E&P: Some Syndicates Seeing More Interest in Conservative Op-Ed Columnists

Keeping things balanced on an op-ed page had been always the hallmark of a quality newspaper. And while the political winds across the country is most definitely coming from the left, many newspapers are searching more voices from the right to keep their op-ed pages truly on an even keel, according to a study conducted by Editor & Publisher.

But the trade journal also concludes that the thrist for conservative columnists is mixed, as some syndicates are not seeing any surge to the right.

United Media's NEA Service, the package that includes puzzles, horoscopes, food and humor columns, editorial cartoons, opinion columns and other offerings, recently conducted a survey of its client editors and found those editors wanted more conservative columns, says Lisa Klem Wilson, senior vice president/ general manager of syndicates. An ensuing search yielded Byron York, former White House correspondent for National Review and now chief political correspondent for The Examiner in Washington.

York, Wilson says, is "willing to criticize Republicans when they need to be criticized," and he's one conservative columnist who does the reporting to back up his points. "Editors want someone who's actually providing a thoughtful point of view, someone who's credible," she adds.

At Creators Syndicate, "We're seeing a surge in sales of conservative columnists and editorial cartoons," says National Sales Director Margo Sugrue. "Pretty much anyone who's critical of the Obama administration is in great demand." Creators' bullpen of right-leaning columnists includes Linda Chavez, Robert Novak, Thomas Sowell and Ben Shapiro, as well as Bill O'Reilly. "With the glowing coverage in the media of the current administration, conservatives are eager to find an outlet that expresses their point of view," she asserts.

Not everyone, however, agrees with the assessment that conservative content is hot these days. "If it's a trend, I haven't noticed it," says Alan Shearer, executive director and general manager of the Washington Post Writers Group. He tells E&P that people always used to say that if a Democrat were to be elected president, it would make for good business for conservative writers. But as far as a conservative groundswell goes, "I don't really see it in the numbers," he adds.