A favorite task in our Opinion section is to review letters to the editor, with readers sharing what’s on their minds with us and other community members.
We revel in the exchange of ideas. If you’ve never sat down to compose a letter for a newspaper, we’re encouraging you to write to The Durango Herald and The Journal.
We receive the full spectrum of letters – thoughtful criticism of editorials or thumbs-down; responses to other letters; observations on issues within governing bodies. Letter writers identify where news stories went wrong, point out things of interest both specific and broad, oddities of human nature and enigmas that range from goofy to exasperating to alarming in Southwest communities. Although rare, we get letters that highlight kindnesses or generosities, and we could stand a few more.
A few letters won’t see the light of day in our pages because they’re inappropriate or don’t meet basic criteria. The most common reason being letter writers’ opinions must be based in fact.
Facts should be just that – something that is real, true, actually exits. But there are nuances here. Facts can be selective and support differing opinions, which we welcome. But they can’t completely mislead or skew in ways that stoke hate or cause harm. An extreme example would be a letter saying toxic chemicals could be injected to ward off COVID-19. This shows this belief is out there. A more common instance would be a letter saying critical race theory is being taught in local public schools, which is not the case.
Stopping misinformation – or disinformation – from the start is one of our responsibilities.
We do give letter writers a long leash because in all fairness, some information is more difficult to discern. We rely on other letter writers to call out their peers on the pages by redirecting or offering more vetted details. The back-and-forth of perceptions orchestrated through letters is like a snapshot in time of what’s compelling.
Another duty of ours is verifying letter writers are real people in our communities and beyond. This is very different from the experience of online comments below news stories, which are mostly unmoderated and posted instantly by people who can easily hide their identities. A level of decorum is required in letters, even if – at times – writers do push it.
What we do want – discourse, diverse opinions, fair and well-founded conclusions.
What we don’t want – libelous statements, personal attacks and cheap shots, profanity, unverified negative information about candidates’ opponents during election seasons. Inappropriate content.
Other criteria. Accepted letters are a maximum of 250 words, although less is sometimes more. We edit for clarity, length, libelous or tasteless material. We reserve the right to say no, thank you.
Poems are welcome, if they’re also relevant and contribute to discourse. Sketches, too, if they’re scaled to run in the space for a letter. One letter per writer per month. We encourage a multitude of subjects, rather than the same letter, same subject, different month.
Also, with a parent’s permission, we welcome letters from minors under age 18.
Letters to the editor have had staying power on Opinion pages since the early 1900s. Letters evolved from essays about the role of government in matters such as personal freedoms and economic development. Sound familiar? That’s saying something as the newspaper business has endured drastic changes in our own careers.
Letters to the editor are present in electronic media, too. In broadcast journalism, they are a semiregular feature of “60 Minutes,” national news programs of National Public Radio and TV news shows, including Denver’s channels. You can bet, your letter has a much better chance of running in our papers than on “60 Minutes.” Just saying.
So, tell us. What do you think about the state of affairs in your neighborhood, your schools, your parks, your health care, your government, your country, the world? What could you share that may contribute to goodwill and greater understanding?
Whether you’re seasoned and proven or a promising, new letter writer, drop us a line. We’d like to include your thoughts in our Opinion pages.
