Op-Ed Guidelines

The number and quality of OpEd pages has increased across the country in recent years because it has proven to be a lively forum to present viewpoints on a number of issues.

For those of us in higher education, it provides a chance to reach people, other than colleagues, to express an opinion and, sometimes, get paid for it! Newspapers that pay a writer for an OpEd pay between $50 and $200 for an accepted article 650-800 words in length (two to two-and-a-half pages, double spaced).

Here are some tips on what editors request in an OpEd article:

• The article should express the author's opinion. What makes your opinions of interest to the public is your knowledge and fresh approach to the subject.
• The opinion should be supported with statistics, anecdotes, results of studies, or any other specific information that is available. It is not enough just to state a point of view; it must be supported with logical argument.
• Try not to be too specialized . . . remember you are writing for a general audience!
• There are no restrictions on style but most people prefer an informal approach like a newspaper letter-to-the-editor. However, using the Editorial Styleguide (Section 2 of Our Voice, Our Image) is recommended.
• Remember, the process of submitting the article to OpEd page editors takes time. It must be offered on an exclusive basis to one editor at a time in a particular market.
• If you are interested in writing an OpEd, the Public Affairs Office will be happy to work with you in developing and marketing the piece.