Call the publication's editorial office ahead of time to find out what their guest editorial policy is and what their formatting requirements are. You may need to explain why your views are important and why the publication should grant you this space.
Space is limited and competition is fierce for guest editorials, so be prepared to try to persuade the paper to let you write. If a phone call isn't enough, send out a "pitch letter". Most papers have an op-ed review process that takes a day to a week. Many larger papers will require an exclusive -- an agreement that you won't print your piece in other papers.
Wendy O. Thank you for taking the time to explain your publication's policies and requirements on submitting guest editorials to the Bugle when I spoke with you on Tuesday. I understand the reasons that the Bugle is unable to publish all of the many guest pieces that are submitted during a public controversy like the current one over condom distribution in school health clinics.
I also understand why you normally encourage readers to send in letters to the editor instead. I hope that you will make an exception in this case, as I feel an editorial from our coalition would be particularly crucial to any public debate on the matter of teen pregnancy. Our point of view is needed in order to have a balanced public debate on what is clearly a controversial and sensitive topic.
Councilman A. Stinence, in his admirable efforts to discourage teens from having unprotected sex, has specifically and, we feel, mistakenly attacked the Brownville Teen Pregnancy Prevention Coalition repeatedly in his remarks to the press, on his weekly radio program, and to readers of the Bugle. If there is to be an informed and logical public discussion of the issues being raised by Councilman Stinence, our coalition needs to have a chance to explain our position clearly, calmly, and in detail.
While we greatly appreciate the news coverage that the Bugle has done so far on this issue, we feel that the best way to lay out our entire argument for the public's consideration would be through a guest editorial in your paper. We hope that with the Bugle's agreement to allow us to explain our side of the issues, we can have a much more open and informed public when everyone goes to the polls in two weeks.
Again, thank you very much for your assistance and guidance, and I hope to hear from you soon regarding our request to air our message. If possible, find a known public figure who is involved with or sympathizes with your cause. People DO notice who the author is. If you can't get a well-known "name " to write the piece, it won't be disastrous, but it always helps.
More importantly, find someone who is a good writer! Even if your author isn't that well known in the community, a guest column or editorial can be very effective if it is well written. If necessary, your organization may have to have others help in writing the piece, but they will have to agree to be unsung heroes in this case.
These requirements vary -- be sure to find out the requirements of the specific publication you? Most of the time, newspapers require the following of guest columns and editorials:. At the end, the author, title, organization, and a one-line description of the mission and membership base should be listed.
For example:. GWCAS is a member nonprofit organization dedicated to educating Whovillians about the health risks of smoking. Decide on the main message of your piece and keep it in mind while you're writing. For example, your main message might be "Whoville residents should take part in the Great American Smokeout". Start off by stating the subject of the controversy or issue. Put it in simple terms, and be as clear as possible. For example, if the controversy is over an initiative to fund sex education in the public schools, go ahead and say so.
Then you can go on to explain why your side of the disagreement is right. Be persuasive! Use documented facts to back up your case as much as possible, and make sure your arguments are clear, logical, and easy to follow. If you're not very experienced with logic and making good arguments, you may want to do some reading on the subject.
Books on communication and debate are a good place to start. If you have vocal opposition, present a counter-argument to your opponent's position. Refute their statements with factual evidence, and don't stoop to name-calling. The web sites mentioned above can be helpful in forming your counter-arguments.
If possible, ask the reader to Do something -- register to vote, attend a meeting, write a letter, protest. Appeals that ask readers to take some sort of action are more likely to stick in their minds. Check carefully for errors first, then get additional, objective opinions from as many people as you possibly can, including people from outside your group. Get their honest opinions and use their feedback to help you decide on the final version of your guest column or editorial.
You're now ready to send it in. They often argue for a certain solution to a problem, though they may criticize other ideas in the process. Criticism An editorial of criticism shines light on a problem in the community or the world. An editorial of argument tends to focus on issues that already are controversial, an editorial of criticism focuses more on problems people may not know about or issues people may not see as problems, attempting to convince readers a problem exists.
Commendation To commend means to praise, and an editorial of commendation praises something good going on in the community. Like editorials of criticism, this editorials seek to shine light on a subject people may not think about or be aware of, but in this case, the attention goes to good that is happening.
Explanation An editorial of explanation may take a stand, but the goal is to explain an in-depth issue rather than argue a point. These editorials can be especially useful when complicated issues exist in the community as a way for the newspaper to explain or clarify to the audience. Total views 4, On Slideshare 0. From embeds 0.
Number of embeds Downloads Shares 0. Comments 0. Likes 3. You just clipped your first slide! Clipping is a handy way to collect important slides you want to go back to later. Now customize the name of a clipboard to store your clips. Visibility Others can see my Clipboard. Cancel Save. Exclusive 60 day trial to the world's largest digital library. Activate your free 60 day trial. The Register also won Pulitzer Prizes for editorial writing in , and A column is an article that often — but not always — contains opinions.
Op-eds can be a type of column. Columnists are often some of the most well-known names at a news organization. Obradovich was a political columnist before becoming opinion editor and continues to write columns. Though uncommon, reporters occasionally express opinions by writing columns about topics on their beat. Columns can be personal stories, like when Crowder wrote about crying at an "American Idol" concert , or calls to action, like when Obradovich wrote about the need for politicians to address mental health care in Iowa.
In addition to its staff columnists, the Register publishes columns from contributor Joel Kurtinitis and syndicated columns from writers like Leonard Pitts, Marc A. Thiessen and John Kass. A letter to the editor is a shorter, usually opinionated article written by a reader who wants to share an opinion about something they've just read or seen.
You can submit your own letter at DesMoinesRegister. Submissions should be short — words or less is ideal — but they can be about the topic of a reader's choosing. They can share a political opinion, criticize something the Register published or thank a helpful stranger. All of these different types of content can be found on Opinion pages both online and in print of publications across the country.
As I wrote at the start of this article, it's up to journalists to ensure our readers understand the terms we use. If you're still unsure or you see another journalism term you don't understand, reach out to me and let's chat about it. Brian Smith is the Register's engagement editor and served as a member of its editorial board from
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