Content forms

Op-ed

opposite the editorial · opinion piece

Definition

Op-ed is an opinion essay placed on an outlet’s opinion page. The slot is earned (or sometimes paid as a sponsored column — label that). The argument is the author’s. Editors still cut libel and tedium.

It is not a reported feature. It should argue one public question, not launch a SKU.

How it works

Pitch the opinion editor a 150-word thesis, not a finished 900-word ad. The author must be available the week it runs. Disclose material interests.

Worked example

A hospital CFO argues in a regional paper that inland dwell, not ocean rates, now sets landed cost for medical devices. The editor runs it at 720 words. That is an op-ed. A “five trends in supply chain” ghostwritten roundup is a contributed fluff piece.

How it differs

A contributed article can live in a trade’s features well. An op-ed lives on the opinion page. Thought leadership is the longer bet. Paid advertorials that look like columns are paid.

Common errors

Submitting the same essay to four opinion pages at once. Refusing edits. Using the op-ed to attack a named reporter.

Sources