When the Atlanta-based ambulance service American Medical Response suffered public backlash following a series of late arrivals last year, it hoped to place an op-ed as a means
of enlightening the public about the city's 911 protocol. But the newspaper's editorial board had other buttons to push. So the company resorted to placing an advertorial to
insert its message into the public dialogue.
In this case, like so many others, the op-ed query wasn't a bad one. It simply fell victim to the odds. David Beasley, op-ed editor for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, says
he receives anywhere from 50 to 100 pieces per day. The paper only has so much space, and PR counselors who submit essays "are competing against the best writers in the country
for placement," he adds. "We always have the option of pulling something off the wires from the New York Times or Washington Post and running that instead." In the opinion
pages, there's no such thing as a slow news day.
Beasley says he's open to corporate submissions, provided they have the right stuff - that is, a unique perspective, a local angle and a writer's cadence. "If the CEO of Coca-
Cola wanted to write about why they laid off so many people, I might consider that because of its impact on the local economy," he says. In recent months, the Atlanta paper has
run op-eds tackling issues such as a proposed ban on smoking in restaurants (written by a local restaurateur) and why shoppers should patronize independent retail stores instead
of national chains (authored by an independent bookstore owner). "What we want is local people who can write well," Beasley says. In both of the above-mentioned cases, the
essays that scored ink were submitted by PR firms on behalf of their clients. They also just happened to have good timing.
Think Issues, Not Image
Op-ed submissions are gambles, but successful placements can be media relations coups, considering they afford more message control than reporter-generated stories. You'll
increase your odds of scoring coverage by submitting timely, compelling material that serves the interests of the newspaper's readers. "Op-eds are useful in clarifying the
realities of situations in which public impressions are unrealistic," says David Margulies, president of Dallas-based Margulies Communications Group. For example, if a
manufacturing plant is being called on to reduce emissions, some members of the public may have the impression that the pollution can be eradicated, when in fact, it can only be
reduced, he says. In this case, an op-ed might clarify more reasonable expectations.
"On the other hand, if a company is fined for pollution and it wants to publish something about how many jobs it's created - how it's a good corporate citizen except for this
felony - that's a bad idea," Margulies says. "Changing the subject doesn't address the central issue." And documenting your circumvention of the problem in print will only make
matters worse.
Lynn Schulman, senior VP of the New Media Group at PR 21 in New York, agrees. "If your company has major institutional problems that are systemic, you need to be open to
fixing those problems before running an op-ed," she says. In a crisis, op-eds should never be relied upon as a first line of defense. Better to schedule a meeting with the
newspaper's editorial board to educate reporters about the issue in person.
Let the Experts Do the Talking
Where op-eds are particularly useful is in the context of policy debates. Here, your essay can effectively communicate your company's key messages - provided those messages
are woven into the context of a larger social issue. To avoid appearing self-serving, secure a third-party expert as author. "Say there's a plane crash and your airline wants to
communicate its exemplary safety record. You get a former member of the FAA to write [the essay] and position the issue in a broader context, not just in terms of that particular
incident," says Schulman. By the same token, "pharmaceutical companies often ask physicians to lay out the facts." In deference to the expert's time, offer to write the first
draft, then hand it over for final approval, she advises.
Finally, don't lose sight of what the "op" in op-ed stands for. Involving the press virtually ensures that the conversation will not be one-sided. It may even be in your best
interests to identify your opponents for newspaper editors. "The New York Daily News, for example, takes external op-eds, but only if they can find opposing views," Schulman
says. Naming your critics isn't really counterintuitive, considering the press would eventually find them anyway, she adds. Make it easier for newspaper editors to say yes to
your piece.
Oh, and did we mention that timing is of the essence? If you feel compelled to write about police brutality this week, skip the Diallo angle. It's already old news.
(Duffey, 404/266-2660; Atlanta Journal, 404/526-5151; Margulies, 214/368-0909; Schulman, 212/352-3400)
How I Got That Op-Ed
As the consulting firm Coopers & Lybrand prepared to merge with Price Waterhouse in 1998, one of the firm's managing partners scored op-ed ink in the Atlanta Business
Journal. But he didn't do so by writing about the merger. The exec, a former Eagle Scout, had recently been named fundraising chair for the Atlanta Boy Scouts. With counsel
from Duffey Communications, he identified area CEOs who also had been Eagle scouts and interviewed them about how the experience had influenced their professional life. The
resulting op-ed highlighted the Boy Scouts' impact on Atlanta's corporate landscape. "At the end of the year, the local Boy Scouts had raised more money than any previous year,"
observes Eric Tanenblatt, senior VP at Duffey. And the bonus? "[The experience] also gave our client exposure in front of corporate leaders who were client prospects."
Submission Tips
According to David Beasley, "Perspectives" editor at the Atlanta Journal & Constitution, 80-90% of op-ed submissions are unusable. Some common mistakes:
Regurgitating old issues. "People write on the same topics over and over again, such as the presidential race, or [last year] the Lewinsky scandal."
Confusing op-eds with letters to the editor. "A letter to the editor is just someone's opinion." An op-ed is an expert analysis of an issue.
Speaking vicariously. "If you're writing about a human issue, like car-jacking, you have to have been a victim of such a crime, or at least be the relative of a victim to have
insight."
Submitting blindly. "Some people send their stuff out to every major newspaper in the country. They have no interest in our city and they obviously don't read our paper.
There is no incentive for us to run their pieces."