Clay Risen, editor for The New York Times, joined the Dewitt Wallace Center on Tuesday, October 30 for a discussion on “How to Pitch an Op-Ed.” Faculty, staff and students were in attendance asking a variety of questions, including how to attach a pitch (pro tip: copy and paste into the body of an email rather than attaching documents, for easy New York subway reading). Risen spoke to the importance of storytelling and novelty in op-ed writing, as well as building relationships with editors in your field of expertise.He acknowledged that many writers will cycle through a series of pitches and rejections before seeing their op-ed in the New York Time. Several attendees had published op-eds, while others were considering first-time pitches. Risen reiterated the importance of telling a relevant and unique story, that both challenges and enriches readers. Students stayed afterwards to talk shop about entering the field of journalism.
