the issues, as opinions and outlooks can change over time.

Own the Opinion

When you are given someone else's opinion to write about, it can be difficult to agree with it. One problem ghostwriters have is not agreeing with a topic they are writing about which can cause problems writing an effective piece. You want to assume an adopting role of the opinion until the work is finished, which can allow you to write better for the entity you are creating content for.

Know what the desired effect of the op-ed is—whether it be a call to action, or a call for further thought. This will give you an idea of how you can sway or reinforce the reader's thoughts on the topic.

Start With a Hook

Your reader is going to make a decision within the first few sentences whether or not the piece is worth reading. It's a good idea to start by introducing the issue along with a story that personalizes it. Be brief and make sure the hook is relevant to the issue. For example, if you have witnessed a violent crime, and the op-ed supports measures to reduce crimes, you could briefly tell a story about it to make it relatable.

Aim Correctly

Be familiar with theaudience—think of who reads the medium the article will be published on, and who reads about the issue you're addressing. This might assist you in making decisions about the kinds of words you use (e. g., technical terms or jargon), or what kinds of stories you tell.

Avoid industry-speak and jargon to reduce topic confusion and audience limitation. Explain concepts to broaden the understanding for readers that are not industry experts.

Opinions need evidence and support. Generally, data and statistics are used to reinforce the points being made. Historical facts and figures can be used to help bolster the case being made as well.

Follow the Formatting Rules

It's important to follow the style guidelines and word count given by the publication the piece is going to be published in. This reduces the amount of editing that may be needed to get the article up to par and reduces the time spent going back and forth between you, your client, and their publisher.

End With Action

Don't leave your readers wondering what comes next, or what they can do about a particular issue. You should leave them with a call to action, and give them some actions they can take. For example, if the issue is supported by candidates running for office, you might tell your readers to cast their votes for the candidate in their district that reflects the opinion in the article.

Key Takeaways

• Op-eds are opinion based articles.
• These pieces are sometimes contracted out to freelancers for ghostwriting.
• Op-eds should be backed with facts, figures, and statistics to be credible.
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• Writing & Media

Writing Effective Op-Eds

Do you have an interesting opinion to share? If you can express it clearly and persuasively in an op-ed article, you may reach millions of people, sway hearts, change minds and perhaps even reshape public policy. In the process, you may also earn recognition for yourself and your department, all for less effort than it takes to write a professional journal article.

University Communications has a strong record of placing op-ed articles in many of the nation’s leading news outlets. Our team developed these guidelines to help you write an article that media outlets may accept for publication.

As you think about writing opinion pieces, please keep in mind that competition is fierce at top opinion outlets such as The New York Times and the Washington Post. That’s never been truer than right now, so it’s smart to remain flexible regarding where your piece may land.

If you’re a faculty member with an idea in the works, please reach out for guidance to the communicator in your school or unit, or contact Eric Ferreri at University Communications, to improve your chances of success.

Track the news and jump at opportunities.  Timing is critical. When an issue is dominating the news — whether it’s a war, a stock market panic or just the latest controversy on a reality TV show — that’s what readers want to read and op-ed editors want to publish. Whenever possible, link your issue explicitly to something happening in the news. If you’re a researcher studying cancer, for instance, start off by discussing the celebrity who died yesterday. Or, look ahead to a holiday or anniversary a week from now that will provide a fresh news peg (and enable editors to plan the story in advance).

Limit the article to 750 words.

Make a single point, and do it well.  You cannot solve all of the world’s problems in 750 words. Be satisfied with making a single point clearly and persuasively. If you cannot explain your message in a sentence or two, you’re trying to cover too much.

Put your main point on top.   You have no more than 10 seconds to hook a busy reader, which means you shouldn’t “clear your throat” with a witticism or historical aside. Get to the point and convince the reader that it’s worth his or her valuable time to continue.

Tell readers why they should care.  Put yourself in the place of the busy person looking at your article. At the end of every few paragraphs, ask out loud: “So what? Who cares?” Will your suggestions help reduce readers’ taxes? Protect them from disease? Make their children happier? Explain why.

Offer specific recommendations:

• An op-ed is not a news story that simply describes a situation; it is your opinion about how to improve matters.
• An op-ed is not a journal article. It needs to be personal–both in terms of having your personal voice and perspective come through, and also in covering a topic that is personal to the readers.
• Don’t be satisfied, as you might be in a classroom, with mere analysis. Op-eds are, by definition, opinions and they should advocate persuasively for something. How exactly should your state protect its environment, or the White House change its foreign policy or parents choose healthier foods for their children? You’ll need to do more than call for “more research!” or suggest that opposing parties work out their differences. The best opinion pieces have a clear, persuasive and well-argued call to action. They should answer the question: What do you want the reader to do, think or feel as a result of your piece?

Showing is better than discussing.  You may remember the Pentagon’s overpriced toilet seat that became a symbol of profligate federal spending. You probably don’t recall the total Pentagon budget for that year (or for that matter, for the current year). That’s because we humans remember colorful details better than dry facts. When writing an op-ed article, therefore, look for great examples that will bring your argument to life.

Embrace your personal voice.  The best of these examples will come from your own experience.  If you are a physician, describe the plight of one of your patients, and then tell us how this made you feel personally. If you’ve worked with poor families, tell a story about one of them to help argue your point. In so doing, your words will ring truer and the reader will care more about what you are saying.

Use short sentences and paragraphs.  Look at op-ed articles in your target outlet and count the number of words per sentence, then use the same style, relying mainly on simple declarative sentences. Cut long paragraphs into two or more shorter ones.

Avoid jargon.  If a technical detail is not essential to your argument, don’t use it. When in doubt, leave it out. Simple language doesn’t mean simple thinking; it means you are being considerate of readers who want to learn something by reading your piece.

Use the active voice.  Don’t write: “It is hoped that [or: One would hope that] the government will …” Instead, say “I hope the government will …” Active voice is nearly always better than passive voice. It’s easier to read, and it leaves no doubt about who is doing the hoping, recommending or other action.

Avoid tedious rebuttals.  If you’ve written your article in response to an earlier piece that made your blood boil, avoid the temptation to prepare a point-by-point rebuttal. It makes you look petty. It’s likely that readers didn’t see the earlier article and, if they did, they’ve probably forgotten it. So, just take a deep breath, mention the earlier article once and argue your own case. If you really need to rebut the article, forego an op-ed article and instead write a letter to the editor, which is more appropriate for this purpose.

Acknowledge the other side.  Op-ed authors sometimes make the mistake of piling on one reason after another why they’re right and their opponents are wrong. Opinions that acknowledge the ways in which their opponents are right come across as more credible and balanced. When you see experienced op-ed authors saying “to be sure,” that’s what they’re doing.

Make your ending a winner.  In addition to having a strong opening paragraph to hook readers, it’s also important to summarize your argument in a strong final paragraph. That’s because many casual readers scan the headline, skim the opening and then read the final paragraph and byline. In fact, many columnists conclude with a phrase or thought that appeared in the opening.

Relax and have fun.  Remember that an op-ed article is not an exercise in solemnity. Opinion editors despair of weighty articles  and delight in an academic writer who chooses examples from “Entertainment Tonight” as well as from eminent authorities.

Don’t worry about the headline.  The newspaper will write its own headline. You can suggest one, but don’t spend a lot of time worrying about it.

Offer graphics.  If you have a terrific illustration, photo, video or other asset that might accompany your article, alert the editor when you send it.

How to submit an article.  Almost all outlets now post guidelines about how they prefer to receive op-ed submissions. In general, they provide an e-mail address where you can submit the article electronically, but check first. Always be sure to include your contact information, and say whether you have a photo of yourself available.

Where to submit the article.   The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal–as well as other national publications such as USA Today–receive a staggering number of submissions, the overwhelming majority of which are rejected. Think about the audience that will most benefit from hearing your argument and tailor your submission plan accordingly.

Regardless of where you send it, you will fare best with arguments that are provocative, humorous, personal or unexpected.

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Sample WR 120 Assignment: Op-ed

Use, or adapt, the following to structure an op-ed (or “guest essay”) assignment as an alternative genre assignment to an academic paper in WR 120 or another class.

To analyze one or more model op-eds; to argue effectively for a point or claim in the context of an op-ed, while providing evidence and considering the needs of your readers; to reflect on the similarities and differences between op-eds and academic papers in terms of argument, structure, and style.

argument-driven paper; genre; claim

Part 1: Pre-writing–Activate background knowledge and analyze the genre

• In your own words, what’s an op-ed?
• What was your previous exposure to this genre?
• What other genres beyond an academic essay is it similar to, and in what ways?
• What other genres beyond an academic essay is it different from, and in what ways?
• What is potentially interesting about writing an op-ed?
• What is potentially challenging about writing one?
• Who is the author, beyond their name? How is the author’s identity relevant to their topic and/or argument?
• What periodical published this op-ed? What might that suggest about the intended audience?
• What specific sub-topic does the op-ed address, and what is the author’s argument about this topic?
• How does the author begin (what strategies)?
• How does the author use evidence (what strategies)?
• How does the author end (what strategies)?
• How would you characterize the author’s tone, diction, and/or style? What connections are there between these elements and the author’s argument and/or audience?
• Share the op-ed you found with the entire class or a small group, and discuss your group’s op-eds together after having read or skimmed each: What struck you about these op-eds, taken together as a group? What do you notice about them as a genre?
• Discuss the background material on op-eds that you read in preparation for this assignment: What were some useful tips for writing op-eds that you and your groupmates encountered?
• Think about how you feel as you prepare to write an op-ed of your own: What is exciting about the process? What seems challenging about it? What ideas do you have for how to get started?

Part 2: Write and revise

• Write a 700-1000-word (hard limits on both ends) essay appropriate for the op-ed or “guest essay” genre.
• Address a specific aspect of our topic that is both important and timely (you might need to argue for one or both of those qualities, as they may not be obvious to your readers).
• Make a specific, unique, well-supported, and logical argument about your topic, quoting from, summarizing, and/or referring to at least one of the authors we have read and discussed this semester, in addition to any other examples, evidence, or personal experiences you wish to include. Hint: Keep track of all the sources and websites you are looking at as you think more about your topic. Some of these you might want to link to from the text of your op-ed.
• Use key features of the op-ed genre that we have discussed in class, including a strong opening, short and punchy paragraphing, an acknowledgment of alternative points of view, and a “should” statement near the end of your essay.
• Consider your intended audience when making rhetorical decisions, such as about how much background information to include, what kind of counter-arguments to address, or what tone and what kind of diction to use.
• Share your paper in storyboard and/or draft form with your classmates , discussing each other’s work in light of what you know about the op-ed genre and how effectively each essay communicates its point to its audience.
• Revise your essay, working on your headline and author “blurb” and your acknowledgment of sources ( fact-checking memo ) as you go.

Part 3: Final reflections–Reflect and transfer skills

• Look back at the process of writing your op-ed. Before you started writing it, what did you think would be hardest or most challenging about it, and why? How did your final experience match up to your expectations? What unanticipated challenges did you run into while writing/revising your op-eds, and how did you handle these?
• Think about what the most satisfying thing about writing your op-ed was, and why. What worked well in the final version of your essay, and how did you get to this point?
• Reflect on what it was like to write something other than an academic paper for this assignment. Would you like to write more op-eds, or other alternate genres (i.e., things other than standard academic papers)? Why or why not? What, in your opinion, are the two most important differences between op-eds and academic essays, and how did those differences affect your process of writing the op-ed?
• Consider that you will need to transition back to writing more academic papers in other classes: What two or more things did you work on in the process of writing your op-ed that can help you write stronger academic papers, and why? What strategy or tip that you used on the op-ed assignment is something that also works (or could work) for an academic paper?
• Write up your responses to these questions, and either turn them in with the final version of your op-ed or discuss them in small groups, as your instructor directs.

Additional Reading for Students

You may also want to ask students to review the submission requirements and process at The New York Times , The Los Angeles Times , or another publication. Note that some publications, such as The Guardian , do not accept submissions of completed pieces, but instead desire shorter “pitch” submissions; their requirements for pitches may also be useful to students and may form an additional scaffolding assignment along the way.

Additional useful links for background on the genre:

• Op-ed Writing: Tips and Tricks (The Op-ed Project)
• Writing Effective Op-eds (Duke)
• How to Write an Op-ed or Column (Harvard Kennedy School)
• A Guide to Op-eds and Original Content (BU Public Relations)
• Op-ed Template (California Medical Association, UCSF)

Downloadable copies here:

• Assignment sheet (above)
• Peer review sheet for drafts
• Author “blurb” activity
• Fact-checking memo directions and example

Placing an op-ed: do’s and don’ts

When The New York Times announced earlier this spring that it was changing the name of op-eds to guest essays – reflecting the fact that opinion pieces no longer necessarily occupied a physical space “opposite” the editorial page – it also offered guidance on the kind of pieces that it was looking to publish. It puts a premium, for example, on high standards of “cogent argument, logical thought and compelling rhetoric.” It desires essays “have intention” and confessed to being partial to submissions that are less predictable.

The Times receives as many as 150 unsolicited guest essays per day , which will really challenge your capacity for unpredictability. Thankfully, The Times is not the only commentary game in town, and writing and submitting op-eds can be an effective part of your earned media strategy. Here are some tips on increasing the odds of placing an op-ed in an appropriate home.

• Have a point of view. Op-eds are not articles, not simply a recitation of facts. At their core, they are intended to not just inform but to persuade, to change perceptions.  Doing so requires a baseline of information, but arguments should be built on that foundation. 
• Get to the point . Commentary is not akin to some O. Henry story that delivers the goods at the end. Once you’ve properly set the stage, begin making your case in a logical and sequential way.
• Make it timely. There are certainly subjects that are evergreen, but ideally, you should tie your submission to something that is timely or relevant, lending your expertise or experiences to events or issues in the news. 
• Be realistic. There are literally hundreds of potential landing places for an op-ed. As you consider to whom you’d like to pitch it, do so with an objective sense of reality. It might be worth giving a high-profile outlet a shot, but mostly target a publication whose scope and readership are in line with the topic at hand.  
• Tailor your piece to fit the outlet.  Don’t write your piece with a one-size-fits-all attitude. Shape it to fit the intended audience. Very often that means addressing larger issues in ways that localize them. 
• Pitch it to more than one outlet at a time . Unlike pitches for news coverage, finding a home for your op-ed must be tackled one publication at a time. Only after one outlet has passed on it – or you haven’t heard back in a couple of business days – should you try the next one. This can be frustrating, especially when you don’t hear back in a timely way, but pitching an op-ed concurrently to multiple outlets is a cardinal sin.
• Be too wordy.  The Times advises that submissions be about 650 words, which is a good rule of thumb.  Pieces for Sunday publications, which typically have more room, can have a higher word count, sometimes as many as 800-900 words. But the longer you make it, the more you put it at risk of not being accepted (or even read at all). 
• Be too terse .  Conversely, op-eds should at least be 500 words.  If you don’t have enough to say, that’s perhaps a signal that your piece might be better as a letter to the editor, which often have a higher acceptance rate.
• Forget the rules of grammar.  One of the surest ways to have your piece rejected out of hand is if it is rife with spelling and grammatical errors and comes across as sloppily written. 
• Sell, fundraise or self-promote . You must resist the temptation to use this forum to serve purposes other than to create greater understanding about important issues. Of course, showcasing your expertise could have a residual impact on your standing – after all, that’s often a legitimate underlying motive. But you must refrain from shameless self-promotion in this platform. 

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Josh’s career in communications spans more than four decades. In addition to providing strategic counsel and crisis communications direction to clients, he is the resident Writer-In-Chief, regularly writing op-eds and bylines on behalf of clients that have been published in The Washington Post, The Richmond Times-Dispatch, The Philadelphia Inquirer and Huffington Post, among others.

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Democrats Are Making a Huge Mistake

The error is not the choice of Kamala Harris. It is the sudden rallying behind her.

Produced by ElevenLabs and News Over Audio (NOA) using AI narration.

Yesterday, Joe Biden did the honorable thing, after weeks of denying that anything had to be done at all. His announcement took his party by surprise—and now, in haste, the Democrats are making a colossal error and ensuring that they will reap as little advantage from Biden’s decision as possible. The error is not the choice of Kamala Harris. It is the sudden rallying behind her, the torrent of endorsements, right after Biden’s self-removal. Biden’s senescence was only part of the party’s crisis. The other part was the impression that Democratic politics felt like a game rigged by insiders to favor a candidate of their choice, and to isolate that candidate from the risk associated with campaigning. For 27 minutes, between the time Biden announced his withdrawal and the time he broke the seal on Harris endorsements by bestowing his, the contest felt thrillingly, bracingly wide-open. The Democrats should have kept it open all the way into the convention next month, in Chicago.

“The Democratic National Convention is not the time to litigate [Harris’s] ability to take over for Biden,” Tressie McMillan Cottom wrote yesterday, in a column headlined “Kamala or Bust.” “The time to do that was in 2020.” She is right about the second part. The urgency of defeating Donald Trump in 2020 convinced many Democrats that feisty internal debates about the direction of the party needed to be postponed, in favor of party unity. In those circumstances, neither Biden nor his running mate was granted the scrutiny they deserved; they were personifications of the desire for a third Obama term, and on that basis they received the party’s heartiest and most casual approval. Four years later, the pair were running on their record (a strong if unpopular economy, a somewhat muddled foreign policy) but still had not articulated a distinctive vision. The party should have demanded that vision in 2020, or indeed in 2016.

Candidates who do not develop articulated principles and coherent views end up campaigning on nothing at all, such as Harris’s now-famous babble about “faith in what can be, unburdened by what has been.” Most politicians lean on inane rhetoric of this sort early in their campaign: “Yes we can,” “A thousand points of light,” “MAGA” in all its forms. But at some point, it naturally gives way to the nitty-gritty of politics—unless the politician uttering it remains in a largely ceremonial role, such as the vice presidency, and never faces the stress of an election campaign. I would like to know whether Harris’s unburdened faith means that as president, she would equip Ukraine with long-range strike capabilities against targets in Russia, and whether she plans to knock down tariffs or build them up.

Read: Trump versus the coconut-pilled

If a campaign launch is a candidate’s chance to show off his pearly smile, the primary is the candidate’s chance to show off that smile after he’s been slugged in the face a few times. And as in boxing, it’s better to take one’s practice hits from a sparring partner rather than from the defending champ who awaits you on fight night. Harris is now in danger of bypassing that jaw-hardening process, which the Democrats could have extended over a period of weeks, as other candidates sought to displace her—and, if they failed, showed that they might be vice-presidential material. The process would also, like a normal primary, have long-term salutary effects on the party, by showing which young talent looks likely to ripen into Democratic leadership.

A prolonged process would also confer strategic advantages. Normally a party commits to a platform and a ticket several months (or in the case of incumbents, years) before the election. My colleague Tim Alberta has described the Trump campaign’s meticulous planning for a Biden campaign. “Even the selection of Ohio’s Senator J. D. Vance as Trump’s running mate,” Alberta writes, was “meant to run up margins with the base in a blowout rather than persuade swing voters in a nail-biter.” Now that Trump is committed to his path, the Democrats have an unusual chance to revise their strategy to neutralize Trump’s choices. “The Republican Party just spent tens of millions of dollars running against Joe Biden,” Trump’s former adviser Stephen Miller said on Fox News yesterday, with a whiny and wounded sense that the Democrats had violated the bounds of fair play. And in some ways they have—but now that they are redrawing those boundaries mid-campaign, they may as well take full advantage of their opportunity. That means not providing Trump with a fixed target, and calibrating their selection process for maximum lethality for his campaign’s locked-in choices.

Jerusalem Demsas: The problem with coronating Kamala Harris

The other strategic advantage is attention. To get airtime yesterday, after Biden’s withdrawal, Trump would have had to get shot in his other ear. His whole political career has depended on the fascination, sometimes morbid, of the public, as he says unexpected and strange things. No individual American politician can match his ability, but collectively, with genuine competition compressed over the next few weeks, they can create a circus more able to transfix voters than a series of Trump rallies.

Harris herself seemed ready to avoid the error of premature anointment. She promised to “earn and win” her party’s nomination, without any apparent expectation that it would be locked up in a matter of hours. Barack Obama, the last strategically gifted politician in his party, also seemed ready to take advantage of competition. He said he expected the party “to create a process from which an outstanding nominee emerges.” But now that option is slipping away. Biden had to go, and to replace him with almost any candidate born after the Korean War would have improved the Democrats’ chances. But the manner of that replacement presents (or presented—by the time I finished writing this, even Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia had fallen in line behind Harris) opportunities. The Democrats, as they say, never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity.

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Erin Brockovich: What’s at Stake in November

By Erin Brockovich

Ms. Brockovich is an environmental activist.

Every day, I get emails from people asking for help. They think I’m a lawyer. I’m not. They want to know what caused their cancer or why their farm has tested high for chemicals they’ve never heard of. They want someone to fight for them.

The recent Supreme Court decision overturning the 40-year-old Chevron precedent, which allowed federal agencies to interpret the laws they oversee, should wake us up to how truly alone we are when it comes to environmental health protections. If Donald Trump wins in November, things could go from bad to worse. Progress to protect Americans from dangerous chemicals could reach a standstill.

I could list dozens, if not thousands, of contaminants we come in contact with, some regulated by federal and state agencies, and others not. I’ll focus on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, a class of thousands of synthetic chemicals that are finally being recognized for the damage they cause.

PFAS are known as “forever chemicals” because they persist in the environment and in human bodies for decades. These chemicals have been used to make common items from textiles to adhesives to food packaging to firefighting foams to nonstick cookware.

The health problems associated with exposure to PFAS include fertility issues, developmental delays in children and increased risk of certain cancers and of obesity, according to the Environmental Protection Agency . Scientists have detected PFAS chemicals in the blood of almost all Americans .

What’s frustrating is that we’ve known for decades which industries use these chemicals, and we’ve known they are accumulating in the environment. But companies and our regulators delayed action.

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Arizona election analysis: Abe Hamadeh is lucky Trump didn't pipe up earlier

What were voters saying with their choices and what do the primary election results mean for arizona we break it down..

If there’s a word to sum up the July 30 primary election , it would be quiet.

Voting was orderly. There were no major mess-ups or controversies at the polls.

We haven’t seen this vibe — with low election day drama, but also low turnout and interest — in about decade.

What does that mean?

Our opinions staff makes sense of the results and themes in the 2024 Arizona primary election.

Previous election coverage:

• Live analysis: Opinions from election day
• 3 storylines to watch in the primary election
• ‘Someone to believe in them’: The message Arizona needs

Hamadeh should thank Trump for waiting

Abe Hamadeh is headed to Congress. And he can thank his lucky stars that Donald Trump waited until the 11th hour to endorse Blake Masters , after most voters already had filled out their ballots.

Hamadeh, who was endorsed by Trump last December, leads the five-way race with 29.8% of the vote to Masters’ 25.3%.

But Masters was the preferred choice of election day voters, 35.4% to 29.9%, according to an analysis by ABC 15’s Garrett Archer.

— Laurie Roberts

Did Wadsack inspire anti-Trump ads?

Sen. Justine Wadsack could not pull off a come-from-behind victory in her southern Arizona race. And it’s worth pondering the impact of the ad campaign deployed to knock her off.

“Something is weird about Justine Wadsack,” the ads said.

No, it wasn’t a ripoff of the Democrats’ latest dig at Trump and his MAGA party.

In fact, Sen. Vince Leach, the conservative Republican who defeated Wadsack, began his “something’s weird” ads in early June.

The ad campaign was the genius of Chris Baker at Trailhead Strategic Communications and Nelson Warfield with Warfield and Company. 

And it clearly infuriated Wadsack.

“Vince Leach ran his campaign straight out of the Democrat’s media playbook where the #MSM calls @realDonaldTrump & @JDVance…. #Weird,” she posted on social media on Tuesday as voters took to the polls.

Actually, it could be said that the Democrats took their something’s weird schtick straight out of a conservative Arizona Republican’s playbook.

Weird, huh?

Mesa mayor results bode well for city

It was a refreshing change of pace to see, in the waning days of the election, the nonpartisan Mesa mayoral race become one of the most watched in the state.

The five-way race was really a two-way matchup between former Mayor Scott Smith and current councilman Mark Freeman.

And it likely will remain just that, as Smith and Freeman appear headed to a runoff in the general.

Smith collected a record amount of cash and has a long list of endorsements. Freeman acquired less of both but is still well-funded with a strong network — meaning that this could be a good race heading into the fall.

Both candidates have a vision for Mesa. The challenge, of course, will be communicating it in an election where all eyes will be at the top of the ballot.

I’m eager to watch them earn those votes.

— Joanna Allhands

Arizona primary election turnout was paltry

Turnout in the Arizona primary is edging up to a mediocre 27% statewide .

That’s down 9 percentage points from 2020 and 8 from 2022 .

In Yuma County, less than 1 in 5 eligible voters cast a ballot.

With turnout this low, it was mostly the party faithful that showed up. A party faithful that votes much further to the right than the rest of the state.

So, no wonder why Stephen Richer lost his county recorder seat, or why Ken Bennett and David Cook, two of the Legislature’s few remaining moderate lawmakers, got the axe.

Elections are won and lost by who shows up. And in 2024, though folks in the middle had a chance to send a message about their values, they chose instead to take a pass.

Not even Wendy Rogers could help Slaton

Sen. Wendy Rogers spent $800,000 to win her $24,000-a-year job for the third time, but she didn’t have the political oomph to bring along her running mate, Steve Slaton .

Slaton is the owner of The Trumped Store in Show Low but better known as that stolen valor candidate who claims to have been a helicopter combat pilot during the Vietnam — never mind that he didn’t enlist until three months after U.S. troops withdrew from the war.

Slaton, who also has been accused of using a racial slur to refer to his African American opponents, finished third in the six-way Republican race for two House seats.

Instead, voters in this solidly Republican rural district opted for Rep. David Marshall and former Rep. Walt Blackman.

Both are Black and each drew easily twice the number of votes of Slaton.

Feels like there’s some karma there.

Here's your sign for why Sellers lost

There may be a simple reason why Jack Sellers was the lone Maricopa County supervisor incumbent to go down — and by a wide margin.

His opponent, Mark Stewart, had signs on seemingly every street corner in the district. Sellers had few.

It’s a reminder that ground game matters, particularly in low-profile races. Stewart was everywhere, talking to all sorts of folks. And that energy paid off for him.

Experience (mostly) wins in Maricopa County

Experience and composure largely prevailed in the Maricopa County board of supervisors races.

The most notable is the runaway victory for Tom Galvin in northeast District 2 over self-dubbed MAGA candidate and former lawmaker Michelle Ugenti-Rita, who ran the angriest campaign among supervisor hopefuls.

Galvin had extensive support from the business and law-enforcement community and from traditional Republicans.

As did longtime state lawmaker Kate Brophy McGee in the north-central District 3 and departing U.S. Rep. Debbie Lesko in the West Valley District 4, where she had served as a state lawmaker.

Both of them won handily.

The one upset is in southeast District 1, where termed-out Chandler City Councilman Mark Stewart took down incumbent Jack Sellers.

Stewart has run on bringing innovative practices from Chandler to the county.

But he was backed by the noxious Maricopa County Republican Committee that has embraced the worst of the far-right impulses, and it remains to be seen if he’d champion any of their causes should he win in November.

All bets are off for Ciscomani in rematch

Republican U.S. Rep. Juan Ciscomani fended off challenger Kathleen Winn in southern Arizona’s Congressional District 6.

But the 35,000-plus votes that Winn had gotten as of the last tally — or more than 40% of Ciscomani’s 51,000-plus votes — is nothing to shrug off.

Ciscomani, a Mexican immigrant, gained respect among Republicans and others during his stint with Gov. Doug Ducey. But he has since turned into a border hawk to fit into the MAGA world — which is a huge disappointment.

Ciscomani moves on to the general election, where he’ll once again face Democrat Kirsten Engel, who lost by a narrow margin two years ago.

All bets are off, Mr. Ciscomani. 

— Elvia Díaz

O'Callaghan's attacks helped his CD 1 opponents

Negative campaigning didn’t work in the crowded Congressional District 1 primary.

Certainly not for the candidate who attacked the most.

Conor O’Callaghan is lagging in fourth place in early results.

He and his seasoned campaign team — the same one that got Adrian Fontes elected as secretary of state — went hard after three-term state lawmaker Amish Shah, former White House aide Andrei Cherny and former broadcast journalist Marlene Galan-Woods.

All three are ahead of O’Callaghan in the six-person field.

Shah, an ER doctor, endured dubious claims by O’Callaghan’s campaign that his record on contraceptives and gay conversion therapy should give Democrats pause.

He and Galan-Woods were also blistered for having a Republican past.

Those erstwhile Republican ties, however tenuous, arguably helped more than they hurt, should Shah emerge as the party nominee .

Voter rolls have dropped in CD 1, but the Republican registration advantage has grown by some 6,000, to 54,000, since the 2022 general election.

Who will Ansari answer to in Congess?

A misleading campaign waged by a shadowy cryptocurrency-backing group may have edged Yassamin Ansari ahead of Raquel Terán in the battle for a heavily Democratic Congressional District 3 seat.

But it also raises questions about who Ansari will answer to in Congress.

Ansari’s Phoenix City Council tenure is marked by progressive stances.

Let’s hope she makes good on her word to work on behalf of residents and not just use us — those of us who call this district home — as a stepping stone in her quest for political power.

GOP sheriff candidate gets last laugh

Jerry Sheridan’s commanding early lead in the GOP race for Maricopa County sheriff proves how little sway Joe Arpaio holds anymore.

He beat Arpaio in the 2020 primary. Then beat the man that Arpaio anointed in 2024 — Frank Milstead, a former state police director and Mesa police chief who also had strong support from establishment Republicans and police unions.

Sheridan’s tenure as Arpaio’s former second in command will no doubt come under scrutiny again in the general election, even if the two no longer have personal ties.

But, for now, Sheridan has the last laugh against his former boss.

Richer stood up to MAGA and lost

Talk about a revenge vote : Stephen Richer, the man who stood up to election deniers, fought to protect ballots and opened the process to the public, appears to be out.

Richer is one of those rare Republicans who doesn’t fit in the MAGA world. He is likeable and has broader appeal with the rest of Arizona.

He just couldn’t get past the Trump cult, which dominates in the primaries but tends to lose in the general election where sensible people vote.

Kari Lake wins, but not by enough

The story of the election is Kari Lake, who didn’t deliver the numbers she needed to be considered a top tier candidate for grabbing a U.S. Senate seat.

Lake  needed to win 60%  of the vote to show she can unify Republicans in a way that she was unable to do in 2022, when she lost the governor’s race to Democrat Katie Hobbs.

With votes still counted on Thursday, the underfunded, hardly noticed Mark Lamb claimed 39% of the vote.

Lake stood at 55% — a disappointing number given that she was the presumptive Republican nominee even before she announced she was running for the Senate last year and endorsed by Trump soon after.

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