Opinion & expert view guidelines

Would you like to publish your opinion or expert view on FAIRPLANET?

If you belong to an organisation concerned with human rights and/or environmental issues or if you are an independent expert on any of these issues, we would be happy to consider publishing your OpEd.

Please read the editorial guidelines below before writing and submitting your opinion piece.

Definition and criteria for Publication

• An opinion piece (OpEd) is an external contribution that reflects on a particular issue of human rights and environmental justice from a general interest perspective.
• OpEds often come from think tanks or researchers, but also from leading opinion makers, institutions, national ministers or members of parliament. They may also originate from civil society, including non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and private interest groups. Authors should clearly and transparently indicate the interests and organisations they represent.
• To qualify for publication, OpEd articles need to take a stance on human rights and/or environmental policy, often making recommendations on a particular issue. Lobbying pieces that self-promote an organisation will not be published as an OpEd.
• An editor’s approval is always needed before publication.

Structure and language requirements

• FairPlanet rarely edits OpEds, but reserves the right to do so when deemed appropriate.
• OpEds should be eloquently-written, grammatically correct and ideally be between 700 and 850 words in length. Pieces replete with language errors or exceeding 1,000 words will not be accepted.
• OpEds are preferably original pieces published in extenso, with the author’s explicit approval. When republishing from external sources, FairPlanet provides a hyperlink to the original website (e.g.: think-tanks and NGOs such as FairPlanet’s content partners, etc.)
• OpEds can be submitted in English, French or German; FairPlanet may translate the original version and return the translation for final approval by the author.
• The title and abstract of OpEds reflect FairPlanet’s choice in underlining the relevance of the piece submitted. The title is kept the same as the original if it does fit FairPlanet’s criteria, i.e: short, easy to understand and snappy. The abstract is a summary of up to 60 words connected to current policy debates.
• Published pieces feature a topical picture that illustrates the contents addressed in the piece, not that of its author.
• Suggestions for potential pictures (with full indication of rights holders) can be made to contribute@fairplanet.org.

Examples

All contributors are invited to read FairPlanet’s Opinions page for examples of published work. Below are some examples of previously published pieces:

• Ahmed Khalif, Action Against Hunger: UKRAINIAN GRAIN ALONE WILL NOT SOLVE SOMALIA'S HUNGER CRISIS
• Alanna Byrne, Extinction Rebellion: I GLUED MYSELF AROUND THE SPEAKERS’ CHAIR IN PARLIAMENT. HERE’S WHY I DID IT.
• Steve Trent, Environmental Justice Foundation: DEEP SEA MINING DEBACLE REVEALS AN URGENT NEED FOR CHANGE
• Survival International: “WE NEED TO RETURN TO OUR LAND - BECAUSE WE ARE THE LAND ITSELF”
• Omid Nouripour, member of the Bundestag, Alliance '90/The Greens: HOW THE EU SHOULD CONFRONT ONGOING WAR-CRIMES IN SYRIA

Contact

• For any inquiries, please email contact@fairplanet.org.
• For OpEds with a suggested publication date, please email a copy of your draft at least 2 business days in advance.
• Due to a high volume of queries, we can only respond to pitches we are interested in commissioning.

Thank you. We look forward to publishing your piece. 

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