Have you been waiting for your chance to weigh in on the biggest issues in San Francisco and beyond? Do you have ideas about how to address our homelessness crisis, the budget crunch and elections in 2024? Now’s your chance to share your ideas, concerns and solutions with millions of readers.
The San Francisco Standard is creating a forum for thought-provoking commentary, lively conversations, wry observations, inspiring art and, yes, fun.
To make this work, we need to hear from deep thinkers, readers, artists and others in our community. We want to create a forum for lively discourse and respectful debates among readers of all political perspectives and backgrounds.
We’re hungry for witty takes, deeply researched pieces and personal stories that resonate with readers. So impress us with your unique perspectives, be they in writing, photos, videos, graphics or whatever creative format you can dream up.
Here’s What You Need To Know
Written pieces should not exceed 800 words, except in rare circumstances. We will give full drafts of articles preference over partial submissions or idea pitches, which we may not have time to respond to. We will edit all submissions using journalistic style, grammar and brevity guidelines.
You do not need to be a professional writer to submit an opinion piece, but you should be able to make a convincing argument backed up with evidence. Write for the broadest possible audience and use plain language.
The best-written opinion pieces have a clear thesis, provide several arguments in favor of the writer’s position, acknowledge opposing arguments and challenge audiences who do not necessarily agree with your point of view.
You are required to cite your sources using inline links or annotations. Primary sources are preferred to secondary ones: For instance, citing a scientific paper is better than citing a news article about those scientific findings. The onus is on the writer to provide factual evidence for assertions rather than on The Standard to verify them. If we determine that a fact cannot be verified, we will not publish your work or we may eliminate some parts of it.
The Standard will not consider anonymous submissions. Your work must be original and not have appeared previously in print or online. You must disclose your affiliations with groups or people associated with what you’re writing about—even if those roles are unpaid. My name is Juliet Williams, and I’m the opinion editor at The Standard. I have spent nearly 20 years as a journalist in Northern California, covering everything from deadly wildfires to education policy and a lot of politics. I’m looking forward to hearing your hot takes and hosting lively debates about the future of our city.
Ready to submit something now? Do it here.
Have questions or want to talk? Reach me at opinion@sfstandard.com.