The Cobar Weekly received an anonymous letter to the editor in our mailbox this week from a concerned resident.
The Cobar Weekly does not publish anonymous letters.
It is a condition of this publication (and most other newspapers) that letters to the editor include the writer’s name, address, daytime phone number, and/or email address.
This is so that we can verify the authenticity of the letter and its writer.
A writer’s contact details may also be used by the editor to clarify information within the letter.
Readers are advised that editors are not obliged to publish letters on demand.
It is the prerogative and responsibility of editors who are guided by fairness, balance and the public interest to print letters that will facilitate diverse and robust expressions of opinion.
We occasionally publish letters and withhold the name (you must still tell us), but only under very specific circumstances.
Generally that means when revealing it would expose the writer or someone else to an unacceptable risk of violence, or when the letter reveals personal information the writer may reasonably want to keep private (such as a previous conviction or a history of sexual abuse).
General guidelines for submitting a letter to the editor are: keep it short, no longer than 200 words; keep it simple, stick to one subject; use facts, figures etc to support your opinion; keep it civil, don’t abuse people; keep it relevant, make sure the topic is current; keep it open and disclose any relevant information. We welcome the inclusion of any sources to back up what you’re saying.
Include your contact details so that the letter and writer can be verified.
Letters that attack, ridicule, denounce, impugn a person’s character, or impute immoral or dishonorable attributes on the basis of race or ethnicity, gender, age, religion, national origin, disability, or sexual orientation will not be published.
We think readers should be able to trust that those published are who they say they are. Disguising or blurring your identity is, at best, a waste of everyone’s time.
This includes the use of maiden names. We do not allow the use of an alternative name.
We are always happy to answer questions about anonymity or anything else to do with submissions and if this week’s anonymous writer wants to contact us, we may then consider publishing their letter.
