Letters to the editor of the Beacon Journal — published on our editorial pages in the Voice of the People column — do not actually go to the editor. They go to the editors who are responsible for the editorial pages.
But I do get calls about the letters.
Caller: “Your letters to the editor are really pathetic. They show a clear bias against [President-elect Donald] Trump. Why don’t you print some positive letters about Trump.”
Well, we do print positive letters about the president-elect, but we have not received very many. And that reflects — for good or bad — what our community is telling us.
“We have printed every publishable positive letter about Trump that we have received,” Editorial Page Editor Michael Douglas said. “But right now — and this is a rough estimate — for every positive letter we get, we get four to five negative letters.”
The Voice of the People column is a forum that the Beacon Journal offers for members of the community to share their ideas and opinions. The letters reflect the overall purpose of the editorial pages. They are a place where the Beacon Journal offers its view of the world and where a diversity of political columns and other commentary are offered.
The editorial department is not part of the newsroom so that opinions and news stories can be kept separate.
Douglas and Editorial Writer Steve Hoffman work diligently to make sure the letters to the editor reflect our community, are civil in tone and offer a lively exchange of views. So while we do not publish letters at an absolute ratio of what is received from one side versus the other, we do try to reflect the flow of letters we receive.
“We’re aware that readers watch carefully our mix of letters and columns,” Douglas said. “We’re very aware that we need to publish contrary opinions.”
The Voice of the People submissions are edited for clarity, civility and length.
While some letters may go as long as 300 words, Douglas said that some of the best letters are to the point — only one or two paragraphs long.
And if a letter is especially long (more than 300 words), Hoffman and Douglas will give the writer an opportunity to cut it to fewer than 300 words.
Those who submit letters for the Voice of the People also must provide their name, address and phone number so that they may be contacted by our staff. And while we do receive some letters, the vast majority of submissions are by email.
The Beacon Journal also publishes the name and city of the letter’s author — unlike those anonymous comments you may see on the internet.
And while facts do matter, Douglas explained, there are a lot of opinions in the letters. People are trying to make a point.
“There is a wide berth for people to express their point of view,” Douglas said. “But if they go too far, we draw the line.”
So if you disagree with what someone writes in the Voice of the People, feel free to join the conversation and have your voice heard. Also know that we work hard to make sure the Voice of the People reflects what people feel strongly enough about to write us.
Bruce Winges is editor of the Akron Beacon Journal/Ohio.com. He may be reached at 330-996-3858, bwinges@thebeaconjournal.com or @BruceWingesABJ .