Op-Ed Writing for Historians: How to Pitch, Write, Revise, and Get Your Ideas to the Public

Writing short articles for the general public is an important skill in the historian’s toolkit. From newspaper op-eds to magazine articles to blog posts, there are many publications where historians can share their research, connect it with current events or popular culture, and reach new readers. A panel of experienced editors and writers discussed how to pitch and write op-eds meant for a general audience, as well as what to expect from the editorial process.

Panelists

• Moderator: Laura Ansley, managing editor, American Historical Association
• Bryan Banks, Assistant Professor of History at Columbus State University and co-founder/co-executive editor of Age of Revolutions
• Jelani Cobb, dean and Henry Luce Professor of Journalism at Columbia Journalism School and staff writer at the New Yorker
• Maura Elizabeth Cunningham, historian of modern China and the digital media manager at the Association for Asian Studies
• Francine Hirsch, Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professor of History at the University of Wisconsin-Madison
• Brian Rosenwald, scholar-in-residence and instructor at the University of Pennsylvania and director of the Red and Blue Exchange for the SNF Paideia Program at Penn. He is also co-founder and senior editor of Made By History, a Washington Post history section