u/the_public_forum

I’m working on an article collecting student perspectives on political issues, and I wanted to hear directly from other members of Gen Z on this.

If you could change one government policy that would most improve life for people our age, what would it be?

It can be anything, education, cost of living, mental health, voting, social media, college, jobs, etc. I’m more interested in what actually affects your daily life than big picture political debates.

Also curious about why you chose it, what’s your personal experience behind that choice?

Thanks in advance to anyone who responds.

I’m working on an article collecting student perspectives on political issues, and I wanted to hear directly from other members of Gen Z on this.

If you could change one government policy that would most improve life for people our age, what would it be?

It can be anything, education, cost of living, mental health, voting, social media, college, jobs, etc. I’m more interested in what actually affects your daily life than big picture political debates.

Also curious about why you chose it, what’s your personal experience behind that choice?

Thanks in advance to anyone who responds.

I’m working on an article collecting student perspectives on political issues, and I wanted to hear directly from other members of Gen Z on this.

If you could change one government policy that would most improve life for people our age, what would it be?

It can be anything, education, cost of living, mental health, voting, social media, college, jobs, etc. I’m more interested in what actually affects your daily life than big picture political debates.

Also curious about why you chose it, what’s your personal experience behind that choice?

Thanks in advance to anyone who responds.

Since the last post did well, I’m curious how people around my age see this.

If you had to pick one issue that you think will define Gen Z politically, what would it be, and why?

Housing affordability? AI? Climate change? Political polarization? Social media? Economic inequality? Something else entirely?

And more importantly: why do you think that issue, specifically, will end up defining our generation politically?

I’m collecting responses for a student publication project called The Public Forum, where we publish student perspectives on politics, culture, education, and technology. If this thread gets enough thoughtful responses, I may compile some of the strongest answers into a written piece (I may follow up with some users with especially interesting responses to ask for clarification or additional context before publication).

No need to be formal, just honest takes.

Since the last post did well, I’m curious how people around my age see this.

If you had to pick one issue that you think will define Gen Z politically, what would it be, and why?

Housing affordability? AI? Climate change? Political polarization? Social media? Economic inequality? Something else entirely?

And more importantly: why do you think that issue, specifically, will end up defining our generation politically?

I’m collecting responses for a student publication project called The Public Forum, where we publish student perspectives on politics, culture, education, and technology. If this thread gets enough thoughtful responses, I may compile some of the strongest answers into a written piece (I may follow up with some users with especially interesting responses to ask for clarification or additional context before publication).

No need to be formal, just honest takes.

I’m curious how people around my age see this.

If you had to pick one institution that has most failed Gen Z, whether that’s schools, media, government, social media, or something else, which would it be, and why?

And more importantly: what do you think should actually be done about it?

I’m collecting responses for a student publication project called The Public Forum, where we publish student perspectives on politics, culture, education, and technology. If this thread gets enough thoughtful responses, I may compile some of the strongest answers into a written piece (I may follow up with some users with especially interesting responses to ask for clarification or additional context before publication).

No need to be formal, just honest takes.

I’m curious how people around my age see this.

If you had to pick one institution that has most failed Gen Z, whether that’s schools, media, government, social media, or something else, which would it be, and why?

And more importantly: what do you think should actually be done about it?

I’m collecting responses for a student publication project called The Public Forum, where we publish student perspectives on politics, culture, education, and technology. If this thread gets enough thoughtful responses, I may compile some of the strongest answers into a written piece (I may follow up with some users with especially interesting responses to ask for clarification or additional context before publication).

No need to be formal, just honest takes.

Hi everyone,

I'm a high school student who has been writing and publishing op-eds for the past year, and I'm looking for some advice from people who have experience with opinion journalism.

So far, I've been fortunate enough to publish pieces in publications including The Hill, Newsweek, Washington Examiner, The Fulcrum, and Good Men Project. Most of my writing focuses on politics, civic culture, education, public discourse, and occasionally history.

My ultimate goal is to get a guest essay published in the Opinion section of The New York Times. I know that's an extremely difficult goal, and I don't expect it to happen anytime soon (or necessarily at all), but it's the publication I've always viewed as the top of the mountain.

I've been studying some NYT guest essays written by students and younger writers, and one thing I've noticed is that many of them seem much more personal and anecdote-driven than the op-eds I've traditionally written. My own pieces tend to be more argument-focused, with historical examples, analysis, and policy discussion.

For those of you who have experience with opinion sections, pitching, editing, or guest essays:

• What distinguishes a NYT-worthy guest essay from a strong op-ed that gets published elsewhere?
• Do editors there generally prioritize a unique personal perspective over the strength/originality of the argument itself?
• Are there common mistakes you see aspiring opinion writers make when pitching major publications?
• How much does timing/newsworthiness matter compared to the quality of the piece?
• Is there anything you'd recommend specifically for a younger writer trying to break into higher-tier opinion outlets?

I'm not looking for shortcuts or connections, I'm just trying to understand what separates essays that get accepted there from essays that don't.

Thanks in advance for any advice. I'd really appreciate hearing from anyone who has worked in opinion journalism, freelanced, edited submissions, or successfully placed guest essays in major publications.

Hi everyone,

I'm a student writer and the founder of The Public Forum, a student-run publication focused on politics, media, technology, education, culture, and public discourse.

Over the past few months, I've been building the publication and connecting with student writers from a variety of backgrounds and perspectives. Recently, I've also begun working with several Substack writers who have allowed us to republish or adapt pieces from their newsletters (with full credit and attribution, of course).

I'd love to connect with more student writers here.

If you're a student and:

• Have essays or opinion pieces on Substack that you'd be interested in having featured on another platform, or

• Would be interested in writing an original piece for The Public Forum,

I'd be happy to talk.

Contributors retain ownership of their work, and we're always interested in thoughtful writing on politics, culture, technology, education, economics, media, and related topics.

If you're interested, leave a comment below and I'll reach out!

Thanks, and I'm looking forward to connecting with some of you.

Hey everyone,

I run a student publication called The Public Forum, and we're currently looking for student writers and contributors.

We publish short-form opinion pieces and essays on topics like:

• Politics & public policy
• Technology & AI
• Education
• Media & journalism
• Culture & society
• Cost of living, housing, mental health, etc.

Most pieces are around 500–1,500 words, and contributors can write as often or as rarely as they'd like.

We're also currently running a Summer Essay Contest, and winning submissions will be published and featured on our homepage.

If you're interested, leave a comment below or DM and I'll reach out.

Happy to answer any questions!