IMPORTANT GUIDELINES
- Anonymous letters are not accepted. You must sign your letter and provide a mailing address, an email address (if you have one) and a daytime phone number where you can be reached in case of questions. We cross-check public information directories and make other random checks to verify the identity of letter-writers. When your letter is published, it will include your name and hometown.
- Please focus on local issues. Short, pithy letters (200 words or less) get high priority for publication.
- We prefer letters that are submitted exclusively to the Daily Citizen, and particularly those that take as their starting point an article in the Daily Citizen. Preference is given to letters written by citizens of Greene County. Letter-writers from outside the area should explain their tie to the area or why their opinion is relevant to Daily Citizen readers. We attempt to weed out letters that are following a form suggested by some interest group or other third party.
- While you are entitled to your own opinion, the Daily Citizen is not required to publish it. We insist on civility and want to create a welcoming environment where ultimately all voices are heard and considered — not just the loudest voices or those at the extremes. Verbal attacks and name-calling will not be tolerated, and letters including such attacks will be rejected. Try not to question the motives of another person. Express your own views with conviction, and respond to different opinions with an open mind.
- Facts must be sourced and verifiable. We accept some facts as being objectively true — e.g., the sun rises in the east, Missouri was the 24th state in the union, etc. However, if your letter includes other statements of “fact,” you must cite your source. We suggest that when you state a fact, put a number in parenthesis next to the fact, and then list the source of that fact at the bottom of the letter. Acceptable sources include: original source materials, such as research studies or government reports; public statements (including audio or video) from official sources; links to reports from other credible media outlets who have similar editorial standards as the Daily Citizen. It is not sufficient to say you heard something on TV or saw it on social media. You need to track down the original source. Our advice: Since letters are opinions, sometimes a simple statement is better than a long, fact-filled defense intended to support the opinion.
- We reserve the right to edit for space, clarity, civility and accuracy. If substantive changes are made, we will contact you to explain the change, and/or send you the edited version before publication.
- To provide a variety of opinions, letter writers may be limited to one letter every 30 days. If you are tempted to write more frequently, please think twice.
- More leeway is granted to letter-writers with complaints about the Daily Citizen or the way a story has been handled. For example, when the Daily Citizen disagrees with a news subject about whether a story contained an error, editors will consider offering the subject an opportunity to write a letter to the editor.
How to submit a letter to the editor
Letters must be sent by email, or by using the form below. Sorry, but we do not have staff to retype letters that are sent by mail.
Email your letter to letters@sgfcitizen.org — please put the text of the letter in the body and do not send attachments; attachments will not be read.
Or, use the form below: