http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/
Following these guidelines....
The National Times encourages debate and discussion - comment and criticism, on what it publishes.
What would you like to talk about? Send us suggestions for subjects.
The National Times welcomes opinion submissions. While only a small number of contributions are published each week, following these guidelines will increase the chance of a piece being chosen.
1. The National Times is closely associated with The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald, and like those newspapers, it has a general but intelligent audience. It's important to make your point through good writing, accessible to all readers. A dry, academic or passive style is unlikely to attract the attention of readers (or the editor).
2. Those with experience in the topic - an experience that suggests people should take note of the opinion - are more likely to be published. You don't have to hold a university chair in the subject, but you should have some reason to justify publication.
3. Any submission should be to the National Times alone. The National Times does not pay for submissions.
4. Subjects on which many opinions have already been published are less likely to be revisited. The usual place for responses to individual columns is the letters page. A fresh topic - or a fresh take - is preferred to those well-traversed.
5. What is published depends on many variables, including the news of the day, the contents of the rest of the National Times, space and the important mix of topics, views and people on the page.
6. Subjects are wide-ranging, but the National Times is intended to be a place for lucid, succinct, reasoned thought. Read the website for an idea of the types of pieces we publish.
7. Submissions should be no longer than 800 words, and will be edited for space, style and legal reasons. While the web allows longer pieces, brevity remains the soul of wit.
8. Send your submissions by email with your name, relevant qualification and contact numbers: work, home and mobile. Any material interests you have in the subject matter, political or lobby groups, or affected companies or investments must be declared at this time.
9. Given the volume of submissions received, you may not receive a response to your submission. However, all submissions are read and, if we plan to use your work, you will be contacted.
10. By submitting material for publication to the National Times, you grant the Fairfax Media group a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free, irrevocable licence to use, reproduce, edit, reformat and exploit the content in any form and for any purpose. You warrant that you have the right to grant the foregoing licence. You expressly acknowledge that we retain full editorial control over the National Times and have no obligation to use any content that you submit. You unconditionally waive all moral rights (as defined by the Copyright Act 1968) you may have in respect of the content.
11. Please note that submissions for the print editions of The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald should be made directly to the opinion editors. The Age opinion editor is Roslyn Guy (opinion@theage.com.au), and The Sydney Morning Herald opinion editor is Tim Dick ( (smhopinion@smh.com.au).
12. The National Times editor is Darren Goodsir. The site's deputy editor is Jewel Topsfield. Send your ideas and feedback to them by email here
Tue 20 Apr 2010 - 3:58
