Editor’s note: Keeping our letters relevant and civil
We must reserve our pages for letters that are laser-focused on what originates here.
When it comes to our letters page, The Acton Bridge faces a balancing act.
We want to allow as many thoughtful, engaged readers as possible to share their views. That may include letter writers taking stances on controversial issues that affect all of us.
At the same time, The Bridge was founded for a very specific purpose: As a hyperlocal news outlet, our non-profit mission statement makes clear that our role is to “connect all Concordians with local news that is important to them.”
To that end, The Bridge must decline reader letters that focus entirely or heavily on national and international policy matters, whether having to do with conflict abroad or policy issued from Washington.
It’s not that these issues don’t matter. They may directly touch residents of this state and this town, as in instances of federal policy.
However, being of general interest to Concordians isn’t enough; we must reserve our pages for letters that are laser-focused on what originates here.
Naturally, there are edge cases — times when national or international events and local matters intersect. When those come up, we exercise our best judgment as to whether a letter will advance the conversation in keeping with our exclusively local focus.
In some of those cases, readers have thoughtfully agreed to edit or resubmit their letters — not because we seek to change their opinion on a broader matter, but to bring their submissions into sharper focus on the local issue at hand.
One kind of letter will always be turned away, and that’s the kind that includes personal vitriol toward a private citizen.
The Bridge’s accountability mission does extend to allowing readers to mount candid but civil criticism of public officials — elected and appointed — and the policies they create and administrate. It may include impassioned, considered responses to the writers of letters published by The Bridge.
It does not, and will never, encompass ad hominem attacks.
Relatedly, we hope our readers will show each other — and us — a healthy measure of courtesy on our social media platforms.
We want to offer Concordians more than just our letters pages as a place to express their views and hear others out. Unfortunately, the exchanges on some posts have devolved into name-calling or worse. With our small staff, we simply can’t police every page around the clock. If things get out of hand, our options are to restrict users who abuse others or push misinformation or disinformation — or to close comments entirely, and we’d prefer not to do that.
Please help The Bridge make sure all these lines of communication remain open and that exchanges, even if pointed, are always both locally focused and courteous. With your thoughtfulness and civility, we’ll continue to “Keep Acton Connected.”
