Exploring the Op-Ed

I consider myself a doer, but sometimes there are issues, policies, and events that feel completely out of my hands — but I still want “to do.” As much as I love going to a protest, talking with peers, or attending meetings, I'm convinced we need more tangible tools to push things forward — especially for farmers navigating climate change, land access, and the rising cost of our daily needs. Enter social media's predecessor: the op-ed.

The Op-Ed is just one of many tools the public has leveraged for decades to push others off the sidelines and get them engaged. It's not a place to complain; it's a space for educated opinions, backed by real experience, to reach the public. As the Society of Behavioral Medicine puts it, the goal is "to present a persuasive opinion about a specific topic that is related to one of your areas of expertise. This format of writing is often brief …, compelling, and communicates a clear recommendation to the problem being highlighted.” 

Mind you, I have written a lot of articles over the years, but never an Op-Ed, so here is the artless disclaimer: I’m writing this article to help all of us understand how to better write an op-ed because we are the experts–the ones with the lived experience who can provide insight on how policies will affect other farmers The hope is farmers will be better informed on the subject, but regardless, I now have no excuse for not doing it.

From sites I’ll reference at the end, I culled the basic framework for writing an op-ed, in the hopes that it will make it easier for us all to start participating in this grassroots tool:

1. Is your op-ed about current events or a controversial issue? It’s important the subject matter is relevant to even be considered for print.

2. How and to whom are you talking. Keep the subject narrow and focused. Consider your audience and how will you grow awareness, or change minds.

3. Make it personal. Show how the issue directly affects your life. This is what establishes your credibility — and what makes readers actually care.

4. Keep it local. The problem might be national or global, but people connect with stories that fit within the scope of their own lives.

5. Have one main point. This is not an instruction manual. There needs to be one clear, concise takeaway — something that helps a reader form an educated opinion.

6. Keep it accessible. When writing about farming, not everyone knows what a "high tunnel" or a "3-sided run-in" is. Bring these concepts to share your credibility, but make sure anyone can follow along.

7. A strong start and finish. Some people may only read the first paragraph- make sure you get your main point across in the first 2 sentences. At the end, give them a closing statement that actually lands — something that makes it obvious why they should care.

8. Encourage next steps. Name the people responsible for the changes you want to see, and give readers a concrete way to act. (Example: Contact Senator Lopes, Chair of the Environment Legislative Committee, or get involved with CT Coalition for Climate Action at climateactionct.org.)

9. Get a Co-Author. If you want to add credibility, ask someone with more clout in your subject area to weigh in, edit, and put their name on it with you.

On format and length: Most outlets are looking for 700–800 words. Start with a hook, a compelling story that communicates impact right away. Then follow with your thesis: one sentence that sums up what you want changed or you want readers to understand. Everything after is supporting evidence — studies, personal experience, quotes from leaders, stories from others in your community. Close by rephrasing your thesis, offering a solution or call to action, and leaving readers with something memorable. Something like, "As a farmer, I rely on luck and land to produce food — but if there's no land, luck won't feed us." That kind of line drives home the argument and makes it clear this isn't just a farming problem. It's everyone's problem.

Of course, make sure to edit. Your voice needs to be felt in the writing, communicating your values and way of talking, but it should also be grammatically correct.  You can use grammarly, or AI to help check your grammar but we do not suggest relying on AI to write the actual article. 

Since you have carefully mastered the art of the op-ed, it needs to be launched into the world to become a tool for change. To get it published you should: 

1. Find a place willing to publish it. Your best starting point would be your local paper, and then statewide papers (Connecticut Post, Hartford Courant, New Haven Register, CT Mirror, or CT Insider ). If you can find the op-ed editor or a reporter who regularly covers your topic, CC: them with the general email provided.

2. One paper at a time. Publications don’t want to publish something they know readers can access elsewhere.

3. Write a punchy subject line. It doubles as a title suggestion and the editor’s first impression. (Example: "Op-Ed: War on Food: Fighting Iran Takes Money Out of Local Farmers' Pockets")

4. Personalize your pitch. A short 1–2 paragraph intro explaining your argument, why it's timely, and why you're the right person to write it goes a long way.

5. Paste the article in the email body. Attachments from unknown senders are suspicious 

6. Make it easy to publish. Include your contact info, any relevant links, and active citations. Editors don't want to chase you down for details.

Not everyone loves writing (like I do), so this may not be the route for your advocacy goals, but it can be an accessible place to start. Most areas have a Patch.Com website that allows you to publish your article without needing authorization and you could share it on your own social media channels to get the conversation going. You could also skip the publication and just write an article for your facebook page. Everyone can start somewhere, but the key is to start.  We all have changes that we would like to see in our farming community, our local communities, and our state, but if people aren’t aware, how can we gain allies to help champion our cause?

For Examples of Op-Eds see the website here: https://journalism.columbia.edu/news/faculty-focus-opinion 

Works Cited

Broad Reach Public Relations. “Why Op-Eds Still Matter: A Strategic Tool for Public Relations.” The Reach Blog, 13 May 2025, https://www.broadreachpr.com/blog/why-op-eds-still-matter-a-strategic-tool-for-public-relations/. Accessed 10 Apr 2026.

Choudhary, Deepika. “Our Most Popular Op-ed Advice.” rethink, January 18 2019, https://rethinkmedia.org/blog/our-most-popular-op-ed-advice/. Accessed Apr 10 2026.

Creighton, Tyler. “Everything You Need to Know to Pitch Your Killer Op-Ed.” rethink, 19 Apr. 2017, https://rethinkmedia.org/blog/everything-you-need-know-pitch-your-killer-op-ed/. Accessed Apr 10 2026.

Morelli, Katherine. “Op-Ed Writing.” Harvard Graduate School of Education, 2024, https://communicate.gse.harvard.edu/sites/g/files/omnuum10511/files/commlab/files/op-ed_writing_writing_services_hgse_morelli.pdf. Accessed 10 Apr 2026.

Society of Behavioral Medicine. “Purpose of an Op-Ed.” Purpose of an Op-Ed, 2026, https://www.sbm.org/scicomm/guide-to-ops-eds/purpose-of-an-op-ed. Accessed 10 Apr. 2026.