Are you moved to share your fresh perspective on an issue in our community? Do you have something to say about one of our published stories? Do you want to contribute to discussions that could help us solve problems together? We’d love to hear about it! Consider writing a letter to the editor or a guest column. 

We’re always looking for thoughtful commentary to provide insight and connections that help us better understand topics of community interest. And if you’re in need of a little coaching, we’ll work with you to get your ideas published.

Basic guidelines follow. 

Letters to the editor

  1. Express a complete thought in 250 to 350 words.
  2. Factual claims must be verifiable, so source your information. 
  3. Address a public, local issue or a national one that touches us in Lane County.
  4. Include your full name, physical and email addresses, and phone number, so we can verify you are a real person. Letters are published with the writer’s name and city only.
  5. Letters are edited for length, clarity, Associated Press style, libelous or tasteless material.
  6. Only one letter per writer per 30 days. 
  7. Please, know that Lookout will not publish all letters. We are looking for letters that add substantive value to an ongoing issue, election or news story.
  8. Send your letter to lte@lookoutlocal.com. 

Guest columns

We welcome a variety of voices and thought-provoking perspectives that touch on issues of the day worth discussing in 800 words or less.

A sense of humor, too, is always appreciated. Opinions sometimes originate from the lighter sides of our lived experiences. So feel free to submit something entertaining or funny.

At the end of your guest column, include a one- or two-line biographical description, which can include the writer’s profession, expertise or education. But it can also add to the mood of the piece.

Some examples:

Daniel DeLong is a retired firefighter who strongly believes every human should have the legal right to end-of-life autonomy. But he has every intention of cheating Death just like his grandmother did. 

Enrique Rodriquez, a Springfield resident and soon-to-be first-year student at the University of Oregon, is ready to embrace Duck Life.

How to submit:

Send a completed draft of your guest column in the body of an email or as a Google or Word doc to lte@lookoutlocal.com.

Like with letters, we ask that you include your full name, physical and email addresses, and phone number, so we can verify who you are. Also, include a headshot without sunglasses. Make sure to source any factual claims. 

How we edit submissions:

Guest columns are subject to the same rules of editing as letters – length, clarity, Associated Press style, libelous or tasteless material. 

If we’re interested in your guest column, we’ll likely let you know within a week. You would then receive feedback on the first draft with an eye toward argument and writing quality. We want original voices and colloquial language. And it might take some back-and-forth editing exchanges to get your piece ready for publication. 

Note, we prefer original content that has not been previously published. Any published guest column is at the discretion of the editor.