March 25, 2024

Spotlight: The New York Times

  • The Other New York TimesMost people tend to think of NYT op-ed placement possibilities as restricted to the handful of pieces appearing in the print edition daily. However, the paper offers an abundance of other opinion opportunities. In October 2013, Op-ed Editor Trish Hall offered a detailed insider’s view of opinion at the Times (see “Op-ed and You,” below).Hall mentions in passing a couple of the other venues – the Sunday Review in print and Opinionator on the website, which may take a bit of explaining.
    • Opinionator: At present, Opinionator consists of ten subject-specific forums on topics ranging from nursing to the Civil War to solving major social problems. The narrow focus of most of the forums make them possible venues for some faculty members, and probably less appropriate for presidents.Opinionator forums change over time, so check the main NYT Opinion page sidebar for a current list. There appears to be no comprehensive overview of the Opinionator forums and the focus of each, so I created one.
    • Room for Debate: In her overview, Hall neglects to mention this other Times outlet for opinion, which offers multiple contributed views on a specific topic. (Note that the link is to the education page, not the main page.) The site notes that “the Times invites knowledgeable outside contributors to discuss news events and other timely issues.” Contact them at roomfordebate@gmail.com.Presidents are occasionally featured as debaters, while faculty members are included almost every week.
  • Op-Ed and You,” New York Times, October 13, 2013.  A detailed look at submitting op-eds to the Times, by Trish Hall, Editor, Op-Ed and Sunday Review.  Also see specifics on submission on the Times website.
  • Full list and description of New York Times Opinionator forum categories.
  • Summary of Room for Debate participants, July/Aug. 2014 (TalkingSkull.com)
  • This webpage lists the NYT staffers that handle Room for Debate.
  • According to the Times, some teachers are using Room for Debate to teach argumentative writing and discussion skills.
  • Secrets of the ‘Times’ Op-Ed pages revealed!,” Capital, May 18, 2012.  Report on a session with the New York Times op-ed and letters editors, by a publication “for and about the people and institutions that shape New York, delivering fast, original, essential analysis and reporting on city and state politics and the media industry.”

 

Note:  Spotlight pages contain excerpts from Sept. 17, 2014, white paper on op-ed venues.