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SUBMIT A LETTER TO THE EDITOR OR OP-ED

Have an opinion you want to share with Occidental’s campus? Want to respond to an article previously published in The Occidental? The Occidental welcomes your submissions in the form of op-eds and letters to the editor.

What’s the difference between an op-ed, a letter to the editor, and an editorial?

  • An op-ed is about a topic of your choice and should be about 850 words. It must include an argument (thesis), supporting evidence from reputable sources and/or personal experience and a call to action. Op-eds should be relevant to Occidental’s community or to college students in general. Most articles published by The Occidental’s Opinions section are op-eds.
  • A letter to the editor typically addresses an issue that has already been brought up in The Occidental. It can oppose previous articles or provide further information on relevant topics. Letters should be between 500 and 850 words. For examples of previous letters, click here.
  • An editorial reflects the opinion of The Occidental’s editorial board and/or the editor-in-chief. It can address topics such as The Occidental’s processes or important current events. Since editorials are exclusively written by the editorial board, submissions will not fall under this category.

All submitted content should be timely, well-written and relevant to Occidental’s community. You must be affiliated with the Occidental College community to have your submission published in The Occidental. The Opinions editors reserve the right to make final publishing decisions.

Will my submission be edited before publishing?

Like everything The Occidental publishes, submissions will be edited for length, grammar, clarity and accuracy, including multiple rounds of edits and revisions. We will not edit for content without your permission — we simply want to help you make your piece the best that it can be.

When will my submission be published?

The Occidental publishes a new issue every Wednesday. Please submit articles before midnight on Thursday to be considered for publication in the following Wednesday’s issue.

How should I cite evidence?

Any fact that is not common knowledge should be cited using a hyperlink to a reputable website. If you are submitting a letter to the editor in response to an article The Occidental has published, please hyperlink to the relevant article.

Will you publish my submission anonymously?

The Occidental’s Opinions section follows the same guidelines as the rest of the paper regarding anonymity. We only offer anonymity in situations where an individual would face threats to their personal safety or their job security by having their name published. For further information, please refer to our FAQ.

What if I have an idea for an op-ed or letter, but I don’t know where to start?

The Occidental’s Opinions editors are here for you! Email DJ Prakash at dprakash@oxy.edu and Kayla Heinze at kheinze@oxy.edu, and we will happily answer any questions you may have. Submissions can also be emailed directly to us.

Click here to open the form below in a new window.

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