{"id":7372,"date":"2022-08-15T22:14:09","date_gmt":"2022-08-15T22:14:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/?p=7372"},"modified":"2022-08-15T22:14:09","modified_gmt":"2022-08-15T22:14:09","slug":"op-ed-meaning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/op-ed-meaning\/","title":{"rendered":"Op Ed \u2013 Meaning, Origin and Usage"},"content":{"rendered":"

Is someone chiming in on your statement or speech? You could ask them to save you the frustration and refrain from leaving their op-ed<\/em>.<\/p>\n

This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this expression.<\/p>\n

Meaning<\/h2>\n

The expression 'op-ed'<\/em> is an abbreviation of 'opposite the editorial page.'<\/em> Typically, an op-ed in a newspaper reflects the opinions of the author or a group related to the article's content. An op-ed is usually longer than a standard letter to the editor.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Most op-eds<\/em> feature experts in the subject matter under discussion. The person usually has the qualifications and experience to write in an informative manner in the op-ed<\/em>. It's also common for PR firms to write op-eds<\/em> in an attempt to forward their specific agenda.<\/p>\n

An op-ed<\/em> is published in a location on the page where it attracts attention from the reader. The traditional placement of the op-ed is next to the editorial. An op-ed is an opinion piece addressing popular issues or a response to another opinion expressed in another media publication or website.<\/p>\n

Example Usage<\/h2>\n

\"Listen, I know you're just trying to help, but I don't need your op-ed on the matter right now. Please, keep your opinions to yourself.\"<\/p>\n

\"If I want your opinion, I'll ask for it. Keep your op-ed to yourself and shut up. Why do you think you can just step into the conversation like that?\"<\/p>\n

\"This op-ed piece is brilliant. This writer has real talent, and I hope the editor lets; they write a full column next week.'<\/p>\n

\"Op-eds are just people's opinion pieces. They don't mean anything; there's nothing factual to gain from listening to someone's biased opinion over the facts.\"<\/p>\n

\"Did you read the op-ed piece in the NYT this evening? It was a masterclass the way the writer called out the overreach of the government's authority.'<\/p>\n

\"There's no way I'll have the op-ed piece ready for press by 6pm. I don't know what to do, and the editor is going to kill me when he finds out.\"<\/p>\n

\"\" \"\"<\/p>\n

Origin<\/h2>\n

The expression \u2018op-ed\u2019 originates from the first \u2018op-ed\u2019 post created by Herbert Bayard Swope in 1921. Swope wrote the piece for The New York Evening World.<\/p>\n

When Swope took the role of editor at the newspaper in 1920, he referred to the page opposite the editorial as \u2018a catchall for book reviews, society boilerplate, and obituaries.\u2019<\/p>\n

Swope had the following to say about the op-ed piece.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt occurred to me that nothing is more interesting than opinion when opinion is interesting, so I devised a method of cleaning off the page opposite the editorial, which became the most important in America ... and thereon I decided to print opinions, ignoring facts.\u201d<\/p>\n

As a result, Swope developed his op-ed page in 1970, using it to include opinions from his employees. However, the first modern op-ed page appeared in the New York Times, penned by John B. Oakes on 21 September 1970.<\/p>\n