Significance

• Op-ed columns give people not affiliated with the editorial staff to share an authoritative view or perspective on current events or local concerns.
  
  

History

• In 1921, Herbert Bayard Swope of The New York Evening World created the first modern op-ed page, opposite the editorial page, to be a catchall for book reviews and obituaries.
  
  

Types

• Commentaries in the op-ed column can range from small town animal rescue to global nuclear war. The Wall Street Journal's op-ed submission guidelines state, "The article should be a strong argument about an issue in the news." As long as it is strongly opinionated with a valid argument, almost any topic is considered worthy of print.
  
  

Size

• The Los Angeles Times reported that the average length of its op-ed columns is approximately 750 words, while The Wall Street Journal asks for 600-1,200 jargon-free words. Other op-ed pieces range from 300-700 words.
  
  

Time Frame

• Op-ed articles are geared toward predominant current issues. They can be on a local scale or world-wide, political or domestic, but generally ally themselves with current events or popular topics.