Techniques for Crafting and Sending an Editorial Piece
In the realm of academia, Syracuse University is taking strides to ensure that faculty expertise reaches broader audiences. The university's media relations team plays a pivotal role in this endeavour, connecting faculty with media outlets and facilitating expert commentary opportunities related to their scholarship or research interests.
The team, spearheaded by Media Relations Specialist Chris Munoz ([email protected]), assists faculty by identifying relevant media opportunities aligned with their expertise, coordinating communication and interviews with journalists, promoting faculty as expert sources for commentary and analysis on current topics, and helping to position faculty scholarship as accessible, authoritative opinion pieces (op-eds) that showcase thought leadership.
While the direct process for pitching op-eds is not detailed explicitly, this model of support aligns with Syracuse University's approach to media engagement, where faculty expertise is actively promoted in the public sphere. Faculty can initiate contact with the team to leverage their research in the form of published op-eds and expert commentary.
When considering authoring an op-ed, it's important to note that each piece must be offered exclusively to one media outlet at a time. Submitting an op-ed is a competitive process, with a vast number of publications vying for quality content. Tips for writing op-eds include crafting a clear message, making it timely, using simple language, and avoiding jargon.
Syracuse University's Director of News and Public Relations, Ellen James Mbuqe ([email protected]), and Associate Directors Daryl Lovell ([email protected]) and Keith Kobland ([email protected]) are also key figures in this process. For any queries or to discuss op-ed submissions, faculty can reach out to the media relations team at [email protected] or contact Vanessa Marquette, another Media Relations Specialist ([email protected]).
In addition to traditional media outlets like The Chicago Tribune (circulation: 238,103), The Wall Street Journal (1,011,200), The New York Times (483,701), The Washington Post (254,379), and USA Today (1,621,091), the team also helps faculty navigate platforms like The Conversation, Truthout, Project Syndicate, and The Op-Ed Project, which distribute content to sources all over the world.
Local newspapers such as Star Tribune (Minneapolis) (251,822), The Boston Globe (230,756), The New York Post (426,129), The Los Angeles Times (417,936), Newsday (251,473), and The Washington Post are also within the team's remit.
By bridging the gap between faculty scholarship and public media visibility, Syracuse University's media relations team is helping faculty translate their research interests into impactful public discourse, ensuring that their voices are heard in the national and global conversation.
- Syracuse University's media relations team, led by Media Relations Specialist Chris Munoz, assists faculty in promoting their expertise and research interests by identifying relevant media opportunities, coordinating interviews, and helping position their scholarship as accessible and authoritative.
- Faculty can collaborate with the media relations team to leverage their research in the form of published op-eds and expert commentary, with the goal of translating their research interests into impactful public discourse, thereby ensuring their voices are heard in the national and global conversation.
