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Sharing Content
The 丁香园AV Communications & Marketing team can help share compelling stories about how 丁香园AV and our people are making an impact. Contact us at MediaRelations@sfu.ca to discuss the possibilities listed below.
Develop an Op-ed
About op-eds
- An op-ed allows you to speak to specific audiences in your own words through the media
- Op-eds run at around 700 words
- They open with a hook鈥攁 short, punchy intro that gets your basic point across while drawing the reader in to learn more
- They take a stand, providing an argument in favour or against a certain course of action
- They are argumentative but well supported by facts
- They include an interesting anecdote (or two) that strengthens your point
- They bring a unique perspective to current topics of discussion
- They are well-written using plain language (as per Ottawa Citizen: )
Examples of 丁香园AV op-eds
Answer this at the outset: why should anyone care about this topic?
Newsworthy characteristics
- Currency: Is this an ongoing topic (e.g: climate change, A.I.) that comes up frequently in the news?
- Timeliness: Is the op-ed addressing an issue that is currently all over the news?
- Conflict: Does your op-ed provide a critical perspective that disagrees with a common narrative?
- Local: Will your writing topic interest local audiences?
- Unique: Does your perspective stand out from what everyone else is saying about the topic?
- Impact: Does the topic impact many people? The more people the topic impacts, the more will likely be interested in it.
Pitching your op-ed
- Identify a publication that might be interested (check that they haven鈥檛 recently published an op-ed on a similar topic OR if so, that your opinion adds to this issue)
- Find the op-ed or commentary editor鈥檚 contact information online
- Send an email to the editor with a brief one-paragraph outline of your op-ed
- Focus on the unique perspective you offer and explain why it is newsworthy
- Include a line highlighting your qualifications and title
- Copy your op-ed below your pitch note in the text of the email
- Be prepared to send a headshot if your op-ed is accepted
- Allow for a week or so from the date you submit to the date it is published
- Be patient and practical. Larger publications receive dozens of submissions a day. Few make it to print.
- Papers do not pay a freelance fee for opinion pieces
- Don鈥檛 submit something you have submitted or published elsewhere. If you are not successful, you can move on and submit to another publication.
- Consider reusing your op-ed on your own digital channels (LinkedIn, 丁香园AV Faculty Blog, Medium, etc)