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

AHA Online | April 7, 2023

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

Moderator:
Laura Ansley, managing editor, American Historical Association

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.