HOW TO PREPARE AN OP-ED
An Opinion Editorial (Op-Ed) is essentially, an opinion piece that takes its name from its placement in a newspaper -- it is usually placed on the opposite side of an editorial. An opinion piece is often written by an expert and must be on an issue that is of interest to the newspaper’s audience.
Op-Eds sometimes offer an alternative view to an issue; or it could be intended to educate the public on something that the author feels the readers need to know about, but are being denied information on. Organisations also use Op-Eds for public relations purposes, to give prominence to key experts and issues they are working on.2. Discuss with the relevant Op-Ed editor the idea of your piece. They will also inform you of the appropriate time to send your piece.
3.State the compelling argument of your piece right at the beginning, maintain it throughout and back it up with relevant facts and data.
4. It is useful to start by writing one sentence and then put facts and messages that you develop around it.
5. Op-Eds are clear and concise.
6. Keep your length to 1000 words or less, if it’s too long, you risk losing the readers’ attention.
7. Demonstrate knowledge and passion about the issue you are writing about.
8. Two authors can write an Op-Ed, but limit it two, otherwise it gets clumsy.
9. Send your Op-Ed to only one publication; they are not intended for mass circulation like press releases. Newspapers will not publish it if they know it has been sent to others.
10. After submitting your piece, follow-up with the editor the next day to make sure they have received it, whether they have any feedback for you and most importantly, if they are going to publish it.
• Use A4 letter-headed paper. Put ‘NEWS RELEASE’ or ‘PRESS RELEASE’, the date and your contact details at the top. Double space the text. Leave 6cm blank at the top for the sub-editor to write printer’s instructions and a 4cm left margin for the editor’s amendments.
• If you do not wish the story to be published at once, or if you want the journalist to know that nobody else will publish it before they do, write ‘EMBARGO : Not for publication or broadcast
• Begin with a headline (this should be attention grabbing, therefore not too clever or mysterious), no more than eight words long and in a bold font.
• The first paragraph should be one or two sentences that sum up the main findings and are backed up with facts and figures (boil your message down to its essence).
• The rest of the text should distil the research into three or four main points, backed up with facts and figures. (Make sure you cover who, why, what, where and when.)
• Add a conclusion and the main policy implications for the way forward.
• At the end of the press release text, type ‘ENDS’ in a bold font.
• Follow the main text with your contact details again (where you will definitely be contactable for at least the next two days, both in and out of office hours).
• End with additional information for editors: the word count; a short description of your institution; relevant basic information and statistics; and your organisation’s website address.
• Make the Press Release timely e.g. by making a connection between your research and what’s currently in the news.
• Follow it up but don’t be too much of a nuisance: there’s a difference between being helpful to a journalist by phoning to make sure they received the Press Release, and making yourself unpopular because you wont take ‘no’ for an answer.
• Offer a spokesperson who could speak on and around your research topic to the media – often at short notice.
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