Editorial Policy
LETTERS
Letters to the editor are limited to 400 words in length.
Letters may be edited for length, news style, grammar, content and accuracy.
A letter writer may not have more than two letters published within 30 days and a letter writer may not appear on the Dialogue page on two consecutive weeks.
On occasion, letter writers may submit a "reader view," which must be approved by the editor and must follow the above guidelines, except that a "reader view" may be up to 800 words. It may not endorse any product and it should be relevant to the Wilsonville community.
Political endorsement letters of candidates or ballot measures, either pro or con, will be limited to 150 words. Again, a letter writer may not have more than two letters published within 30 days and a letter writer may not appear on the Dialogue page on two consecutive weeks.
Comments expressed on the Wilsonville Spokesman website may appear as commentary on the weekly Dialogue page, but will be labeled as such.
Letters are printed on a first-come, first-served, space-available basis. Letters are not ignored because of their viewpoints, political leanings, and critique of the newspaper and/or its staff. Occasionally, an editor’s note may appear underneath a letter to provide clarification.
Letters that are factually incorrect, libelous, obscene or in bad taste will not be printed.
Letter writers who disagree with other published letter writers should maintain a civil discourse and address the subject, not the author. Letters that are obscene or in bad taste will not be printed.
Letters to the editor that are obvious promotions for products or services will not be printed.
The Wilsonville Spokesman does not guarantee the accuracy of facts presented by letter writers; dissenters are welcome to respond.
Letters focused on a personal grievance or dispute with an individual or business will not be printed.
Submitted letters must include your first and last name, city of residence, phone number and email address. This includes letters submitted via the Wilsonville Spokesman's website. Phone number and email address will not be printed.
You do not need to live in Wilsonville to have your letter appear in the Wilsonville Spokesman, however it is the editor's discretion whether to include a letter writer who lives outside the city.
Letters must be submitted from individuals, not organizations, and must be original submissions to the Spokesman, not copies of other letters sent to other media.
Headlines on letters reflect either the viewpoint of the letter writer or simply state the topic of the letter.
Letters of a similar topic may be grouped together and may or may not include their own headline.
"Thanks to You" is an opportunity for local residents and organizations to do just that. As with letters to the editor, it must be signed by an individual, not an organization. They must include a contact phone number and email address. Letters of thanks to businesses, individuals and organizations are limited to 10 names.
The Dialogue page aims to present a fair and balanced approach in both commentary and headlines.
"Our view" does not reflect the opinion of one person on the editorial staff. All "Our view" topics and opinions are discussed and reviewed by an editorial board that consists of the news staff and the publisher. "Our view" may be written by any member of the editorial board, but again is approved by the entire editorial board.
The Wilsonville Spokesman does not claim an affiliation with any political party and does not endorse candidates solely because of their political party
The editorial board of the Wilsonville Spokesman does not endorse candidates for political office at any level.
Political cartoons are obtained from a national source and do not reflect one particular viewpoint of or endorsement from the Wilsonville Spokesman. Their purpose is to provide a point of view.
Occasionally, a news story will continue on the Dialogue page due to limited space available in the newspaper. But it will be clearly labeled as a continuation of a news story and should not be considered a part of the Dialogue/opinion page.
Reader Views from prominent local leaders may appear on a regular basis on the Dialogue page. These columns do not represent the viewpoint of or endorsement from the newspaper. The Wilsonville Spokesman strives for accuracy in all its reporting and opinion, but is not responsible for misstatements in these columns.
To submit a letter to the editor:
www.wilsonvillespokesman.com/submit
spokesman@wilsonvillespokesman.com or mte@wilsonvillespokesman.com. Indicate "letter to the editor" in the subject line.
