3 steps to pitch an opinion

🌐 Raising voices + the latest global opportunities.

FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK

WorldWise readers—

The year is getting underway with an epic shake-up as the new US president upends governance business-as-usual. The cracks will reach far and wide.

More on that in the next VIEW edition. For now, here’s a question: if you’re someone not inclined to fall in line with what this kind of power demands, then how do you make your way. What do you do—what can you do—if anything?

I don’t have an answer for you. What I can do is offer a spot of advice for anyone who may at some point be compelled to speak their mind. You can, of course, do that on socials or meetings, even the dinner table. But the old-fashioned column is still around too, and that’s what I’m aiming at with today’s 3-point guide.

As you’ll hear if you make it all the way down to PS., democracy isn’t just about elections.

Anita

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INSIDER | views & experience

It’s a direct line.

For a long time, most people with something to say had to rely on journalists and editors to reach a wider audience than their network of peers. That’s changed with social platforms.

But you can still use the traditional channel of op-ed writing to get your message across. Getting published on a respected platform can offer credibility, and sharing a perspective means having more control over the message.

So, how do you go about getting such a piece published? You do, of course, need a solid idea—check out these tips in our previous post on opinion writing if you’re not sure where to start.

Here’s what comes next.

#1—Find the right publisher

The first step is to find a publisher that could be the right fit for your opinion. Do some research on outlets that publish op-eds, viewpoints or commentaries, and check if they cover issues relevant to your field.

Make a list of your options in order of priority. Here, think about what matters to you—perhaps it’s the publication’s reach, or the type of audience it caters to. It’s worth being ambitious at this point, but be realistic too. If your idea is about a niche debate in medical ethics, that’s probably more Lancet than Washington Post.

Once you have your target publisher, be sure to search for their submission guidelines. Most will have these guidelines posted on their site—if they do, you need to follow them.

#2—Craft your proposal

Once you have your idea, and your target publishers, it’s time to craft the pitch—this is what journalists call a short proposal that outlines the idea for an editor.

A good pitch is more an art than a science, but a well-presented proposal that hits the right notes will boost your chances at securing a commission. In essence, it should explain the basic elements of the article:

• what you want to write about—a hard-hitting message that grabs attention

• why it’s important and relevant now—a piece of news or an event that shows why it’s important to talk about it now

• how you’ll go about making the argument—the key points in your reasoning

The tips on opinion writing we shared previously will come in handy here too:

How to write an opinion

#3—Email you pitch to the editor

To structure your pitching email, start with a brief introduction: tell the editor who you are in one or two sentences.

Follow this up quickly with the gist of the proposal. Highlight something that’s newsworthy or special about your article—a novel piece of information, or a unique setting, or a link to a current event. Then the body of your email should be the full pitch expanding on your argument with the key points.

Before you close, outline briefly why you think the publication’s audience will be interested in your piece. End with a few words on why the reader can trust *you* to offer this opinion—outline your relevant experience in a brief bio.

Bear in mind that you’ll need to fit all this into a short space: a typical pitch is 300-500 words long. Better to avoid going any longer than that unless it’s really necessary. And when you email your pitch, address it to an editor—a specific person—not a generic address.

I’ll end by going back to the first point:

In reality, that should be “find the right publishers”. That’s because even though following good pitching practices can give you a better chance of getting your foot in the door, rejections are usually a part of the process. So be prepared with a backup target publisher, and be patient: your pitch may not work the first time. But keep trying.

In many cases, the first step is in fact the hardest: that’s coming up with the message you want to put across. If opining is out of your comfort zone, it’s a good idea to wait until the time feels right. Or, well, until silence becomes more uncomfortable.

📌 When you’re ready to get a message out there, if you need advice tailored to your idea and circumstances feel free to get in touch. Paid subscribers can reach me with specific questions via Friday DMs, otherwise email me to discuss if a 1:1 session could help.

Guidance is based on experience on both sides of the opinion-writing fence. My commentary has been published in Devex, Nature, Undark magazine and SciDevNet, where as head of the op-eds desk I commissioned and worked with dozens of contributors on science and global development issues.

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OPPORTUNITIES | working with the media

grants+funding

ASIA | The Earth Journalism Network is offering grants to support project ideas from media outlets, journalism institutions and other organizations that work directly with media or content creators in the Asia-Pacific region—closing 30 January.

GLOBAL | The Fund for Investigative Journalism is inviting journalists to apply for grants to produce high-quality, unbiased, nonpartisan investigative stories—closing 31 January.

ASIA | The Earth Journalism Network is offering reporting grants to support the production of in-depth solutions-focused media reports on environmental and climate challenges in the region—apply by 3 February.

LAC | The Earth Journalism Network is offering grants to support journalism related to environmental crimes in the Amazon Region in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru—deadline 7 February.

🇧🇷 LAC | Amazônia Vox, with the support of the Serrapilheira Institute and the International Center for Journalists, is offering microgrants to map knowledge sources in the Amazon—deadline 10 February for cycle 2, 10 May for cycle 3.

fellowships+scholarships

MENA | Mid to senior level female editors and journalists from Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan and Palestine can apply to WAN-IFRA’s Women in News Accelerator, a nine-month-long career and leadership program for female journalists—deadline 31 January.

🇪🇸 LAC | CONNECTAS is launching a fellowship to support stories that unveil new insights into a socially significant phenomenon at both national and regional levels for journalists residing in the region with at least three years of professional experience—closing 2 February.

GLOBAL | CFI, Reporters Without Borders, SINGA and Maison des journalistes are launching the second cohort of Voices in Exile, a project to support and accompany journalists and media in exile in Paris, France—deadline 4 February.

🎥 LAC | TBA21–Academy, in collaboration with Tactical Tech’s “Exposing the Invisible” project and artist-researcher Federico Pérez Villoro, invites applications for “Webs of Water”, an online activation series exploring the relationship between technology infrastructures, freshwater scarcity and water distribution issues in the Caribbean—closing 5 February.

🎥 ASIA | Reuters has opened applications from Indian citizens or residents for its 12-month Danish Siddiqui Photojournalism Fellowship at its Delhi bureau—apply by 9 February.

training+events

GLOBAL | The International Institute for Environment and Development is hosting a panel with experts on critical minerals, international policy and a just energy transition—online event on 29 January.

AFRICA | CANAL+ Impact is organizing a training program in visual journalism from April 8 to 12 in Cotonou, Benin—apply by 31 January.

ASIA | The Global Investigative Journalism Network is offering a fellowship to journalists in developing or transitioning countries to travel to the 14th Global Investigative Journalism Conference taking place this November in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia—deadline 31 January.

ASIA | The Asian American Journalists Association's Asia Chapter's (AAJA-Asia) 2025 Executive Leadership Program will feature an international cohort and a fully in-person program from May 26 to 31 in Bangkok, Thailand—applications close 31 January.

GLOBAL | Journalists interested in learning how to track climate finance more effectively are invited to apply to attend a 4-week free online training programme from The Centre for Investigative Journalism—closing 2 February.

awards+competitions

🎥 GLOBAL | The Sidney Hillman Foundation is inviting journalists and photographers to enter their work into its Hillman Prizes, which honour investigative journalism and commentary that serves the common good and has been widely accessible to US audiences—closing 30 January.

GLOBAL | The Association of British Science Writers’ 2025 awards are open for entry—submit your work by 31 January.

GLOBAL | Amnesty International UK is inviting entries for its annual Media Awards, which seek to recognise the journalists’ role and the risks they face in highlighting human rights abuses around the world and holding power to account—closing 31 January.

GLOBAL | Submissions are open for the Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Awards, which honours a free and fair press and celebrates media professionals whose work explores issues of human rights, social justice, and the power of individual action—deadline 31 January.

🎥 AFRICA | Journalists who covered regional integration projects in Africa and are nationals of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa member states can enter the COMESA Media Awards—deadline 31 January.

GLOBAL | The National Association of Science Writers’ Science in Society Journalism Awards recognises investigative or interpretive reporting about the sciences and their impact on modern society—submit your work by 1 February.

pitches+positions

⏳ 🇫🇷 AFRICA | Les Bonnes Ondes is looking for an editorial production assistant in Casablanca, Morocco—closing 31 January.

MENA | The Committee to Protect Journalists is hiring a head of programs to oversee the MENA Program’s advocacy, assistance, research, and reporting on press freedom violations and attacks throughout the region—deadline 31 January.

ASIA | News agency Agence France-Presse is looking for an experienced editor to join its English-language news desk at its Asia-Pacific headquarters in Hong Kong—apply by 7 February.

GLOBAL | Rest of World is accepting pitches on its four coverage areas for 2025: EV revolution, China outside China, tech giants, innovation—send your pitch now.

GLOBAL | The Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting is looking for an editorial intern for one year starting in late May—apply now.

GLOBAL | The New York Times is looking for a visual editor—apply now.

MENA | Newsweek is seeking a Middle East freelance news reporter—apply now.

ASIA | Foreign Policy is looking for a writer on a contract basis, to take over a new weekly newsletter on Southeast Asia—apply now.

ASIA | Tyler Roney from Dialogue Earth is open to environmental stories in mainland Southeast Asia—pitch now.

📌 More opportunities are available to paid subscribers here (a gift subscription is available). We currently have a total of 57 opportunities listed with deadlines through to late February.

Photo by Ana Flávia on Unsplash

resources+tools

• 7 opportunities and challenges for journalists in 2025 - Jacob Granger for International Journalists' Network

• The climate development milestones to watch in 2025 - Jesse Chase-Lubitz for Devex

• Climate and health: Stories to watch in 2025 - Katie Burke and Lara Salahi for the Association of Health Care Journalists

• Here are all the journalism terms you need to know, defined - Poynter

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🕸 YOUR SUPPORT MATTERS

This newsletter is the product of years of experience across sectors, plus hours of reading, curation and writing. If you find it useful and have the means, please consider becoming a paid subscriber for just £1.5 a week to help keep it sustainable and free for all. In addition to full archive access, you’ll get:

📌 Bonus content on media engagement—exclusive access to our master list of global opportunities

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As always, a big thank you to those of you who continue to support the project.

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PLUS | in other editions

'Fighting wildfires should be just an incident—not the rule'

UPDATE | from the network

The mental health challenges that journalists face in the course of their work were highlighted in this first-hand account by Ayman Oghanna for the Columbia Journalism Review, and a piece focused on Peru’s investigative journalists by Ernesto Cabral for IJNET. The International Journalists’ Network is looking for outstanding students and early-career journalists to feature in their new student journalism newsletter—nominate yourself or someone else here. The editor-in-chief of the Palgrave Handbook of Nature-Based Solutions is accepting contributions for 10,000-word chapters on a range of topics including urbanisation, ecosystem restoration, disaster risk reduction and financing nature-based solutions—submit here.

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PS.

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Thank you.

WorldWise is read across 69 countries—it remains independent thanks to the support of subscribers like you, and to the rest of my nomadic work-life. Sign up | Browse archive | Sponsor an issue

Created and edited by Anita Makri—journalist/writer, producer and editorial adviser covering global development and science in society. I also help selected organisations with compatible values to strengthen their media work. LinkedIn | Instagram | Email

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