Move Your Agenda on the Opinion Editorial Pages
Some nonprofits have given up on including opinion editorials in their campaign strategies. It takes time to write op eds — time that can feel wasted if the op ed is not published. But with a sharper op ed strategy, you can get placed more often, both in the traditional media and on influential websites. There’s a good reason to keep at it — the people we want to persuade read the op ed pages: policymakers and their staffs; donors; journalists; coalition partners; community activists; and engaged voters.
Here are three things to think about to improve the chances that your op ed will get published and help advance your organization’s agenda:
1) Choose who signs your op ed carefully. High profile names help in getting placed, but op ed editors are also on the lookout for ordinary people with firsthand experiences with an issue. Consider inviting an “unlikely ally” to be your by-liner or co-signer. By offering an unexpected point of view, unlikely allies add credibility and attract attention to an issue. For example, a prosecutor who used to support the death penalty, but recently changed his mind, would be interesting to readers. Exploring relationships with new or different messengers is also an important way to go beyond preaching to the choir.
If you plan to write frequently, you might decide to open an account at a website that is popular with your target audiences and allows people to post their own pieces (e.g., The Huffington Post). If you take this route, you should also plan to respond to readers’ comments and encourage friends and supporters to share your content.
2) Begin with an introduction (or lede) that makes your readers want to keep reading. It’s best to tie your lede to an event in the news or – better yet – news that’s about to break. This is what makes your op ed timely and therefore publishable. Common ledes include: new research studies or statistics; holidays or anniversaries of historic events; references to popular culture; and unique personal experiences.
In the internet age, op eds written in the first person and disclosing personal information have become a common and effective technique. For example: “Breast cancer. Hearing these two words will truly take your breath away. As a person living with the disease since 2004, I know firsthand the impact those heavy words can have on individuals and their families. As a South Carolina legislator, I have seen how breast cancer affects our communities and our people ….”
3) The good news is you already know the basic structure for an op ed. You learned it in high school: introduction ending with your main point; three supporting paragraphs backed up by evidence (e.g., statistics, studies by experts not affiliated with your organization, lessons of history); and conclusion. The better news is that you don’t have to follow a set structure, but this one works for getting started.
There are two important additions to the high school essay formula. First, you will need to add a paragraph between your last supporting point and your conclusion that refutes the opposing side’s main arguments. This paragraph is essential for reinforcing your credibility and addressing the concerns in your readers’ minds. Second, your conclusion should include a proposed solution or a call to action. Now that you’ve educated your readers about the issue, tell them what should happen next and how they can help make it happen.
The opinion editorial pages offer nonprofit organizations a chance to deliver their messages to key target audiences in an unfiltered way. A good op ed can add what has been missing from the public debate, steer policies in a new direction, or help set the agenda for a community or the nation. With these three things, and a little strategic thinking, op eds can become a powerful component of your next campaign plan.
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This weeks 3 Things has been brought to you by a special guest poster! Margot Friedman is the principal of Dupont Circle Communications and specializes in writing opinion editorials, press materials, speeches, email campaigns, website content, and special reports for progressive nonprofit organizations and Democratic PACs. Thanks for the great post, Margot!
I would also add that local authors are more in demand by local papers. In dealing with smaller market papers, I found one of the first questions I got from editors was: “is the author from around here?”
Great point. My experience is the same, Alex. Even in dealing with bigger papers around the country I’ve found that to be true. For a recent project I was trying to get something placed in the Houston Chronicle – the 10th largest paper in the country. They didn’t want anything that didn’t have a specific and direct Houston connection for the editorial page or in the newsroom.
This is a really good point, Alex. Sometimes national organizations get around this problem by having a national name as one signer and recruiting a local person as a co-signer. This can be good for state chapter/coalition relations, too.