Here are some guidelines for writing in the opinion section. A letter is where your own voice comes through most, but there are still some things to keep in mind.
The purpose of a letter to the editor is to discuss an article that has been published, comment on something that has happened, or argue that attention needs to be given to an issue on campus. It’s your chance to reply or to say something in the Medium without it being strictly news, features, arts, or sports. Some good examples are disputing or adding nuances to an article’s angle, disagreeing with another opinion piece in an informed way, or mentioning an alarming trend on campus that should be investigated.
A good letter length is 300–600 words, but exceptions can be made.
Letters are addressed to the editor, but they have a public audience. A letter should be something you’re happy to see published. Be careful with personal information, since the Medium often comes up in online searches. Do edit yourself.
We’ll go over it for typos, of course. Also, if we catch anything we think might be a serious error, we’ll give you a chance to address it.
By no means do we censor anyone’s opinions, even if they’re critical of us. But note that we will not publish letters that incite hatred or violence or that constitute libel.
Please send in your letter by Friday to be published that same Monday. You must include your name and email, and it’s helpful to add some detail about yourself (year, program, position in a student organization…).
When you’re done, send it to the editor-in-chief (editor@themedium.ca). You can also use the contact form at the bottom of the website.
