what is an oped article

An op-ed article is a short newspaper column that expresses the opinion of an author or entity with no affiliation with the publications editorial board. The term "op-ed" is short for "opposite the editorial page," deriving its name from originally having appeared physically opposite the editorial page in a newspaper. Today, the term is used more widely to represent opinion-based articles. Op-eds are sometimes referred to as opinions and/or commentary. They are written by named authors not associated with the newspapers editorial board and are used to discuss and provide arguments on issues of relevance to the readers of the newspaper. Op-eds should have a clearly defined topic and theme, with the topic usually stated in the first paragraph. They should be backed with facts and evidence to prove the authors point. Effective op-eds clearly express an opinion, cite evidence to prove the point, and mention specific people in examples. The final paragraph and closing argument serve as the authors last opportunity to draw readers to their point of view. Op-eds can appear in most print and online versions of newspapers and can be no longer than 800 words.