How To Write An Opposite Editorial or Op Ed

The Opposite Editorial or Op Ed
The Opposite Editorial (Op Ed)

or Opinion Piece
How to Write an Editorial
https://youtu.be/3GkN4qul82Y
How to Write an Op Ed:
Adapted from How To Write An Op-Ed: The Definitive
Guide (2021) by Pinkston
 01 The Basics
 02 Narrow Down Your Topic And Decide Your Opinion
 03 The Lede
 04 The First Paragraph
 05 Support Your Opinion
 06 Conclusion
 07 Review Your Op-Ed [Bonus Chapter]

LENGTH Between 400 and 450 words.
PARAGRAPHS Fewer than four sentences each.
A few one-sentence paragraphs can also be effective.
SENTENCES Use mainly short, declarative sentences.
Avoid complex sentences with multiple comas.

Use active voice, not passive voice.
The Basics
LANGAUGE Simple. No technical or academic jargon unless it is
for a trade publication.
Ask: Can this be understood if someone’s reading

this quickly on their phone?
STATISTICS Include several of them.
Use reputable sources and track down the original
source.
Always hyperlink your sources.
Narrow Down Your
A recent or “SA’s 2024 elections must
Topic and Decide Your upcoming event be strongly prepared for
Opinion flurry of online influence
and disinformation”
Know Your Audience
Read the outlets where you would like your op- A new or “As digital finance grows,
ed to be published. Who is the typical reader,
and how much would they know about your provocative take on banking providers
industry or subject? a commonly
shouldn't lose the art of
Make it Current discussed topic
human interaction.”
Your topic should fall into one of these three
categories. Your title, or headline, should state
this topic upfront:
A neglected topic “When it comes to healthy
that needs to be eating, roof-top gardens
Have an Opinion talked about
are the best solution we
Remember that op-eds are not simply never think of.”
educational or explanatory pieces. Your op-ed
should always have an opinion or an argument.
Something that just happened, is “First it was Facebook, then Twitter. Is
happening or coming up in current Reddit about to become rubbish too?”
events
Recently-released research “New research has found that 38% of

white-collar workers have less than 3
months of savings for an emergency”
“I’m not surprised people are suing a

A generally relevant topic that people dating app company – our addiction to
should take note of swiping makes us miserable”
“When I became a refugee, I walked 40
The Lede A personal story or observation that’s

relevant to your argument
miles without food through the jungles of
the Congo”
The lede is the opening sentence of your op-ed. It is what will hook your
reader and should describe the event, situation or issue that promoted
you to write your op-ed in the first place
The First paragraph
Make sure your first paragraph (or, at the latest, the
beginning of your second paragraph) states your
opinion or the argument you will be making. This
should be conveyed in one to two sentences.
EXAMPLE:
 It’s not Coco Gauff’s wins that kids and
parents should be paying attention to; it's her
losses. The teenage tennis phenomenon could
have cried when she lost her fourth-round
match at Wimbledon. But instead she ended
her run with grace. “I learned a lot,” she told
The New York Times. “I still tried my best.”.
This op-ed, which was written just after
Wimbledon, offers a new take on a celebrity
dominating the news, by asking families to
consider not just the glories of fame but the
lessons of loss.
Support Your Opinion
The middle of the op-ed convinces a reader why your argument or opinion is valid. Aim for
3-6 short paragraphs between your introduction and your conclusion. Each should focus on
a specific example to support your claim, such as:
• Statistics (like results from research or surveys)
• Personal stories or anecdotes
• A story about a person affected by the issue
• Problems caused by the status quo
• Details about the solution you’re proposing
• Bullet points or a list, if you are offering multiple solutions

Example of a In 2017, no fewer than 96,000 children
supporting paragraph entered foster care in the United States due
for “The opioid crisis to parental drug abuse, overwhelming an
is sending more kids already fragile system. After a period of
to foster care. Here’s decline in the early 2000s, the number of
children in foster care increased by 10
what we can do about percent from 2012 to 2016, according to
it”: the Department of Health and Human
Services. At the same time, drug abuse by
a parent rose more than 33 percent as the
reason for children entering foster care.
Example of a
supporting
paragraph for “My husband and I have seven children,
“We need and the oldest four were adopted from
more diverse the foster care system. We are proud to
foster and be black adoptive parents. But the
adoptive number of minority families pursuing
parents”: adoption is low”
Conclusion: In your last paragraph, remind readers
why this issue should matter to them by offering:
A recap of the solution you’re “People want to be involved in something that matters. By focusing on this idea, a company puts

the building blocks into place that will help them make smarter hiring decisions, attract new talent
proposing
and build up the next generation of talent from within.”
Your advice or a recommendation “As the old saying goes, Waldinger believes it is by recognising that the good life is not a
destination. It is the journey and the people who walk with you.
Every minute of every day you can decide who matters and to whom you give attention.
Time and time again their findings have shown that lifelong happiness doesn’t depend on a
life of ease and leisure or personal achievements. The good life is found in finding purpose
and meaning through the lives you enrich and close relationships you cultivate.”
A call to action “Johannesburg needs a leader who will take this problem seriously and commit to putting a
plan in place to end loadshedding and water shortages . Use your vote to make sure the
next new mayor-elect of Johannesburg chooses to prioritize ending these crimes of
omission against its citizens.”
Review Your Op-Ed
Proofread your op-ed.
Ask someone who knows little about your topic to read it and make sure your
points are clear.
When an editor rejects an op-ed, their reason usually falls into one of these
categories. Does yours?
“The op-ed is too long or too broad.”
“We just published a similar op-ed this week.”
“The op-ed is overly advertorial.”
“The author didn’t cite his or her sources.”
“There’s too much jargon.”
“This is stale.”
How to write an Op-Ed:
Supporting Video and
documents
See Following Link and refer to attached
notes:
How To Write An Op-Ed: The Definitive
Guide (2021)
https://youtu.be/6TN89KNTPQI
Additional Support Editorial Writing
https://youtu.be/YRl8TSvTUbo
You Have a Voice: Make it Count
You Have a Voice: Make it Count

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The Opposite Editorial or Op Ed

The Opposite Editorial (Op Ed)

 02 Narrow Down Your Topic And Decide Your Opinion

 04 The First Paragraph

 05 Support Your Opinion

 07 Review Your Op-Ed [Bonus Chapter]

SENTENCES Use mainly short, declarative sentences.

Avoid complex sentences with multiple comas.

Ask: Can this be understood if someone’s reading

Recently-released research “New research has found that 38% of

“I’m not surprised people are suing a

“When I became a refugee, I walked 40

The Lede A personal story or observation that’s

• Statistics (like results from research or surveys)

• Personal stories or anecdotes

• A story about a person affected by the issue

• Problems caused by the status quo

• Details about the solution you’re proposing

• Bullet points or a list, if you are offering multiple solutions

“We just published a similar op-ed this week.”

“The op-ed is overly advertorial.”

“The author didn’t cite his or her sources.”

“There’s too much jargon.”

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