LETTER TO THE EDITOR GUIDELINES

  1. Anonymous letters are not accepted. When your letter is published, it will include your name and town of residence.
  2. Please focus on local issues. Short, pithy letters (200 words or less) get high priority for publication.
  3. We prefer letters that are submitted exclusively to the Houston Herald, and particularly those that take as their starting point an article in the Houston Herald. Preference is given to letters written by citizens of Texas County. Letter-writers from outside the area should explain their tie to the area or why their opinion is relevant to Herald readers. We attempt to weed out letters that are following a form suggested by some interest group or other third party.
  4. While you are entitled to your own opinion, the Herald 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. Express your own views with conviction, and respond to different opinions with an open mind.
  5. 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. It is not sufficient to say you heard something on TV or saw it on social media. Statements following “I believe” or “I think” – that are not disqualified by any of the other standards – are fine.
  6. 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.
  7. To provide a variety of opinions, letter writers may be limited to one letter every 30 days.
  8. More leeway is granted to letter-writers with complaints about the Herald or the way a story has been handled. For example, when the Herald 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.

SUBMISSION

Letters must be sent by email to editor@houstonherald.com, submitted at https://houstonherald.com/letter-to-the-editor/ or mailed to P.O. Box 170, Houston, MO 65483. No other form of submission will be accepted. 

Use this handy form to submit your letter to the editor to appear in print. Letters should be no longer than 500 words (approximately 3000 characters). We will use your contact information to confirm you sent it. Only your name and town will appear in print. Due to space considerations, not all letters received may appear in print.

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