Yes! You Can Still Get Your Opinion Essay Published
In a previous post, I outlined several new trends with opinion essays. I explained that some outlets are eliminating their opinion sections, some people are opting to publish their commentary on social media, and some outlets are only accepting pieces from the person who has the byline. Now we want to explain why these shifts are occurring. And more importantly, how you can still get your opinion essay published.
Broadly speaking, shifts in opinion verticals may be driven by many factors including newsroom restructuring, a need to better distinguish between news and opinion, and an inability to properly vet the work of contributors.
In some instances, outlets may fear political retribution for publishing content that may be out of favor with the current administration. What is more, it’s not uncommon for publications to face backlash for what they publish or who they publish. If an outlet publishes an author who holds differing views as the vast majority of their readers, the paper could receive blowback. Many papers are opting to sidestep the controversy.
Other Reasons for the Shift
For persons with limited media literacy, discerning opinion from fact can be difficult. In an age where conspiracy theories can spread rapidly, media outlets may be seeking to better control what they publish and who they publish. Additionally, some appear to have cut their opinion editorial teams as a cost-savings measure.
With these trends, one may ask, ‘Are Opinion Editorials Obsolete?’ No, they’re not. Although we are seeing changes with how content is published and shared, opinion editorials remain a popular tool for elevating one’s thought leadership. In fact, more than 1100 outlets still accept opinion essays according to Axios.
We see this in the data, but this is also our lived experience. As of June 2025, we’ve already assisted in the publication of 30 opinion essays for clients. I find that opinion essays that are timely, well-written and counter-intuitive are easy to place. If your essay meets these categories, and you still can’t place it, don’t lose heart.
What Can You Do?
I cannot emphasize enough how important being timely is when it comes to placing opinion essays. The more time, the better the placement. We recently helped a client place an opinion essay in TIME, and within a few days of publication, the piece had garnered 23 million views. The client submitted the essay three weeks prior to his desired publication date. This allowed our firm ample opportunity to pitch the essay for publication. One week later, we received interest for the client’s essay.
Additionally, if you are looking for places to publish your thought leadership, be careful not to overlook your personal or organizational website. If you build your website, and condition your audience to expect your commentary there, they will come. If you post relevant commentary, and invest in SEO, more people will find your content.
Finally, don’t be afraid to publish short blogs and thought pieces on LinkedIn. With LinkedIn, there is no lengthy review process, and no waiting to see if an external site will publish your essay. You control what is published on your account. Your followers will also come to expect our thought leadership.
The bottom line is that the media landscape is evolving, but that doesn’t mean your ideas can’t be shared. We can help you. Schedule a consultation today. You can also access our suite of workshops and trainings directly from our website.
Jennifer R. Farmer, aka The PR Whisperer,® is the principal of Spotlight PR LLC. Be sure to check out other blogs and subscribe for regular communications updates.