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

America’s Grand Fortunes Go Overboard

With middle-class net worth crumbling, the Forbes 400 grow wealthier than ever.

Here Come the Rain and Drought

Many coastal regions must start bracing for frequent floods as key freshwater sources are drying up elsewhere.

Snooping on Everyone While the Big Box Thieves Get Busy

Congress is still dragging its feet on fixes more than a year after Edward Snowden’s alarming revelations first came to light.

Make Your Investments Fuel Change

We’re igniting some Wall Street heat.

Forcing an Island of Peace to Host a Billion-Dollar Military Base

Uncle Sam is wrecking a great deal of South Korea’s top tourist destination.

Drilling Through the Noisy Climate Debate

Naomi Klein’s powerful new book cuts through the jargon to offer real solutions to climate change.

The Latest Crack in Our Broken Immigration System

Undocumented immigrants who arrive as children may be well into their 40s before they get a green card.

This Week in OtherWords: October 9, 2013

Donald Kaul blames the shutdown and the debt-ceiling perils on “zombie lawmakers.”

Forging Ahead at 50

Not every think tank could weather FBI infiltration, scapegoating by right-wing extremists, and even a car-bomb assassination.

This Week in OtherWords: October 2, 2013

Richard Kirsch explores the values divide contributing to the government’s shutdown while Donald Kaul blames the impasse on the Republican Party.

A Golden Rule that Might Chip Away at Inequality

By making it mandatory for corporations to disclose the gap between what they pay their chief executives and most typical workers, the government will empower investors and consumers to compare individual corporations by their level of CEO greed.

This Week in OtherWords: September 25, 2013

Marge Baker sizes up the next big campaign-finance case before the Supreme Court.

This Week in OtherWords: September 18, 2013

Saru Jayaraman calls on Congress to raise the “sub-minimum” wage.

Saul Landau, Presente!

He had a knack for turning newfound acquaintances into soulmates that shines through a flood of tributes and obituaries in the mainstream and alternative media.

The Off-the-Cuff Breakthrough on Syria

John Kerry may have just accidentally earned himself a Nobel Peace Prize.

This Week in OtherWords: September 11, 2013

Peter Certo likens the situation in Syria to a “landmine.”

Haiti’s Hard Place

Foreign-funded mining operations may not be enough to alleviate the scourges of cholera, displaced people, and corrupt leaders.

Danger Ahead: Our Disappearing Pensions

The vaunted 401(k) revolution has left few Americans with a nest egg.

The Political Calculations behind Growing Inequality

A gusher of campaign cash is driving our politicians to comfort the already comfortable.

The Nuclear Industry’s Meltdown

The former chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission says every single reactor in the nation should be shut down, starting with the riskiest.