Getting your letter to the editor published
Hello, dear correspondent. We are so delighted to hear from you.
Truly, we are.
Within reason.
File
This is our semi-regular missive about the land of letters to the editor, and also about opinion pieces that appear on the Free Press Think Tank page. Feel free to cut this out and put it on your fridge, secured there safely for all eternity with a jaunty fridge magnet.
Equally, feel free to recycle it without qualm or even bothering to read to the end.
First, word length.
The hardest part of writing a letter to the editor or a Think Tank piece is knowing how many words to use. For a letter to the editor, somewhere around 150 words is the true sweet spot. Get in, make your point, and get swiftly out.
Your friends will be amazed — your enemies, both chastened and humbled.
In a crass bastardization of Lewis Carroll's Jabberwocky, the vorpal blade will go snicker-snack, and with its head, you'll go galumphing back.
For the Think Tank page, we can handle two pieces every day around 825 words, and one between 750 and 770, with ease.
Go longer, especially really longer, and things get difficult. Reach 1,100 words of truly stellar prose, and we may eventually find a home for your work — but not until we find a piece that matches both your length and quality, so that we can reduce the page from three pieces to two. It might be a while.
By the way, that includes the line at the end of your piece which we include to explain your experience, expertise, and why readers should respect your authority and accept your opinion.
It might be something like this: 'Russell Wangersky is the comment editor of the Free Press and an insufferable prig.'
Bear that line in mind as well when thinking about your word count.
Some other basic rules apply to both letters and Think Tank pieces, however.
If you give someone the literal equivalent of the side-eye — if you imply they are responsible for some ill, without either outright saying that they are and also providing the necessary proof — you are likely to be cast into the hideous pit of opinion darkness, never to emerge again, at least not right away on our pages.
Reputation is important, both yours and whoever you're choosing to smite.
This is not the Roman forum of the internet, where all weapons are fair game and you can both cast a net over your unwitting prey and then stab your tangled opponent repeatedly with your wordy trident, without facing so much as a raised shield.
Accusing someone of something criminal or otherwise libel them?
Not going to happen, at least, not if we spot it.
Then, there's basic propriety.
'Cuck,' 'moron,' 'idiot' and 'slobbering fool' are not acceptable debate in print or on our website. You get the point.
Threatening things like hanging for politicians — heck, threatening politicians, neighbours or random strangers — will find you so far down the naughty list that you'll be begging for coal in your stocking, just to prove you still exist to the rest of the world.
Some last thoughts.
No one is as funny as they think they are — even us. Humour is actually very hard. That is why true comedians are incredibly smart. You can swing for the humour fences if you choose to, but you may strike out.
Pretend your mother is reading everything you send — and don't write anything that will make her give you that disappointed face.
Weekday Evenings
Today's must-read stories and a roundup of the day's headlines, delivered every evening.
You know the one.
And short and to the point will always be better.
Did we mention how delighted we are to hear from you?
We are.
Truth is, slaving down here in the opinion mines, we couldn't do it without you.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Winnipeg Free Press
8 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Premier stands by Fontaine over ‘hot mic' comments about interpreter
The premier has defended his accessibility minister after she was recorded complaining about an ASL interpreter at an event. Wab Kinew broke his silence Friday about a 'hot mic' scandal involving cabinet minister Nahanni Fontaine, whose portfolio includes families, accessibility, and gender equity. 'Our minister has apologized and is putting in the work with the community so it's with the greatest of humility that I want to ask folks in the deaf community to keep working with her,' Kinew told reporters following an unrelated news conference in downtown Winnipeg. BROOK JONES / FREE PRESS FILES Families Minister Nahanni Fontaine has faced significant backlash about private remarks she made to a staffer on June 26 while debriefing her speech at a gala to celebrate Indigenous women graduates. The premier said he's spoken to Fontaine, who he said has been meeting with affected individuals this week, and he remains in her corner. Fontaine has faced significant backlash about private remarks she made to a staffer on June 26 while debriefing her speech at a gala to celebrate Indigenous women graduates. 'The woman, she shouldn't have been on the stage… I'm like f—k, why did I have her on the stage? Like, Jesus, I'm like, 'You need to leave,'' Fontaine said about the translator in a video that was recorded and released by the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network. The Opposition Tories have called for her resignation. Fontaine has issued numerous apologies — via written medium and radio — since the footage aired. Earlier this week, she told the Free Press she was disappointed in herself and the poor event set-up that caused her to be frustrated. Fontaine said she was surprised by the limited space on the stage — on which she and the translator had to stand — because it was overcrowded with decorations. She suggested it was a safety hazard. Manitoba Deaf Association president Shawna Joynt and treasurer Doug Momtiuk visited her office on Wednesday to discuss those comments and the backlash. Tuesdays A weekly look at politics close to home and around the world. The association issued a statement that described their meeting with Fontaine as positive and applauded the MLA's commitment to work with ASL interpreters to ensure her events remain accessible in the future. Fontaine has expressed her desire to learn 'from this huge misstep,' the association said. 'We will continue to be by her side as advisers on our accessibility needs. We know this will not sit well with everyone and we do understand these feelings,' the executive team wrote in an email to the Free Press. The association's leadership reminded critics in the statement that Fontaine helped 'secure' an interpretation program at Red River College Polytechnic. 'She strongly believes in the importance of training more sign language interpreters,' the executive noted. Maggie MacintoshEducation reporter Maggie Macintosh reports on education for the Free Press. Originally from Hamilton, Ont., she first reported for the Free Press in 2017. Read more about Maggie. Funding for the Free Press education reporter comes from the Government of Canada through the Local Journalism Initiative. Every piece of reporting Maggie produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Winnipeg Free Press
2 days ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Flight delays expected after bomb threat at Winnipeg airport
Mounties responded to the Winnipeg airport Thursday morning after an anonymous caller warned a bomb was on site — one of several threats that temporarily grounded flights at airports across Canada. Police stationed at the Winnipeg Richardson International Airport were made aware of the bomb threat at approximately 6:05 a.m., RCMP Sgt. Paul Manaigre said in an email. 'The phone call stated there was a bomb in the control tower. Officers conducted a physical search of the tower and no suspicious items were located,' he said. 'Based on my conversation with detachment at the airport, it appears the same calls were made to the other airports across the country. No motive or suspect that I can speak to right now.' Nav Canada said the early-morning threats affected Ottawa, Montreal, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Calgary and Vancouver airports. It said employees at the airports are safe and there was a temporary ground stop. Thousands of Canadian travellers could see delays as a result. 'We are collaborating with authorities to address the situation and ensure the safety of all personnel and passengers,' the corporation, which provides air traffic control operations to Canadian airports, said in a statement on X. 'Following the evacuation of a number of our sites and subsequent threat assessment by authorities, service is gradually resuming at affected sites. Travellers are advised to check directly with their airline for the latest updates, as delays are expected.' The Winnipeg airport's website showed several flights departed up to two hours late Thursday morning, but it was unclear whether those delays were related to the bomb threat. The Free Press has reached out to the Winnipeg Airports Authority and Nav Canada for more information. More to come. Tyler SearleReporter Tyler Searle is a multimedia producer who writes for the Free Press's city desk. A graduate of Red River College Polytechnic's creative communications program, he wrote for the Stonewall Teulon Tribune, Selkirk Record and Express Weekly News before joining the paper in 2022. Read more about Tyler. Every piece of reporting Tyler produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Winnipeg Free Press
2 days ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
U of W governance concerns cited
Twelve days after a University of Winnipeg board member resigned in protest over governance concerns at the cash-strapped campus, his ex-colleagues approved a balanced budget that rests on continued austerity measures. The board of regents — a group of appointees who are alumni, administrators and public representatives, among others, and in charge of policy making at U of W — approved a $175.5-million budget on June 24. Domestic tuition is increasing by 3.5 per cent overall. International student rates are up seven per cent. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS FILES The province has injected another $2.5 million at the University of Winnipeg to help boost the post-secondary institution's finances. The new blueprint starts to phase out 'low rate' tuition labels for some courses that have not traditionally required extensive marking or equipment costs. Former regent Cory Sul stepped down before those decisions were made. Sul submitted his resignation letter on June 13 to board chair Bruce Miller and Advanced Education Minister Renée Cable. 'Manitobans rightfully expect transparency, accountability, and proper governance of their public institutions,' he wrote in a statement to the Free Press on Wednesday. Sul, a practising dentist, was appointed to the volunteer position by the provincial government in 2019. Citing his role as a representative of public interest on the board, he said he took 'the responsible step' of notifying the province about his personal concerns. 'Serious concerns about governance at the University of Winnipeg have been repeatedly raised by multiple individuals and groups over the past couple of years,' he noted. The university's faculty association penned an unusual letter to regents in July 2023 to express concern about an exodus of senior employees in a short timeframe and the subsequent loss of institutional knowledge. Senior administration faced criticism in 2024-25 for failing to consult community members before cutting its women's soccer team, discontinuing its English language program and introducing a new campus access policy. More recently, an employee at the U of W submitted a whistleblower report to the Manitoba ombudsman in April that called for a probe into institutional transparency and leadership decision-making. Sul refused to share his resignation letter, saying it was intended only for Miller and Cable. Miller declined to discuss the matter. He deferred comment to Caleb Zimmerman, executive director of communications at the post-secondary institute. 'Since the board of regents is an independent governing body, any further comment or discussion regarding its membership would rest with the board itself,' Zimmerman said in an email Wednesday. Multiple current regents told the Free Press in separate interviews they've been hearing increasingly from community members who are frustrated by a perceived lack of transparency related to decision-making. Two board members confirmed the group was not informed prior to senior administration announcing in January that it was scrapping soccer and the English language program. President Todd Mondor has defended his leadership style, which he describes as transparent and collaborative, citing numerous town halls organized during his tenure. Mondor hosted his latest such event on June 25 to share details about the 2025-26 budget. He debriefed community members about the persistent financial challenges — which he has repeatedly attributed to a drop in international enrolment and what he maintains is an unfair provincial funding formula — during the event. Attendees also learned about an eleventh-hour injection of $2.5 million in funding from the province. A government spokesperson said the two parties have been working closely 'to understand student needs.' The province has set aside extra funding this year to support them, the spokesperson said. Provincial operating funding is increasing by five per cent in total, the equivalent of about $4 million, as per the U of W's budget news release. Wednesdays Columnist Jen Zoratti looks at what's next in arts, life and pop culture. Faculty association president Peter Miller said his members were initially informed that U of W had to find $13.7 million in cost savings in the 2025-26 budget to get out of the red. His top concerns? The fallout of increased vacancy management and the teaching assistant budget being frozen at last year's levels, despite the fact these employees recently negotiated higher salaries through their union. 'Effectively, we have fewer TA hours, so I'm hopeful that the $2.5 million goes right to the front line, the core mission of the university — i.e., let's support instructors and then let's hire contract staff when we need them,' the professor of classics said. Zimmermand declined to share the U of W budget slide-show presentation Wednesday because the current version has yet to be updated to reflect the last-minute funding announcement from the province. Maggie MacintoshEducation reporter Maggie Macintosh reports on education for the Free Press. Originally from Hamilton, Ont., she first reported for the Free Press in 2017. Read more about Maggie. Funding for the Free Press education reporter comes from the Government of Canada through the Local Journalism Initiative. Every piece of reporting Maggie produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
