Op-eds and commentaries 101: U-M IHPI Elevating Impact series

A slide set about writing opinion and commentary pieces, created for the University of Michigan Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation in Jan. 2025

1. Op-eds and commentaries 101 Kara Gavin, M.S. Michigan Medicine Department of Communication/IHPI

2. Who am I? Public Relations team, Michigan Medicine Department of Communication Research & Policy Media Relations Manager, U-M Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation Trained in biology, science writing & journalism, 30 years of communicating about research (25+ at U-M)

3. Find & tell stories Handle news media inquiries Push stories & info out any way we can Advise faculty/senior learners on communication strategy & tactics What do I do?

4. Do you have something to say? Call attention to problems & opportunities Coalesce knowledge on topic in the news Call for action – or a stop to something Warn of potential impacts of a policy, activity – or inaction Share new knowledge in a different way Explain something that everyday people, or professionals, need to understand

5. Why you? Why now? Who will listen? Do you have professional credibility to lend to the topic? (and maybe a personal connection too?) Is something intrinsic motivating you to speak up? Or do you want a new way to amplify your work? Consider your audience: Who do you most want to reach? Why should they care about what you’d say? What will you say that they haven’t heard before?

6. Where can you express your professional opinion? Academic journal opinion sections Faster turnaround than research papers Can introduce limited new data Comment on state of field or impact of new policy or practice development Recent alternative: journal-run blogs Non-academic outlets Top-tier ( NY Times , Washington Post , WSJ ) Specialty ( Modern Healthcare ) Regional ( Detroit Free Press , Detroit News ) Newer, online-only outlets: The Conversation National ( STAT News , Politico ) Regional ( Bridge Magazine )

7. Choosing to publish in a non-academic outlet Disadvantages Top-tier outlets get vast numbers of submissions, very difficult to be selected Most outlets hold copyright so usually unable to re-publish Open commenting – you must decide if you want to engage How to cite in CV? Advantages Known “brands” among policymakers/advocates/public High Google visibility for discovery by current and future web searchers Some sites allow free re-publishing of content (within conditions) Usually no paywall

8. Types of commentaries Timely: Reactive Commentary, context or information related to a current or recent event Within the last month, week, or today Timely: Proactive Push ideas into public awareness related to brand new or upcoming event Today, next week, or next month Timeless Commentary, explanation, and analysis that is always relevant Anytime between last month to next year

9. Types of commentaries : Timely (reactive) Commentary, context or information related to a current or recent event Today Next Week Next Month Next Year Last Month Last Week

10. Types of commentaries : Timely (proactive) Push ideas into public awareness related to brand-new or upcoming event * Today Next Week Next Month Next Year Last Month Last Week *The timing can be ‘pegged’ to the publication of your own work or a major report you’re involved with.

11. Types of commentaries: Timeless Commentary, explanation & analysis that is always relevant * Something people will find interesting any day Today Next Week Next Month Next Year Last Month Last Week *Timeless pieces can suddenly become timely due to current events!

12. No matter what, you need to figure out…. What is your single take-away for the audience? How will you give context, content and significance to persuade or inform them? Having a single big idea helps you focus your writing, helps your audience focus their reading What’s the BIG IDEA?

13. Think of an IKEA stool Central Message Supporting Idea Supporting Idea Supporting Idea Extra Idea

14. A nd What we know What we must do What just happened/is happening What we learned that we expected What we learned that was surprising What the reader doesn’t know but that’s relevant What the are the implications for the reader, researchers, policymakers, etc. Ways to structure your piece: ABT B ut T herefore What we don’t know

15. Momentum Tension Low High Life is normal Equilibrium is disrupted All is lost Science saves the day A better equilibrium is reached Ways to structure your piece: The Swoop

16. “big picture” context so what? supporting details payoff/(positive) impact aims, methods, results Ways to structure your piece: The Hourglass

17. A great platform for academics Academic authors─Journalistic staff─Nonprofit /academic funding All articles free for republishing by media and others

18. Opinion, commentary & explainer pieces by academics Covering a wide variety of timely & timeless topics Published with guidance from professional journalists Available for free republishing by news outlets and anyone else

19. What is The Conversation? What they DON’T want: Going beyond your expertise A pre-written piece Self-promotion (You must reference/link to the work of others too) Political spin What they DO want: ~1000 words—written after approval of topic by editor Broad audience appeal Opinion, commentary, or explainers informed by evidence and expertise Fresh (even unpublished) data 2-3 authors at most; must include at least one faculty member

20. Broad potential audience No paywall, CC licensing Cloud-based editing interface Credibility of journalistic site Moderated comments Major media outlet republishing Help from professional editors Attractive pages and imagery Trackable metrics Optimized for social sharing Why choose The Conversation?

21. Republishing Social media & reposting Individuals and institutions share via web and social media Timely topics Article can be shared again or edited & reposted when the topic is timely again The Conversation US: 20 million reads/month (2021) Media republishers : 400 After you p ublish

22. Recent IHPI members’ Conversation pieces Hospice care for those with dementia falls far short of meeting people’s needs at the end of life Breaking the curve: A call for comprehensive scoliosis awareness and care Abortion bans are changing what it means to be young in America Michigan’s thousands of farmworkers are unprotected, poorly paid, uncounted and often exploited

23. Other recent opinion pieces by U-M authors

24. Targeting the right venue Who do you want to reach? Clinicians, health care leaders, policymakers, general public Is timing critical? And how quickly can you do it? What are your odds of being accepted? Do you want the right to republish your piece? Do you want audiences to be able to see it for free?

25. Does this matter most to clinicians/biomed industry? Is there an immediate reason they should care given everything else they’re dealing with? STAT First Opinion Will it appeal to a general audience and can I explain it without jargon? Do I want it to be republishable and get data on audience size? The Conversation Do I have policy insights/ recommendations or policy-relevant data I’m willing to share? Health Affairs Forefront VS VS

26. Do I want to reach a healthcare & health policy audience? Can I get the concept across in <1,200 words (or 1,000 + 1 figure) and few citations? Do I need a citable DOI? JAMA Health Forum Viewpoint Is what I want to say timely and specifically relevant to the state of Michigan or the Detroit metro region? Can I say it without jargon in <700 words? Detroit Free Press Do I have something unique and compelling to say on a national issue and can I do it quickly? New York Times VS VS

27. Do I have data on a timely issue that I want to publish with full references & one figure, and recommendations for policy or practice? Do I need a citation? NEJM Perspective Do I have a policy-relevant opinion or perspective related to current events in the state of Michigan? Bridge Michigan Do I want to reach the national policy community on a specific piece of legislation or regulation? The Hill VS VS

28. Wherever you publish… Base it in your academic work & practice innovation Invoke both professional expertise & personal experience Include relevant evidence from the work of others Use current events, or changes in policy or practice, as “news hooks” Disseminate the piece after publication: Alert staff communicators so they can republish or post an excerpt Plan a Twitter/X thread (or posts on other platforms), repost after a few days, share the post by the outlet Post on LinkedIn Include in CV

29. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown the importance of public communication by academic experts in informing the public and fighting misinformation . This effort relies on communication staff who create and share plain-language summaries of clinical recommendations or research findings on prevention, treatment and policy impacts. My research on the number and quality of COVID-related stories issued by major U.S. research universities and teaching hospitals from March 2020 to December 2022 shows wide variation and opportunities for improvement. Other studies of pandemic-era hospital and public health agency social media activity have shown similar results. At the same time, data show workforce decline in both the news media and public health agencies, the traditional sources of pandemic communications. As the nation shifts toward preparing for the next pandemic and works to restore trust in science, evidence points to the importance of increased investment in communications staffing by academic and medical institutions. Big Idea My expertise & key point 1 Work of others/ key points 2+3 Timeliness Relevance/ call for change A fictitious example Timely Reactive Target outlet AAMC Insights or Chronicle of Higher Education Goal Persuade university and health system leaders to invest in communication by & about their experts

30. Helpful links IHPI Communications Toolkit ihpi.umich.edu/ihpi-communications-resources The Conversation US – Authors’ Handbook: michmed.org/y58yv Op-Ed Project free resources: www.theopedproject.org/resources AAAS Op-ed writing resource: www.aaas.org/programs/public-engagement/writing-op-ed