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Letters to the Editor

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Letters to the Editor Policy

Letters to the Editor Policy
 

  • The word-count limit for letters is 350, including signatures (with exceptions at the discretion of the editor).
  • Letters may be edited for length, style, and clarity.
  • Email letters to letters@harvardpress.net or send by regular mail to Editor, The Harvard Press, P.O. Box 284, Harvard, MA 01451. Deadline is 5 p.m. Tuesday to be included in that Friday's edition.
  • Letters should include your name, address, and phone number. Phone numbers and house numbers will not be printed; they are used only for verification.
  • We will not print anonymous letters, form letters, blanket-mail letters, or letters that we consider libelous.
  • We will not print more than one letter from the same person in any given week.
  • Letters must be signed by individuals; we do not accept group names as signatures. Up to four people may sign a letter on behalf of a group; all must provide addresses and phone numbers.
  • During contests for public office, we will not publish endorsement letters the Friday before an election. Based on space availability, we may limit the number of endorsement letters in a given week, but will strive to print a balanced representation of letters received. We will not publish negative letters about any candidate.
  • All letters may be read online by Harvard Press subscribers who are logged-on registered users of the website.

Letters to the editor should be a space for diverse voices, not a platform for rebuttals

by Joseph Spinelli  ·   Friday, April 4, 2025

I enjoy this paper and its community focus, but the editor’s note on Bonnie Chandler’s tree-cutting bylaw letter puzzled me.

Ms. Chandler shared her view—tying the bylaw to climate change debates—only to have the editor “fact-check” her with a UN report. Is it an editor’s job to snipe at readers’ opinions?

Letters to the editor should be a space for diverse voices, not a platform for editorial rebuttals. If you disagree, write your own editorial—or don’t publish the letter if it offends you; at least we’d never know. But adding your opinion, even as “fact,” stifles debate, especially on controversial topics. Let readers decide what holds up. Tacking on notes like that risks alienating those who value open discussion over curated consensus. Isn’t this section for viewpoints, not verdicts?

This overreach might explain declining readership and media trust. People don’t want lectures from a paper they support, especially not when contributing their thoughts. If editors play referee instead of facilitator, why submit letters?

Keep letters raw and real, reflecting our town’s range of thought. Save commentary for the opinion page to foster trust and keep readers engaged.

Joseph Spinelli
Still River Depot Road

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