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Op-ed (The OpEd Project) template

For an opinion piece for a newspaper, a trade publication or a company blog taking a position. Origin: The structure taught by The OpEd Project and newspaper opinion desks: lede, thesis, three points with evidence, the "to be sure" paragraph, a conclusion that returns to the lede.

Start from this templateFree, no account needed. The blank is written with guidance in each section, ready to fill in.

Structure

  1. Lede tied to news
  2. Thesis in one sentence
  3. Three supporting points with evidence
  4. "To be sure" (the counterargument, conceded and answered)
  5. Conclusion that echoes the lede
  6. Author bio line

How a tough reader scores it

When you score a draft against this format, the Critic evaluates this op-ed. The weights add up to 100; the fixes for the weakest criteria arrive as cards in the editor.

CriterionWeight
The lede hooks to something current and earns the second paragraph15
The thesis is one clear, arguable sentence15
Each point carries real evidence, not assertion25
The counterargument is stated fairly and answered15
The conclusion returns to the lede and calls for something10
The author's standing to write it is clear5
Within 650 to 800 words, one idea, no jargon15

How it works in SecondPen.ai

Open the template and the editor writes the blank once, with a line of guidance under each heading that you delete as you fill it in. Write your abstract and the editor names the format it reads like. Ask for a document with a slash command and it offers to start from the matching format. When the draft is ready, the Critic scores it against the criteria above, the way this format's toughest reader would, and the three highest-leverage fixes become Editor cards.

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