Silence the room
You can learn something—whether your idea is a big hit or a big snooze.
Hi, I’m Jake Meth. I’m founder of Opinioned, an op-ed consulting firm that helps thought leaders publish columns in top media. Previously, I built and edited Fortune’s opinion vertical.
This newsletter, Heds, has two parts: opening thoughts about op-eds/thought leadership and headlines of hypothetical opinion articles I’d love to read. Heds is intended to be both an educational tool and a business engine. I hope you enjoy it!
I said something yesterday that silenced the meeting I was in.
I couldn’t tell if my idea was perceived as brilliant or dull. And since I was on a Zoom call with others who were together in-person, it was impossible to really gauge their reactions.
But here’s the thing: The silent room was a good thing for me, regardless of how they felt.
Unfortunately, many working in communications are afraid to say something that sounds unintelligent in front of their bosses. They don’t want to take a chance. So a lot of their jobs involves them agreeing with what their principals are saying or offering up ideas unlikely to ruffle feathers.
I understand the impulse to avoid looking bad. But in doing so, they’re handicapping themselves—because insipid ideas are incredibly difficult to land with journalists.
In my meeting yesterday, it turned out the idea I pitched was a dud. My collaborator actually said to the room that he didn’t like it, and we moved on.
He knew it wouldn’t bother me, and it didn’t. My background is in journalism, where if you give up after having one idea rejected, you’ll never end up writing anything.
A few minutes later, I pitched another idea and they liked it much better. Had I lost my confidence, I wouldn’t have attempted that.
Comms people: Don’t be afraid of being judged as bad at your job. If someone shoots down an idea, they’re just shooting down the idea, not you.
They will, however, start judging you if your ideas get no media traction.
So embrace the silent room. Regardless of whether people like your idea, you can learn something valuable from simply putting it out there.
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Pitches Get Stitches
I’ve long wanted a forum where I could teach people the art of op-ed pitching by evaluating real pitches from PR pros. But I’ve never thought it was a viable idea. I assumed it was highly unlikely anyone would want me to publicly pick apart their pitch.
That assumption changed earlier this week, when I spoke about op-eds at the PRSA international conference in Nashville. I threw out my Pitches Get Stitches idea to the audience, and got a positive reaction. Now, I’m feeling encouraged.
So, if you work in PR/communications and have an op-ed pitch you’d like me to evaluate, either reply here or email it to jake@getopinioned.com. Tell me which parts you need to anonymize (name, job title, etc.). I’ll evaluate it at no cost to you by publishing my feedback in this newsletter.
I have no clue if anyone will actually do this. But I figure it’s worth a shot!
Heds
Before reading, please see my note about these headlines.
Biden’s Israel visit and the power of just showing up
Biden’s visit to Israel is a powerful display of American support for its ally.
Business leaders can learn something from Biden’s mastery of symbolic gestures like this.
Nowadays, many of executives’ interactions with coworkers are through words and screens. They’ve lost the power to convey a message through their physical presence.
Leaders need to spend more time on the factory floor or at workers’ desks, conveying empathy and trust.
Ideal writer: large-to-mid-cap company CEO; agency or in-house exec comms pro
Does your organization really need a statement on Israel-Palestine?
There’s an assumption nowadays that when a major political issue flares up, corporations need to take a stand.
Some political positions are indeed worth taking. But it’s a mistake to think you need to say something about every major development—especially if it has little bearing on your business, employees or customers.
Here are a set of guidelines to decide whether to take a position on a major societal/political question.
Ideal writer: PR/comms pro
Why we should embrace hopelessness on Israel-Palestine
Being unrealistically optimistic serves no one.
The fundamental dynamics driving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict have become deeply entrenched over a century.
Expecting near-term progress (beyond an immediate cessation of violence) only inhibits the chances for long-term progress, because too much focus is placed on near-term objectives.
The best way to approach this terrible situation is to admit hopelessness now. Then, try to decide how to have a positive impact down the line.
Ideal writer: Israel-Palestine expert; psychologist (co-author opportunity)
The nuts and bolts of finding a House speaker
Three GOP speaker candidates have been recently voted down.
There are ways to build consensus in the House, but most people don’t know what they are.
This is a behind-the-scenes look from a federal government insider, sharing insights based on their experience working in national politics.
They’ll offer suggestions to Republicans on avenues they can take to successfully field a speaker candidate.
Ideal writer: current or former national politician, or someone working or has worked for them—could be from the U.S. or another democracy
How to incorporate Washington’s gridlock into your business plan
Like it or not, American corporate leaders need to live with the Congress they have.
Paralysis in the House is going to have an impact on your company, directly or indirectly. You need to be prepared for that.
Organizations should develop flexible plans that can adapt to the changes wrought by DC gridlock.
Ideal writer: corporate risk management expert; government policy expert (co-author opportunity)
Is it legal to gag Trump from attacking his trial?
The judge in Trump’s election interference trial has barred him from attacking prosecutors and witnesses.
Is this legal? If so, why? If not, why not?
The article will analyze the law behind gag orders and provide some historical context from other famous trials.
Ideal writer: legal expert on gag orders or trial interference
The West should be happy about the Belt and Road Forum
Western analysts worried about the power demonstration from Russia and China are looking at it form the wrong angle.
Non-Western powers need to have their own forum to solve collective issues, project solidarity and express grievances.
A multipolar world is more stable and safe for everyone.
Ideal writer: international relations theorist; China politics expert
Calling psyllium the ‘poor man’s Ozempic’ is offensive
Given the seismic changes over acceptable language in recent years, it’s surprising to see the term “poor man’s X” so regularly in traditional and social media.
The phrase is both gendered and offensive to people in poverty.
This piece will break down the origins of the term, attempt to understand why it persists and suggest better alternatives.
Ideal writer: linguist; gender studies expert
I’m a CEO. I wish my employees would go on strike.
Many leaders want to improve pay and working conditions for their employees, but lack the internal capital to do so.
If their employees were to unionize and push for improvements, these CEOs might achieve the currency needed to convince their boards and investors.
This will not only help workers, but executives, since their reputations depend on keeping those in their organization happy and productive.
Ideal writer: mid-cap company CEO
X things to immediately do after getting laid off
Getting terminated is often a traumatic and unexpected event, which can lead to irrational decisions in its wake.
It’s better to be prepared for this eventuality by putting together a plan. This piece will lay out what should be in that plan.
Ideal writer: professional development expert; someone who handled their layoff well