3 Reasons You Need to Write Convincing Op-Eds

Have you ever wanted to write op-eds? There is a certain mystery about them. When I started blogging and contributing articles to local publications in 2006—I was 15—very few people could be published — except if you wanted to submit Letters-to-the-Editors (LTTE). Unless you were a syndicated columnist, reporter, or prominent public figure, one’s ability to access editorial space was very limited. Since the proliferation of blogging, social media, and the untimely decline of print newspapers, there are more opportunities for people of all stripes, backgrounds, and expertise levels to publish op-eds. Since this shift took hold, op-eds have played an important role in shaping public opinion. In fact, a new survey from Yale University confirmed this very observation.

A recent study from Yale University titled “The Long-lasting Effects of Newspaper Op-Eds on Public Opinion” (Quarterly Journal of Political Science: Vol. 13: No. 1, pp 59-87) found that opinion-editorial pieces can influence readers to change their views.

The first survey conducted used 3,567 respondents through an online tool. Survey participants initially revealed their gender and party affiliation to researchers. The respondents were then randomly assigned into a control group, or one of five “treatment” groups. These participants were shown one fo five selected op-eds published in news outlets by writers affiliated with  CATO Institute, similar libertarian think tanks, or Senator Rand Paul (R-KY). Those who were in the control group, versus those in treatment groups, didn’t receive op-eds to read. The op-eds for those in the treatment group “appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, or Newsweek” advocating “libertarian policy positions on issues such as climate change, federal spending on transportation and infrastructure, and instituting a federal flat tax on income.”

The researchers similarly performed this exact experiment on so-called “elites” numbering 2,169 respondents. These individuals worked in journalism, law schools, academia, think tanks, banking, and U.S. Congress. Unlike the first survey —which found that the general public had more malleable views—the elites were more set in their ways.

 

The key takeaway from this survey is this: op-eds are a cost effective way to influence the American public’s views. The researchers determined an op-ed costs $0.50 to $3 to change a mind. Fascinating stuff!

Given these findings, here are three reasons why you should consider writing op-eds:

1. They can tilt an election—especially local ones

In local elections in rural or less populous areas, op-eds in the form of Letters-to-The-Editors can come in handy to tilt an favor in one’s favor. The most engaged voters who turn out for elections still read newspaper articles in print or online.

In a recent Virginia campaign I worked on, I organized a training on the importance of publishing LTTE’s to help tilt an election. While the election didn’t go in our favor—largely due to apathy from Republican voters—several volunteers had published LTTE’s in the prominent paper down there.

LTTE’s, for example, can be a tool to turn out voters to the polls. Have you seen success with LTTE’s in your campaigns??

2. They can balance perspectives on so-called controversial issues (i.e. hunting)

The Sportsmen’s Alliance recently posed an interesting question about changing public opinion on hunting through op-ed submissions.

For so-called controversial issues like hunting —which aren’t and shouldn’t be controversial—coordinating placement in newspapers should be a top priority. Given the successes of wildlife and habitat management orchestrated by anglers, hunters, and shooting sports enthusiasts, the facts are on their side and should be widely seen.

One roadblock to placing op-ed’s in major regional or national publications could be a hostile editorial board or opinion editor. This is usually the case for national publications with a certain leftward bent to them—bearing few exceptions. However, most publications–especially regional or state ones—will publish your op-ed if it’s well thought-out, convincing, and meets editorial guidelines with respect to word count, thoughtful commentary, and/or granting exclusive access to the intended publication.

If there was a greater targeted coordination of op-eds on issues like hunting, I think you can see public opinion shift more in favor of the pro-hunting, pro-conservation side—just as the study had concluded.

3. They’ll make you a better writer and subject matter expert

On your journey to becoming “published,” you will be tried and tested in several ways. You’ll encounter rejection in the process. You’ll be told your article, point blank, sucks. You’ll be told your topic doesn’t fit the publication you’re targeting. And you’ll be brushed off by editors who discover your views. All of these scenarios are possible. Don’t fret — this is part of the learning process to make you a better writer and subject matter expert.

Through trial and error, navigating the editorial process, producing unique content, developing rapport with writing staff, and discovering your voice, you’ll gradually become better and more adept at writing.

Let me sum up my writing experience for you all here: In the last twelve years, I’ve grown as a writer and columnist. When I first started, my syntax and diction were plain and ordinary. It wasn’t until freshman year at Tesoro High School with my Accelerated English 1 teacher, Mrs. Sue Willett, that my creative writing juices began to flow. She made the English language exciting, grammar a priority, and literary devices intriguing. In summer 2006, I got space to publish my “Teen Beat” column in The Coto Voice, a community-based newspaper in Coto de Caza, where I was residing at the time. (Think Real OC Housewives.) From there, I was subjected to editorial oversight and learned the importance of seeking it. In sophomore year of high school, my Advanced English teacher Mr. Milton Rouse challenged us to use vocabulary words we learned and studied to apply to the Orange County Register (my hometown newspaper). I quickly took up the challenge, and soon enough had five LTTE’s (here, here, here, here, AND here) published. After high school, I started writing for the conservative paper at UCSD after which  my writing career took off. Today, I’m a prolific columnist and blogger with bylines across several notable publications—with a current longstanding role at Erick Erickson’s The Resurgent. Instead of self-publishing these days, I have a chief focus in getting my clients published. If I can do it, anyone can!

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Do you need help crafting op-ed’s that are effective, publishable, and strategically placed? Contact me to see if we can work together. I have over a decade experience in op-ed writing and currently assist my clients in crafting persuasive content.

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