It’s that time of year again — election season. And as campaign signs begin to grace more and more business windows and front yards, we wanted to take a moment to familiarize our readers with just a couple of rules regarding campaign-related news coverage and letters to the editor.
We will not cover fundraisers, benefits, campaign rallies, kickoffs or other events hosted specifically for the benefit of one candidate and meant solely to raise support. Coverage of the races will include reporting on public appearances of candidates in debates and forums, issues raised by individual candidates and stories developed through reporting done by the Courier.
We at the Coastal Courier welcome letters from both voters and candidates — and all letters submitted will be considered for publication as long as they meet our normal letter policies. Those policies include:
• A 350-word limit.
• A signature — no anonymous letters will be printed — with city of residence and phone number for verification purposes with all submissions.
• Letters from listed officers of a political campaign will not be accepted (specific to election season).
The editor reserves the right to reject letters or edit them for clarity, brevity, accuracy and good taste and to avoid libel. We do not accept letters that attack private individuals and businesses or that contain accusations of alleged criminal behavior. Letters needing to be transcribed may take longer to be published. Letters will be published in the order in which they are received.
Our goal is to treat all candidates in every race fairly and impartially. New allegations and issues will not be introduced to the public in such a manner as to preclude time for a response from involved candidates. Letters related to political campaigns will not be published after Wednesday, Oct. 26.
Letters to the editor serve to enlighten debate and can help readers understand issues from all perspectives. The Coastal Courier encourages readers to submit letters to the editor. These guidelines are intended to promote fair debate for our readers, who will be deciding the communities’ future leaders.