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

Leaving Granny Behind

Will the Fiscal Commission vote to impoverish older women?

Corporate Social Irresponsibility

BP must come clean, both literally and figuratively.

Joe Barton’s Honest Mistake

The GOP believes in standing up for the rich and powerful against the tyranny of the weak, but without having its lawmakers do it in public.

GM Crashes Chevy

Why would the automaker stomp on its own success?

Want a Job? Good Luck

Get ready for more foreclosures and more kids moving back in with Mom and Dad.

BP’s Ethics

Voluntary corporate codes of conduct are like lipstick on a pig.

Letters to the Editor: Kaul on Kagan and God

It’s always nice to get mail from our fans in these days of instant everything, especially when they have a sense of humor.

Immigrants’ American Dreams

We need a system that responds to the realities of immigration in this country while rejecting the knee-jerk discrimination that the Arizona law represents.

Tea Party Should Attack Military Spending

However you describe the Pentagon budget, it’s a lot of money.

School Diversity under Siege

Separate still isn’t equal.

Spilling Subsidies to BP

BP’s claim that taxpayers will pay nothing is likely to be little more than doublespeak.

Running on Hot Air

Whether you’re part of the problem or part of the solution, you can extort a ton of money from corporations that want to buy your vote.

Rigging the Rules against Unions

Corporate chieftains don’t want us hoi polloi having any real say over such things as offshoring and downsizing.

Downplaying the Mess of War

All presidents are too eager to “move forward” into exciting new wars, which someone else will later have to clean up.

Segregation Ghost

The nightmare of deja vu all over again.

New Thinking on Cutting the Deficit

We could cut $1 trillion over the next decade in the defense budget, without compromising national security. It’s time to trim the fat on this sacred cow.

Fresh Thinking on National Security

In the midst of the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, we need to make sure that every penny of our tax dollars is spent wisely.

It’s Time to End our Dependence on Oil

Let’s stand up to the oil industry and move America beyond its dependence on oil.

Banks Profit While Our Farmers Fail

When banks call in farm loans at the first opportunity, it destroys families, communities, and regional economies.

Our Choice: Tune out Washington or Help Rebuild

Before you take that tea party road, I’d encourage you to ask some basic questions.