In a public opinion world driven hourly by hot takes on social media, when the stakes are high and the signals are important, the newspaper op-ed page is still one of the most powerful tools for sending a message.
Wednesday, President Biden published a guest essay* in the New York Times to lay out his policy on the war with Ukraine. Although the essay will drive news coverage in the United States, it also serves as a memo to leaders around the world, NATO, our other allies and perhaps most importantly, it is a message aimed directly at Vladimir Putin and shared openly for the whole world to see.
The stakes could not be higher than they are in Ukraine. Biden needs to hold the western coalition together and communicate clearly to Putin that the U.S. does not seek a direct military confrontation with Russia.
An op-ed piece carries the weight of an official statement, with the added credibility offered through publication by a third party source, and the transparency that allows the general public to be party to the conversation.
Research shows not many people read newspaper editorials or the opinion page, but those who do have the power to shape events. In this case, it’s not the size of the audience that matters, it’s the quality.
*The term op-ed was coined by the New York Times, but last year the paper decided to update the terminology and began labeling its outside opinion pieces “guest essays.”
