New Options for Your Op-Eds
February 8, 2024
Last year, for the first time in its history, the Virginia Press Association chose not to award a prize for editorial leadership.
The reason had nothing to do with the quality of entries. The problem was there weren't enough of them. Only one paper in the state entered the category, which didn’t make for much of a competition.
Virginia is far from the only place where editorial pages, the longstanding home for showcasing a range of opinions, are shrinking or vanishing.
Some newspapers are folding entirely, taking their op-ed pages with them. Meanwhile, with a growing number of publications still in business, dwindling newsroom staffs have led to cutbacks on the amount of opinion content, or the decision to eliminate it entirely.
In the course of our media outreach over the past several months, we’ve received word from at least three publications they no longer accept op-eds.
This is a troubling trend, especially for organizations that are looking to raise awareness about key issues, drive action, or raise their leadership profile.
Op-eds have long provided a platform for reaching thoughtful readers on trusted third-party platforms.
There is a silver lining, though.
While you may have fewer options for voicing your opinions through traditional media outlets, you have opportunities to drive action and change opinions through other platforms — including your own channels.
Here are some tactics we’ve found especially useful:
LinkedIn posts — LinkedIn offers a great platform for leaders to publish well-written opinion pieces. While it’s most useful for those who have a large number of connections or followers, you have opportunities to make your best pieces go viral through thoughtful tagging and by encouraging team members and influential connections to like, comment, and reshare your post.
Medium — Outside of publishing on your own organization’s website, you have an opportunity to create regular opinion pieces on Medium. While it takes time to build a following, Medium has gained a strong reputation and provides opportunities for you to repurpose and share third-party content through your social and email channels.
Paid Columns — Some traditional media brands, such as Forbes, provide paid platforms for nonprofit, foundation, and corporate leaders who want to produce regular opinion content under their banners. For an annual fee, you can contribute multiple columns per year, have access to a worldwide audience, and create content that you can share and repurpose.
And while the menu of op-ed options is shrinking, there are still plenty of options for leaders.
It simply requires some additional time and patience — and the right partner.
Working with an agency like ours gives you access to writers who know what it takes to develop compelling op-eds that are likely to get placed and can leverage relationships with opinion editors to make sure your piece gets the consideration it deserves.
Thoughtful opinions will always matter. Even if we have to work harder or find new ways for them to be heard.