Op-ed
An Op-ed (short for "opposite the editorial page") is a type of written prose commonly found in newspapers, magazines, and online publications.[1] They usually represent a writer's strong and focused opinion on an issue of relevance to a targeted audience. Typically ranging from 500 to 700 words, op-eds are distinct from articles written by the publication's editorial board and often feature the opinions of outside contributors.[2] Op-eds allow authors, not part of the publication's editorial team, to express opinions, perspectives, and arguments on various issues of public interest. Unlike traditional editorials, which reflect the opinion of the publication itself, op-eds offer independent voices the platform to influence public discourse. The New York Times is widely credited with popularizing the modern op-ed format.[3]
Origin
[edit]The "Page Op.", created in 1921 by Herbert Bayard Swope of The New York Evening World, is a possible precursor to the modern op-ed.[4] When Swope took over as main editor in 1920, he opted to designate a page from editorial staff as "a catchall for book reviews, society boilerplate, and obituaries".[5] Swope explained:
"It occurred to me that nothing is more interesting than opinion when opinion is interesting, so I devised a method of cleaning off the page opposite the editorial, which became the most important in America ... and thereon I decided to print opinions, ignoring facts."[6]
The modern op-ed page was formally developed in 1970 under the direction of The New York Times editor John B. Oakes.Media scholar Michael J. Socolow writes of Oakes' innovation:
"The Times' effort synthesized various antecedents and editorial visions. Journalistic innovation is usually complex and typically involves multiple external factors. The Times op-ed page appeared in an era of democratizing cultural and political discourse and economic distress for the company itself." [4]
The newspaper's executives developed a place for outside contributors, with space reserved for sale at a premium rate for additional commentaries and other purposes.
The Washington Post too published its own version of the op-ed right before the New York Times debuted in September 1970. Significant differences between The Post's op-ed page and The Times’s op-ed page include The Washington Post having no ads and no artistic component. In the 1930s, The Washington Post began referring to its commentary section as the "op-ed page," situated opposite its editorial page. The Los Angeles Times followed suit with a similar designation in the 1950s and 1960s, while The Chicago Tribune had tried a variation of this format as early as 1912. [4]That is to say that while we credit Oakes as the creator of the op-ed, the true origins of the op-ed are highly debated in the journalistic sphere.[3]
Possible conflicts of interest
[edit]The relationship between op-eds, editors, and funding from interest groups has been a concern. In 2011, in an open letter to The New York Times, a group of U.S. journalists and academics called for conflict of interest transparency in op-eds.[7][8]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Simon, Stephen D (February 23, 2006), "What Do All These Numbers Mean?", Statistical Evidence in Medical Trials, Oxford University PressOxford, pp. 137–166, ISBN 978-0-19-856760-8, retrieved November 10, 2024
- ^ "1978:", Charlotte Delbo, University of Massachusetts Press, pp. 392–406, May 28, 2021, retrieved November 10, 2024
- ^ a b "New York Public Library (NYPL), Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture". African Studies Companion Online. Retrieved November 10, 2024.
- ^ a b c Socolow, Michael J. (2010). "A Profitable Public Sphere: The Creation of the New York Times Op-Ed Page". Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly. University of Maine.
- ^ Meyer, K. (1990). Pundits, poets, and wits. New York: Oxford University Press.
- ^ Swope, H. B. as quoted in Meyer, K. (1990). Pundits, poets, and wits. New York: Oxford University Press, p. xxxvii.
- ^ "US journalists launch campaign for 'op-ed transparency'". The Guardian. October 11, 2011. Retrieved August 9, 2012.
- ^ "Journos call for more transparency at New York Times op-ed page". Columbia Journalism Review. October 6, 2011. Retrieved August 9, 2012.
External links
[edit]
- "What we talk about when we talk about editing". The New York Times. July 31, 2005. Retrieved December 29, 2023.
- A robot wrote this entire article. Are you scared yet, human? - the first op-ed completely written by an artificial intelligence (AI), published in September 2020 by The Guardian
- How to Write an Op-ed or Column - Harvard communications program
- Classic Op-Ed Structure - Harvard communications program
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