Editorial: Ground rules for election season letters and columns
As the election approaches, we’ve dusted off our editorial about rules for the season.
We ask those seeking office to stick to the issues and abide by our general letters policy, which limits individuals to two letters per calendar month. That also means keeping letters to 400 words or less and understanding that they will be edited as we deem fair and appropriate.
Aside from a single introductory letter from each candidate, this isn’t the place for self-promotion and résumé dumping. We ask that any additional letters focus on a single issue or event and that you weigh in on any given topic, and only once.
You should expect that we will allow your opponent to respond in a subsequent letter, with no additional back and forth beyond that. We also will not allow a single candidate to dominate our opinion pages with repeated letters, so choose your words wisely.
For letter writers who do stick to the issues and call out officials or others — including their opponents — on their actions or positions, remember to keep it civil. We live in a small town and today’s adversaries can be tomorrow’s friends and neighbors. That’s not a prohibition against tough criticism, but it is a ban on nasty personal attacks.
Also, if you belong to a local political committee or work for someone already in office, please identify yourself as such. If you forget, we’ll do it for you.
We also ask that political advertisements from fringe committees be submitted with the name of a sponsoring individual on them. Our readers deserve to know who is behind a certain campaign.
Lastly, keep in mind that we will not publish political letters in print beyond the Oct. 21 edition — except to allow a nominated candidate to address a claim made against them in that week’s paper. We reserve the right to allow online-only submissions beyond that date, but will limit them to special circumstances and newly raised issues.
We wish each of the candidates good luck as their campaigns proceed.
