The Foreign Service Journal, October 2005

C an an op-ed piece by an FS retiree in a newspaper or magazine change history? Probably not — but that does not mean you should not consider writing one. (Note: Because active-duty Foreign Service employees are almost always barred from expressing their personal views on policy matters, this article is not aimed at them.) In this age of specialization, it is more important than ever for those who know about international affairs to share their expertise and opinions with those who do not. Let me offer an example. In January 2003, Greg Thielmann sub- mitted op-ed articles to the Washing- ton Post and the Des Moines Register , but both were rejected for publication. Thielmann had recently retired from a 25-year career in the Foreign Service and in his last tour was acting director of the Office of Analysis for Strategic, Proliferation and Military Issues in INR. The articles pointed out some of the exaggerations and scare tactics the Bush administration was using in its depictions of Saddam Hussein’s alleged weapons of mass destruction programs. Now we all know that Iraq had no WMD, ties to al-Qaida or involve- ment in 9/11. Had more people been aware of the administration’s hype in early 2003, there might have been less of a rush to war. And who knows? Perhaps a few well-placed op-eds might even have encouraged people in positions of power to find the back- bone to speak the truth, and the war might have been averted altogether. But even if it is less than an oppor- tunity to alter the course of history, retired diplomats should nonetheless speak out via opinion pieces. Their expertise and experience can be of great value to the general public, even if they are ignored by the politicians. But they will fail to get the audience they deserve if they forget who their readers are. Remember Your Audience Opinion pieces (known familiarly as op-eds) may cover the same subject matter as the cables and the action or briefing memos that are the staple of a career in the Foreign Service. But the approach needs to be much different. If one is writing for a sixth- or seventh- floor principal, that individual has prob- ably requested input from your bureau or post. Equally important, he or she already has the factual background (or can get up to speed quickly), and just needs to know what the options are before deciding whether to act. By contrast, the average reader of an op-ed on international affairs needs to be drawn into reading the article, and will almost certainly pos- sess very little knowledge of the sub- ject being discussed. So, even more than with a State Department audi- ence, the first few lines of the piece have to set out what it is about and convince readers to take time out of their busy day to read it all the way through. With that in mind, here are some tips: Know who your audience is. Are you writing for a periodical with a predominantly local, small-town readership, or one with a more cos- mopolitan audience? Shape your submission accordingly. Keep the piece short (700-800 words maximum), clear and sim- ple. Try to grab the reader’s atten- tion from the first paragraph, often known as the “nut” graph — the one that tells the reader why he or she would want to continue reading. While you can usefully draw on per- sonal experience to underscore your thesis, do so only if it is relevant. Take a position and suggest a solution. Don’t just lay out all the alternatives or simply rehash facts available elsewhere. Make your submission timely and relevant. You’ll have a hard time placing an op-ed about Nepal or Lesotho, however worthy and insightful, while Iraq, the Israel- Palestine conflict and Afghanistan dominate the news. So be clear about what your piece brings to the debate, and pitch it accordingly. O C T O B E R 2 0 0 5 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 21 Tips for Getting Op-Eds Published B Y D ENNIS J ETT FS K NOW -H OW Retired diplomats should share their expertise and experience with the general public, even if they are ignored by the politicians. w