Are Opinion Essays Obsolete? Three Trends You Should Know.
Over the past year, there have been a slew of changes with how leaders share opinion essays or thought leadership. With the prevalence of social media and concerns about media gatekeepers, many people are going straight to their social media platforms to publish their thought leadership. For their part, many media outlets are rethinking or restructuring their opinion editorial (OpEd) sections as well.
With the ever-changing media landscape, I noticed three new opinion essay trends that you should know. In a separate blog, we explain what you should do as a result of these changes. But first, here’s what we’re seeing.
More Papers are Discarding or Restructuring their Opinion Section
First, some media outlets have discarded their opinion editorial section altogether. CNN no longer accepts or publishes opinion editorials, also called guest columns or opinion essays. The Grio also appears to be publishing fewer opinion essays from thought leaders. They have a roster of columnists and appear to platform their insights as opposed to also publishing thought leadership from their vast array of readers.
Even Gannett, which publishes USA Today and is the largest newspaper chain in the nation, in 2022 urged its papers to consider publishing fewer opinion columns. And, the Washington Post announced in the spring of 2025 that they would publish more content on free markets and personal liberties. They are also preparing to launch a platform called Ripple, where they will publish opinion articles from other newspapers. You can learn more here.
Shifts in Who Can Submit Opinion Essays
The next trend centers on who submits the content. Some media outlets are increasingly declining opinion essays submitted by publicists, communicators, or public information officers. Instead, they prefer thought leadership submitted by the person with the byline. HuffPost, for instance, no longer accepts guest columns that have been submitted by a publicist or PR rep. This could be driven by a desire to level the playing field and ensure that persons without PR assistance have an equal opportunity to share their insights and opinions.
More People Are Publishing on Social Media
The final trend I’m seeing is that more people are sharing their thought leadership via YouTube and other social media platforms. It also isn’t uncommon to see paragraphs-long commentary posted on X, Instagram or Facebook. That’s because these platforms democratize attention. If a person wants to share a message quickly, they only need a phone or computer. They no longer need to submit a perfectly-worded essay and wait for editors to accept the piece. There is less friction when opting to publish thought leadership on a platform which one controls.
Additionally, for busy professionals, it is just as easy to publish content on LinkedIn as it is to submit it to an outlet where one may or may not know the submission process.
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 MuckRack.
Help is Available
You do not have to navigate this terrain alone. If you want to share a message with a broad array of people, reach out and schedule a consultation. We typically request 2 weeks to place an opinion essay but understand some issues require rapid response. Get in touch and let us help you build your platform and expand your brand.
And if a publication agrees to publish your essay, here’s what you should do.
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.