What is an Editorial / Op-Ed?
An editorial is an online/newspaper article that expresses an individual’s or organization’s opinion. An editorial can be about any topic, but is usually written about an issue or topic that is current in the news. To solidify credibility, the editorial must be backed up with evidence and facts to substantiate the opinion conveyed.
With a point of view through an editorial piece, the author is able to offer insight or solutions to the issue or obstacle being examined.
Top U.S. Newspapers that Feature Editorials / Op-Ed’s
Arizona Republic
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
The Advocate
Boston Globe
Charlotte Observer
Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Tribune
Christian Science Monitor
Cleveland Plain Dealer
The State (Columbia, S.C.)
Dallas Morning News
Denver Post
Detroit News
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Houston Chronicle
Idaho Press-Tribune
Kansas City Star
LA Times
Miami Herald
Milwaukee Journal Sentinal
Minneapolis Star-Tribune
New York Post
The New York Times
The News & Observer
Newsday
The Oklahoman
Orange County Register
Richmond Times-Dispatch
Sacramento Bee
Salt Lake City Deseret News
San Jose Mercury News
Seattle Times
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Minneapolis/St. Paul Pioneer Press
USA Today
Wall Street Journal
Washington Post
Washington Times
What a Guest Editorial / Op-Ed Is Not:
A solely journalistic account of a recent political event does not an editorial make. A reflection on a recent event can provide an excellent opener for an editorial, and in some instances this focus can be sustained throughout the editorial; however, an editorial should engage the academic literature and suggest further analytical techniques or perspectives that draw upon and contribute to the broader academic literature.
A miniature research article is not an example of an editorial or op-ed piece, either . Probably some successful editorials began their lives as research articles. However, the two media are fundamentally different. Some topics are simply too complicated, or too dependent on in‐depth analysis of a case study, to stand as a 2000 word editorial.
A political rant is not always an editorial, either. Of course editorialists are expected to have opinions, but this is an academic publication and they also are expected to be scholars. These are some crucial questions that every editor, editorial board member, journal, and its policy makers should decide for themselves and their respective publications. To an extent, it is individual, and some may consider it the internal matter of the publication. However, a broad consensus on certain essential parameters may be desirable, even essential, if the individual has to also maintain a significant part of the wider knowledge corpus; which all editorials pooled together represent.
Goldman McCormick PR can skillfully craft professionally written guest editorials/op-eds about you and your organization that can help your brand make a name for itself.