I launched The Opinion Pages, in response to media trends that should concern anyone who values reading thoughtful op-eds and considering divergent opinions.
First, opinion pages are disappearing. Because of media consolidation and the reality that readers generally won’t pay for access to op-eds, there have been a number of opinion pages that have recently disappeared.
Second, most opinion pages lean aggressively Left or Right on the political spectrum. Submit anything to those hyper-partisan opinion pages that doesn’t align with that publication’s ideological worldview, and the op-ed stands a snowballs chance in hell of being published.
Third, op-eds on public policy matters that don’t parrot Democratic or Republican talking points, are often ignored by opinion page editors. But, the challenges facing this nation will never be solved by solutions that perfectly align with Democratic or Republican policy positions.
Because of these three media trends, everyday dozens of insightful op-ed pieces die in the inboxes of opinion page editors. With this in mind, I saw an opening for a new opinion publication focused on informing readers about new ideas and not perpetuating established political ideologies. That being said, The Opinion Pages also hopes to publish op-eds not just about politics or public policy, but also business, the arts, culture, sports, or even reviews of restaurants. Really, anything that makes for an interesting op-ed.
Lastly, the Opinion Pages will also be an outlet for authors who want to express opinions that are not extremist. I believe – and it has been backed up by recent research and written about in an important piece in The Atlantic – that people with extremist views are a minority. The nation shouldn’t be forced to choose between aligning with the illiberal far-Left, or the nationalist far-Right.
Ultimately, our nation and our democracy rely on the willingness of the American people to accept compromise and to be tolerant of other people’s viewpoints. Part of that means considering and reading opinions different than your own. Of course, The Opinion Pages won’t resolve the nation’s political divisions, but I hope it will offer an oasis to those who want to have – at the minimum – a civil conversation and exchange of ideas.