Communicating Research to the Wider World: Writing an OpEd
By Noralou Roos & Eileen Boriskewich
What is an OpEd?
OpEds offer an important means to share your message — be it new research, a viewpoint or an idea on a topic that has recently been in the news — with a wide, general readership. OpEds (which stands for ‘opposite the editorial pages’) are often one of the most widely read and redistributed sections of any respected broadsheet, and routinely influence key decision makers, affect policy, and shape public perceptions. OpEds, sometimes also called ‘commentaries,’ are generally provocative, sharp and precise.
OpEds are not considered ‘throw away’ — they are a high profile (respected) means of communication. The only other types of media that have more clout than an OpEd are ‘above the fold’ news stories/headline stories, and feature stories. OpEds provide a key approach to communicating with ‘thought leaders’.
In this article, we outline some key considerations and common challenges researchers and other academics often face in OpEd authorship — including getting the thing published.
Getting Published: Traditional Media
It All Starts with a Strong Pitch
Getting your OpEd published requires a strong pitch to catch the editor’s attention. If you are university-based, you can submit your pitch to The Conversation Canada before you start writing, to see if they would be interested in distributing it to the media outlets they work with.
You can also try directly pitching your written story to the editor of a news outlet. Your institution or organization may have its own communications group or might commission a communications firm to help develop a strong pitch to represent your story.
Going it Alone?
If you don’t have a communications team to help you prep your OpEd and pitch, that doesn’t mean you won’t be successful. Consider these helpful tips to improve your chances of getting published:
- Get a second opinion. Have another expert on your topic review your piece. It never hurts to have a second set of eyes.
- Address the gaps. Check if an outlet has published an investigative series in your topic area. If there is, when you submit the piece you can include a sentence explaining that it may fill in missing pieces of a topic that have not yet been addressed.
- Don’t spam your story. Only submit it to one outlet at a time. More papers are demanding first time rights than previously.
- Go big or go home. Submit your OpEd to the editor of a larger media outlet — you can always seek reprints in smaller newspapers after it is published.
- Read the rules. Review author submission guidelines for the media outlet you plan to submit to, most of which are included on their websites. Ensure that your word count is exactly what they require (650 words or less is a likely target) to help ensure that it won’t be abridged by the editor.
- Patience is a virtue. Pieces tend to get lost in ‘big news’ items, so wait a few days and then shop it again. It’s often about timing as much as content.
- Money talks. If you have a business angle, e.g. universal pharmacare would be good for business, your OpEd will have impact. Consider co-authoring with a business leader. They are ‘stars’ in their own right and the business pages are less likely to say no to their OpEds.
- Consider translation. If you have the funds, it is a great idea to have your piece translated in French, and submit it to French media outlets to help widen the reach of your OpEd.
The Editorial Process
Your OpEd must include the key details. It is a piece communicating evidence to the public on a topic you want them to understand. Every time you mention a statistic, provide a hyperlink to the evidence. There may be a counter-opinion to your view. This may result in someone investigating further. Editors will often ask you to document your facts and they may suggest that you acknowledge alternative interpretations so no one can accuse you of hiding salient facts. Also, on occasion, editors will lop off paragraphs — if they do, they will let you know, but not always.
Be Responsive
Occasionally, editors will have questions or concerns on the content of your OpEd. It is important to respond to their queries in a timely matter. This will prevent delays in publishing your OpEd or in the worst case scenario — getting bumped for another piece.
Outlet & Author Rights
Canadian media outlets usually permit the author to retain the rights to the story, and they usually don’t sign contracts with authors anymore. In some cases, media outlets require ‘first time’ rights — meaning it can’t have been published elsewhere before they run it, but the author still retains the rights and can reprint their text freely (called ‘shared rights’). It all boils down to the agreement signed when the article is published.
Publishing Woes
If you are having trouble getting pick up on your piece despite pushing it hard, there are a few possible reasons why:
- It is based on a commentary piece published in a journal, as opposed to being a new study — this is MUCH harder to push as new news;
- It is very policy-detailed, and does not speak to the masses; and/or
- It contains too much detail about the methodology, and readers just won’t get it.
Online or Print?
Some very successful pieces have been published online only. Print and online is always best, but online only is not as much of a drawback as you’d think. Your OpEd doesn’t need to be in the print paper for most Canadians to see it and for it to have influence. Check out this feed of the top Canadian news outlets for ideas of where to get started.
If a piece is ‘evergreen’ (not time-sensitive) you may seek reprinting again in the smaller level media during holidays and other slow media times, since editors are looking for pieces that aren’t time- or issue-sensitive that they can slot in while they’re out of the office.
Getting Bumped & Delayed
It’s not uncommon for a piece to get held for a longer period than originally anticipated; sometimes held for more than three weeks, when other news stories bump it from the page. Media outlets will accept many pieces, but at times, will have to set them aside to address more relevant breaking stories. It may still be in play, but they hold it for a couple of weeks again. You then must decide if it is worth the wait, ensuring that the content is not stale or dated.
Post-Publication Considerations
Congratulations! You made it, your piece is polished and published — now you can focus on increasing its reach, analyzing that reach, and responding to opposition (or not).
Increasing OpEd Views
There are many factors that will help your published OpEd reach a wider audience, some of which are not under your (or the outlet’s) control:
- The topic itself is of general interest, as is its clear (self-explanatory) headline;
- No other big news story broke around the same day (i.e. good timing);
- It was well-written and accessible, so it appeals to a wide audience and not just a narrow group focused on this issue;
- If big organizations get behind the message and share it with their very large networks, this can help your OpEd go viral;
- Sharing on social media such as Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Reddit to name a few. Consider purchasing a small ad on Facebook — this is an excellent medium to push out your piece far and wide. (Note: Most social media platforms offer tutorials on how to use ads, and are generally user-friendly.)
- Posters and other visual promotions to continue pushing out the OpEd (and related articles) via social media, after the OpEd has run its course in traditional media.
Analyzing Reach
Social media shares (primarily Facebook and Twitter) are generally found under the OpEd title or the author’s name. An important note about tracking social media metrics for your OpEd: newspapers occasionally reload their stats, and then it starts from zero again. Take screen shots when your story is popular!
Opposition — do you respond?
Occasionally, your piece may be met with criticism. Do you respond? Many communications specialists do not advise a formal response to opposing comments. They suggest that by doing so, you legitimize the opposition, and you expand their audience when you create a formal response. You also let them get away with framing the debate.
So what are your options?
- Write a fresh OpEd and frame the debate the way you want it to be framed. In passing, you can refute their false logic. Be careful — do not name them or their institution or even quote them at all.
- Call for backup. Have someone — not you — with equal credentials and expertise on the topic back up your claims in the comments, if someone is able and willing to do so.
If you cannot resist defending your position, consider directing readers to all the evidence, reiterating what your piece already does, but do so in a succinct list with hyperlinks. Clear evidence with minimal commentary is the best approach.
Naming Names: Legal Implications
Columnists and journalists that work full time for newspapers can name names because the article goes through a legal team and they have insurance through their employer for this (they wouldn’t be personally liable). Ditto academics, who are somewhat shielded via their University. However, as an independent writer, you could be held personally liable for your writing, and responses.
Challenges aside, OpEds have enormous potential as a knowledge translation strategy to allow researchers to reach public and political audiences, and share their opinions and passion for their work with a broader audience.
For more on writing a great OpEd, check out our 10 Tips for Researchers to Write a Better OpEd.
About the Authors:
Dr. Noralou Roos is the Co-Director of the Get Your Benefits! project, Manitoba Centre for Health Policy, Professor Emerita in the Department of Community Health Sciences at the University of Manitoba. Find her on Twitter at @nlroos.
Eileen Boriskewich is the Project Manager and Outreach Officer on the Get Your Benefits! project in the Department of Community Health Sciences, at the University of Manitoba. Find her on Twitter at @eboriskewich.
