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

More U.S. Aid Won’t End Mexico’s Drug War

Even former Mexican President Vicente Fox has said that “prohibition isn’t working” and that “violence against violence doesn’t work.”

An Unprecedented Attack from Polluters

The House has passed a devastating budget plan that would destroy bedrock safeguards that have protected our health and environment for decades.

What’s at Stake in Wisconsin

The attack on the public service unions in Wisconsin, Ohio, and Indiana is the first volley in an all-out war by conservatives on all unions.

Out-of-Whack Budget Whackers

Washington’s ferocious ax-wielders are sparing assorted corporate subsidies.

Scapegoating Social Spending

Congress is about to slaughter social spending but leave a lot of sacred cows alone.

War Is Hell, Even if You Survive

Do you really think that hundreds of thousands of men and women can return from repeated blood-curdling scenes of death and suffering without mental damage?

The Lineup: Week of February 21-27, 2011

Michael B. Keegan expresses concern that Rep. Peter King’s upcoming hearings on domestic terrorism will exploit widespread fears of Muslims in a newfangled version of McCarthyism.

A Military Budget on the Wrong Side of History

We should support the Egyptian miracle by cutting military aid and shifting it to support what will actually help Egyptians improve their standard of living.

House Hearings Shouldn’t Demonize the Muslim-American Community

Americans don’t want to return to the fear and resentment of the McCarthy era.

New START’s Nuclear Compromise

In the 21st century, reducing nuclear stockpiles, securing vulnerable nuclear materials, and banning nuclear testing will be the hallmarks of a more secure world.

Tap Water’s Budget Bottleneck

House lawmakers, who control the federal purse strings for the nation’s water supplies, spend nearly $1 million a year on bottled water.

Climate Science can Weather a Winter Storm

Big snowstorms don’t disprove climate change.

The Big Score in this Year’s Super Bowl

The Packers aren’t the personal plaything of some rich family or profiteering corporate consortium.

The Media Flunks WikiLeaks 101

Pressures are mounting internationally for us to behave ourselves, as we have recently been forced to do in Egypt.

House Un-Christian Activities Committee

Are you now, or have you ever been, a member of your neighborhood mosque?

The Lineup: Week of February 14-20, 2011

Sarah Anderson reflects on her great-grandfather’s experience as a Civil War veteran and Donald Kaul remembers why he liked Ike.

Civil War and the Safety Net

A young nation, ravaged by war, invented new ways of creating economic opportunities and protections–at least for one segment of its citizens.

Al-Jazeera English: TV You Can’t Watch on TV

Many Americans are starving for a cable news channel that covers international affairs in depth.

Dairy Farmers vs. Commodities Traders

Skyrocketing input costs and skewed pricing policies are jeopardizing America’s independent dairy farmers.

Egypt and Reversing the Dominoes of Domination

Let’s invest in diplomacy again by expanding the Peace Corps and making it more inclusive.