OPINION EDITORIALS

Photo Credit: Florian Schulz

Fun fact: if you think the “op” in “op-ed” stands for opinion, you’d be making an excellent guess. You’d also be wrong. It actually stands for opposite, and op-eds find their origins as pieces written in response to the editorial decisions of newspapers.

Today, the purpose of an op-ed, as The New York Times puts it, is “to offer an opinion. It is not a news analysis or a weighing up of alternative views. It requires a clear thesis, backed by rigorously marshaled evidence, in the service of a persuasive argument.” However, much more than an LTE, authority matters here. Readers are looking to authors that have expertise in the issue or a unique experience to share.

If you have the expertise or a unique Alaska perspective to share, let us know and we can discuss working together on a potential op-ed!