Community members and school clubs, share your thoughts and gain a platform.
BY ERICA MUNISAR, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
The Fourth Estate is constantly seeking voices of innovation, diverse thought and government affairs given our location at one of the most diverse institutions close to the heart of Washington, D.C.
Organizations and community members are eligible to submit contributor pieces to The Fourth Estate to feature their work. Contributor pieces are expected to be around 500-600 words similar to opinion pieces, and should revolve around one main hot take or argument for a topic.
Organizations such as RSO’s or DSO’s that focus in activism would be best fit to submit a piece to The Fourth Estate. However, any party that believes they have a relevant take on a timely news event may submit a piece for review. Examples of recent events may be based on a reaction to new legislation, controversy, local incidents, or the need to bring awareness to a new perspective.
After posting, organizations may witness several benefits. The article will be credited to the representative writer as well as the organization in the byline. Additionally, organizations who choose the route of a contributor piece may ensure that their words are most accurately represented to their liking. Organizations based in activism may also extend their thoughts to an official publication to feature the values which they support and educate readers.
Students can see one example of a joint RSO contributor piece from “College Republicans vs GMU Democrats.” Regarding tips, we recommend that contributors consider hyperlinking sources and factual information throughout the piece to make their publication stronger. We also require that all claims are truthful and found in fact. After a piece is submitted, the organization may speak further with the team to go through routine article review. We do not accept guest articles based solely on advertising a party.
Not a staff writer? While we are mainly composed of the student body, this does not mean community members do not have important stories to share with us. Some of our past contributor pieces have featured personal stories such as “Join The Fight Against Brain Cancer”, “Loneliness Will Be the Biggest Problem Students Face This Fall” and “Commencements Are Not Discourse.”
Parties who are interested in publishing a contributor piece can submit their article directly to eic@gmufourthestate.com or reach out to discuss possible article paths and questions with the staff. They can also view how to contact the newsroom and submit an opinion piece.
As The Fourth Estate, we welcome all voices and seek to give a platform to our student body and community. Let’s get to writing!
