The suggestions below are simply that -- suggestions. This is not a formula, but a guide to help you as you formulate your ideas. Ledes and News Hooks: Catching Attention. For live feedback on your op-ed drafts and pitches, join us for our weekly Ask A Journalist virtual office hours. One of our master editors will live-edit a few drafts chosen from among those you submit and will answer your questions in real-time. To go deeper, come to one of our virtual workshops.
You will emerge with an op-ed draft, access to our national network of journalist mentors for individual follow-up, and a clearer idea of your potential to change the world.
Consider the metaphors that your experience and knowledge suggest. Follow the news — both general and specific to your areas of specialty. If you write about Haiti, read the Haitian press. If you write about pop culture, read the media that cover it. In other words: write fast. You may have only a few hours to get your piece in before the moment is gone. But also….
Remember that a good idea may have more than one news hook, indeed if the idea is important enough it can have many. So keep an eye out for surprising connections and new news hooks — the opportunity may come around again. Jargon serves a purpose, but it is rarely useful in public debate, and can obfuscate — sorry, I mean cloud — your argument.
Speak to your reader in straight talk. Recognize that your average reader is not an expert in your topic, and that the onus is on you to capture her attention — and make the argument compel. Are you authoritative on your topic? Are you accountable to what you say you know? Can you provide evidence of your expertise? Is your argument based on evidence — solid material and logical building blocks that will be acknowledged as credible even by those who may disagree with your interpretation?
