Guest article

A guest article is a bigger article about a current topic, written for the general public. It is to bring new knowledge or insights to the readers and spark debate. The guest article is a subjective genre, in which you use "I" statements and adopt a position on the subject you are writing about. 

Guest articles generally reach a smaller readership than news, feature articles and shorter op-eds. You should therefore carefully consider whether a guest article is the right format for your story.

It is very difficult to have a guest article accepted and many writers are rejected. You increase your chances of having your guest article published if it can be tied to a current event, issue or debate.

First consider: What is your main message? Who do you want to reach? What do you want to achieve?

Decide which media outlet is your first choice. Send your guest article there first, and ask for a response within a reasonable time. If you receive a rejection, try the next media outlet on your list. Do not send your guest article to more than one media outlet at the time.

You can also contact the guest article/debate editor in the relevant media outlet to discuss your idea before sending your article.

Work to create a brief, engaging title and an introductory paragraph that piques the reader's curiosity. This may be decisive to whether the guest article is published or not. You should study how guest articles are structured in your chosen media and use this as a template.

The guest article should contain a news element: new facts, reasoned proposals, etc. It should make readers wiser and/or trigger action or debate. The message can be controversial.

Write in simple and accessible Norwegian without any jargon. Use concrete examples and preferably your own experiences.

The guest article can use a creative, humoristic and imaginative form when the topic allows.

UiB's communication advisers provide advising about writing guest articles when we have the capacity to do so. We also have an overview of requirements for guest article lengths and contact information for some of the larger newspapers.

You can also use social media to enhance the impact of your guest article. Find good advice here.