Have an opinion to share?

The CT loves submissions, especially editorial submissions. However, there are some things we cannot print so we decided to compile a short list of rules. Attached are our style guidelines for editorials put into our own words from “Inside Reporting: A Practical Guide to the Craft of Journalism,” by Tim Harrower. If you have any questions, feel free to e-mail us at opinion@commonwealthtimes.com or editor@commonwealthtimes.com.

If you want to send us a letter to the editor or an editorial piece, please e-mail it to opinion@commonwealthtimes.com or drop it off at the Student Media Center at 817 W. Broad St. For snail mail, use the VCU address: Student Media Center, P.O. Box 842010, Richmond, Va., 23284-2010.

Thanks,
Sarah Sonies
Opinion Editor

 The range of topics to choose from is endless. There can be social, political, religious and personal commentary. Take a stand on something important to you and create a strong thesis statement about that topic.

 Editorial pieces, which will have a headline and a byline, usually run from 300-500 words but can be longer. Keep your piece tight and to the point. Rambling is not your friend. Recap important facts and summarize your case, the more visual the language the better.

 Attack issues, not personalities. Avoid name-calling and mudslinging. If a person’s actions are a problem, then criticize the actions and not the person. Especially if there is no proof to back up your accusations. If a person says something that you think is wrong, then disagree with what is said and do not attack the person saying it,

 Control your anger and don’t be a bully. Editorials should encourage an open dialogue.

 For future reference, slander is spoken and libel is written, therefore-base your opinion on facts. We cannot print libel.

The exact definitions of the two terms are as follows:

Libel – a written or oral defamatory statement or representation that conveys an unjustly unfavorable impression (Webster.com).

Slander – an untruthful oral (spoken) statement about a person that harms the person’s reputation or standing in the community (Nolo.com).
 Attribute your sources. Always attribute your sources. This point cannot be made enough. It is not the reader’s job to fact check to make sure something they read is true. If there is a quote or statistical facts, they must be attributed.

The terms “opinion article,” “commentary” and “op-ed” are synonymous and used interchangeably; they refer to guest submissions written by people who are not members of a newspaper’s editorial staff and that are published on a newspaper’s op-ed page. The term “letter to the editor” refers to shorter submissions of 150 or fewer words that are less rigorously documented and composed than an editorial piece or column. This does not mean that you should not research your letters to the editor-because you always should be accurate in journalism. (This last point had facts and points that came from the website “Publish Your Opinions” at http://www.publishyouropinions.com/newspaper_opinion_FAQ.html#QNews2)