Our letter cup runneth over - what do we do about it?
Just back from a convention in Mobile, Ala. and a visit to New Orleans. I’d like to offer my thoughts on the trip soon, but wanted to ask your help in the meantime.
Since dropping our waiting period on submitting letters to the editor, we’ve found the flow of letters has picked up. That’s a good thing. But we’ve also found that some letter writers are submitting several letters each week, often with the same or a similar bent.
Is that OK? Or do we need to impose a new limit of say, two letters a month? Or one letter for every ten printed editions?
Our letters section, we know, is well-read. But a few voices have suggested the letters section has become less local, and less interesting, since we dropped our 30-day waiting period.
So, esteemed readers, what do you think?
• We do nothing.
• We impose a new, but more lenient policy of a letter every couple of weeks?
• We go back to the more restrictive 30-day period?
• Or?
Please leave a comment here on the blog or pop me an e-mail at richardh@lodinews.com.
Thank you.
I’m not quite clear on why this issue has come up now. I know of no one who has any expectation that just because they submit a letter that it will ever be printed. Could it be that the News-Sentinel simply doesn’t have the manpower to review the myriad letters that are submitted in total? I find that difficult to believe.
Or could there be something else that is causing a problem for you. The online comments system has gotten to the point where common sense rules are ignored and common decency is no longer recognizable. I’ve always enjoyed a good debate, but as I am sure you’ve noticed there’s little debate going on – just a lot of name-calling and vitriolic accusations being hurled around. If the News-Sentinel is unable or unwilling to enforce its own standards of conduct, then I submit that it shouldn’t be the number of letters that are reduced, but perhaps the online comments should be eliminated.
You also subtly insert the issue of local vs. national news being the impetus behind a “few voices” claiming that the abolishing of the 30-day limit makes the letters section less interesting. Now, do you really believe that? Just a short review of the last few weeks’ offerings, which were largely local, reveals very few online comments, good or bad. Just because we live 3,000 miles from Washington, D.C. doesn’t mean we’re not affected by what comes out of our nation’s Capital. In fact, I would assert that since January the actions of lawmakers at the national level have raised interest dramatically for many Lodians forcing them to actually read and absorb this information through the News-Sentinel. Or do you really not desire that kind of readership?
But again, since you seem to insist that it is the volume of letters creating the crisis, please make that the issue and work to resolve it. Don’t attempt to blame it on those of us who truly have something to say and then ask us whether or not we should be limited on how often we should be permitted to say it. Yes, it’s your paper and I will continue to comply with the rules as well as abide by whatever limitations you believe are reasonable. But we first need to be honest about identifying the actual problem.
Thank you.
Bring back the 30 day limit. I have had enough of Jerry K to last me 30 years!