Lena van der List, DO, FAAP

University of California, Davis

lcvanderlist@health.ucdavis.edu

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Amplify Your Advocacy

Op-ed Writing for Pediatrician

AAP-CA1 Advocacy Committee

December 10^th 2025

Objectives

• Reflect on the impact of editorials
• Deconstruct the editorial writing process
• Develop advocacy skills and produce a publishable OpEd to communicate this solution

Outline/Agenda

• Introductions
• Brief didactics
• Topic selection/Briefing on topic
• Group writing exercise
• Feedback and discussion

Opposite the editorial page

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opinions and editorials page

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Written prose piece typically published by a newspaper or magazine which expresses the opinion of an author usually not affiliated with the publication's editorial board.

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The best way to help people understand why your issue is important is to tell them a story about the people affected by it

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Media and communications advocacy allows you to share your story with a broader audience than is possible through person-to-person strategies alone

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Powerful for advocacy

• Decision-makers pay attention to and are influenced by public opinion, particularly that of their constituents.
• Media and communications advocacy can bring attention to your issue and keep it in the forefront of the public’s hearts and minds

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Powerful for your career

• There are certain places where ideas can have a disproportionate influence
• Easily shared across the globe.
• Builds your network, credibility, and influence

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You are an expert

• Physicians have important things to say
• We all have the right and responsibility to shape the future with our knowledge & experience

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Basic Structure

• Short: 600-800 words
• Follows a very basic structure
• Written at 8th grade level

An OpEd is:

• A knowledgeable argument

An OpEd is NOT:

• Community news
• A meta-analysis or academic review article
• A rant… but may start as one
• A response to a previously published article

An Op-Ed argues for �ONE thing

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Monroe’s Motivated Sequence

1. Get the attention of your audience

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detailed story, shocking example, dramatic statistic, quotations, etc.

2. Define the need

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Describe how the topic applies to the psychological need of the audience members.

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needs motivate action

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3. Satisfy the need

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Provide specific solutions that can be implemented to solve the problem.

4. Visualize

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Illustrate what will happen if the problem is not addressed

5. ACTION!

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Tell the audience what action they can take personally to solve the problem.

Anatomy of an OpEd

1. Short Lede - a patient story, a gripping statistic
2. Main argument, research supporting argument
3. Acknowledge opposing argument
4. Propose solutions
5. Ending, CALL TO ACTION!

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Aim for each paragraph to be 100 words or less

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Is my idea OpEd Material?

3 questions: a litmus test

4 Questions to get you started

1. What are you arguing for?
2. Why do people need to read about it right now?
3. What is your unique perspective/authority on it?
4. What change do you want to see?

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Pitching

Where to submit?

• What are you trying to accomplish? Who are you trying to reach? The answer determines where you pitch.
• Google “how to submit an OpEd to XXX”

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Pitching

Target audience??

• Legislators
• Parents/community members
• Medical professionals

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Self Publishing

Pitching

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DO:

• Make it timely. AKA have a “news peg,” “news hook”
• Read the submission guidelines and follow them
• Have an opinion and state it forcefully
• Be pleasantly persistent
• Explain why you are the best person to write this
• All in 200 words or fewer

DON’T:

• Don’t submit to multiple publications at once
• Don’t demand to hear back the same day
• Don’t expect multiple rounds of editing. This happens rarely
• Get discouraged!

Dear Gary, 

I am a pediatrician in Sacramento. Every day I talk to teenagers who are struggling with depression or anxiety. I see first-hand the detrimental effect social media and excess screen time is having on the mental health of our young people. I have written an Op-Ed about the negative impact of excessive screen time and social media use on mental health and gives parents the tools to help mitigate this harm.

This week the Surgeon General of the United States released an advisory on social media and the effects it has on youth mental health, making this a relevant and timely moment to remind families about the critical steps they can take to protect their teens.

Please let me know if you are interested in publishing this piece, which is pasted in full below and attached as a word document for your convenience. Thanks for your consideration.

Sincerely,

[Your Name and Title Here]

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No does not mean “never.”

No means “not right now.”

Tools to protect yourself

• Find good/trusted editors who will give you honest feedback
• Share with your institution’s media, advocacy, and government relations departments
• Pitch to quality publications

LET’S PRACTICE!

Wrap-up/Feedback

References

1. The OpEd Project. https://www.theopedproject.org/
2. Monroe AH, Ehninger Dj. Principles and types of speech communication [by] Alan H. Monroe [and] Douglas Ehninger. 7th ed: Glenview.
3. American Academy of Pediatrics. AAP Advocacy Guide. Retrieved April 5, 2023, from https://downloads.aap.org/AAP/PDF/aap_advocacy_guide.pdf
4. St. Amant, H. The medical community has done all it can to prevent COVID 19 deaths. The last step is on you. The Sacramento Bee. 2021.
5. Gambill, L. Its time to stop arguing whether gun laws work. Austin American-Stateman. 2019.
6. Altillo, B. Don’t ignore our patients’ social needs. MedPageToday. 2022
7. Jhavari, V. Why raw milk is dangerous and needs to be regulated. The Sacramento Bee. 2018.

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Lena van der List, DO, FAAP

@DrLenaDO

University of California, Davis

lcvanderlist@health.ucdavis.edu

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THANK YOU