What makes a powerful op-ed, and how can generative AI help? A Q&A with Fenway.

In today’s fast-paced media landscape, crafting an op-ed that cuts through the noise and resonates with readers can seem like a daunting task. But according to Ben Krauss, CEO of Fenway, there’s a tried-and-true approach to maximizing the chances your op-ed will break through and shape the discourse.

Last month, Quiller and Fenway discussed some of the best practices for how to craft creative and persuasive content in advance of the launch of a new feature in Quiller allowing users to generate first drafts of op-eds. Quiller sat down with Krauss to get his insights on the key elements of a successful op-ed and his thoughts on using AI to assist with the op-ed writing process.

Q: How does Fenway approach the business of crafting high-quality op-eds?

A: In today’s media environment, op-eds can sometimes feel quaint, even dated — a relic of the last century. And those are the ones that actually do get placed somewhere.

Every now and then, though, one does still break through and shape the discourse, filtering down into actual people’s real-life conversations.

At Fenway, where our team has drafted literally hundreds, maybe thousands of these types of pieces over our careers, we know that the process of writing an op-ed is often the easy part. The real challenge is helping our clients come up with the kind of argument that’s timely, compelling, and worthwhile to editorial boards.

Q: What do all top-quality op-eds have in common?

A: The best pieces grab you at the start with a story that illustrates why the argument is timely and important. Unfortunately, a lot of pieces we read these days often lack a clear hook to current events or meander through various disconnected points without a cohesive argument.

Ideally, an op-ed should take the reader through the full spectrum of emotions — from surprise to concern to determination. And wherever possible, it should leave them with a specific call to action that feels real and tangible to people’s lives.

Q: What was it like collaborating with Quiller’s technology? Did you find it interesting?

A: Absolutely. It was a fascinating experience. While the current generative AI writing tools are impressive, we left it fairly confident that the robots with pens are not going to be coming for our jobs anytime soon. The current technology is good for churning out a high volume of words in a short amount of time, but no responsible organizational leader is going to be content to let an unaided algorithm write what they actually say to their customers, employees, or the public. Op-eds, and all writing for that matter, are as much about understanding your audience and making the right editorial calls as they are about wordsmithing — and that requires human expertise.

That said, we are exploring the potential of generative AI to make certain parts of our collaborative brainstorming and writing process more efficient. We’re in the early stages of experimenting with how to best leverage these tools, and working with Quiller has been a valuable part of that journey.

Q: What’s your all-time favorite piece that Fenway has written?

A: Sorry, we never op-ed and tell.

With that in mind, if you’re ready to log in and start creating op-eds in Quiller, here are some tips:

• Have a strong hook that’s unique for your author and to this moment in time (or use Quiller’s content flow to experiment and work through which ideas might be strongest!);
• Make sure your prompts include the emotions you want to capture in your piece;
• Create lots of drafts, select your favorite, and then use your expertise to edit your draft the last 30% of the way to final!