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.

Sign up for Otherwords

Latest Work

Egging On North Korea

The saber-rattling is mutual.

It’s Time Corporations Flew Old Glory Instead of the Jolly Roger

Instead of gaming the tax system to boost corporate profits, American business leaders need to start investing more in this nation.

This Week in OtherWords: June 12, 2013

Timothy Karr discusses the surveillance scandal.

This Week in OtherWords: A Spotlight on Poverty

Jill Richardson puts her own brush with food stamps into a broader context.

The Wealthy’s Free Pass

Our tax code pads the bottom line of the Americans who need help the least.

Cleaning Up Our Portfolios

A new movement is putting pressure on people and institutions to dump their investments in dirty energy companies.

This Week in OtherWords: May 29, 2013

Bob Lord points to the larger story behind Apple’s outrageous-without-being-illegal tax record.

These Hedges Need Trimming

Are hedge funds a financial service or a racket?

This Week in OtherWords: May 22, 2013

Martha Burk weighs in on the military’s lackluster efforts to stop sexual assaults within the ranks.

Money Still Can’t Buy Happiness

And we finally have a nation that’s taking that reality to heart.

A Primer for Taming Corporate Power

For social change, slow and steady may win the race.

This Week in OtherWords: May 15, 2013

Jill Richardson warns readers gearing up for their summer barbecues about the rise of superbugs.

Our Stake in Guatemala’s Genocide Trial

Thirty years after Rios Montt’s atrocities, U.S. military policy in Latin America remains a human rights disaster.

How We Pay for CEO “Performance”

A gaping tax loophole pads executive pay and the federal debt.

This Week in OtherWords: May 8, 2013

Jim Hightower weighs in on the larger context behind the recent garment worker tragedy in Bangladesh.

Austerity Will Leave Us Crying ’96 Tears’

But America’s wealthy don’t seem to mind.

This Week in OtherWords: May 1, 2013

Jo Comerford and Donald Kaul weigh in on the government’s reversal of sequester-driven cuts that were making air travel inconvenient.

Tracking CEO Pay

The most important executive compensation indicator is the gap between what CEOs and their workers are paid.

This Week in OtherWords: April 24, 2013

Jill Richardson looks at the Texas factory explosion in the context of whether we should be using so much nitrogen fertilizer in the first place.

The Pot Prohibition Runs Its Course

Now that most Americans support the legalization of marijuana, some Republicans back the right of states to stop banning it.