OtherWords

OtherWords is a free, non-profit editorial service published by the Institute for Policy Studies. Each week, OtherWords distributes a batch of publication-ready op-eds, along with a cartoon, to thousands of readers — including hundreds of editors of small and medium-sized newspapers. Each year, these op-eds appear thousands of times in local newspapers throughout the country, as well as in a growing number of online outlets. We believe that strong social movements need informed citizens, and that people learn best from conversations in their own communities — neighbor-to-neighbor. But between a consolidated, corporate-controlled mass media and a deafening social media echo chamber, it’s gotten harder than ever to have these conversations, especially in smaller communities with few local media options.

Through OtherWords, we’re able to provide millions of readers in America’s heartland with intelligent commentary on a range of progressive causes — on climate, inequality, war and peace, the movements for race and gender justice, and beyond. Through the trusted local papers that use our service, we reach readers in red, blue, and purple states alike with well-written, timely commentaries on the national issues that affect their lives. To read our work or get information about publishing it in your community, check out OtherWords.org.

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Latest Work

Edison’s Bright Idea

The inventor wished the sun could power his inventions.

World Capital of Weather Wimps

When the going gets cold, make the most of it.

Going off the Rails

There’s no safe way to haul oil by the trainload.

Big Coal Catches Black Lung

Companies large and small are hurtling toward bankruptcy.

Fudging the Future

How could oil experts miss the crude crash?

Say It Ain’t So

Playing fair and square has become an exception, rather than the rule, in sports.

Obama Tips His Hat to FDR

It’s good to see that after years of riling his base instead of rallying it, President Obama is rising above Washington’s gridlock.

Pipeline to Nowhere

Cheap oil is bankrupting the financial rationale for building the Keystone XL.

A Muslim Cartoonist Draws Lessons from the Charlie Hebdo Massacre

Does anyone — ever — deserve to be harassed, hounded, or murdered for expressing an opinion, however egregious?

Tilting at Turbines

Market forces are sparking solar and wind energy growth.

Washington’s Slow-Motion Thaw

I reported on the imminent normalization of U.S. relations with Cuba 20 years ago.

The Visa Curse

Thousands of legal U.S. immigrants are stuck choosing between living here with their spouses or staying behind and pursuing their careers.

A Lump of Coal for Fossil Fuels

Plunging oil, gas, and coal stocks make it a fine time to divest.

The Next Frontier for Workers’ Rights

A new law in San Francisco to curb erratic scheduling practices could be the first of many.

These Boots Were Made for Waiting

Delay and denial are standard operating procedures when it comes to how the government cares for vets.

Too Big to Ignore

The gap between rich and poor has grown so vast that even Fed chief Janet Yellen suggests it’s un-American.

Does This Definition Make Me Look Rich?

No statistical contortion can hide the growing divide between the 1 percent and everyone else.

The Fracking Rush Hits a Pothole

Oil and natural gas gluts are driving prices so low that drill-baby-drillers may have to hit the brakes.

Block the Vote

Lackluster Democratic campaigns, coupled with vote-suppressing maneuvers, gave the GOP its edge in the midterm elections.

The Cost of Cheap Chocolate

Despite years of pressure on Hershey’s, Nestlé, and other chocolate heavyweights, thousands of kids under 14 are still doing the tough work of harvesting cocoa beans.