Here at Rio Linda Online, your trusted source for local news, we believe our community’s strength lies in the diverse voices and perspectives of its residents. We’re committed to fostering a vibrant online space where you can share your thoughts, opinions, and ideas about the issues that matter most to Rio Linda and our surrounding areas.
We welcome your contributions and encourage active participation. To ensure a respectful and constructive environment for everyone, please keep the following guidelines in mind when submitting your comments, opinion pieces, or letters:
Keep it Concise and Clear:
- For opinion pieces or letters intended for feature publication, please aim for approximately 250-500 words. This allows for a clear expression of your viewpoint while respecting our readers’ time. Shorter, focused comments on articles are also encouraged.
- Ensure your points are easy to understand. Clear and concise writing helps get your message across effectively.
Constructive and Respectful Dialogue:
- We aim for conversations that build our community. Diverse opinions are welcome, but all discourse should be civil and respectful.
- When responding to articles or other community members’ contributions, please focus on the issues at hand. Refer to the headline and publication date of any article you’re discussing.
- Personal attacks, insults, or disrespectful comments will not be published.
Content We Can’t Publish:
To maintain a positive and appropriate platform for all our readers, we cannot publish content that includes:
- Crude, vulgar, or offensive language.
- Content that is in poor taste or generally inappropriate for a community audience.
- Disrespectful or discriminatory comments concerning an individual’s or group’s ethnicity, gender, religion, culture, sexual orientation, race, or other protected status.
- Incendiary language, hate speech, or remarks intended to provoke, demean, or incite violence.
- Endorsements for or complaints about specific, individually named commercial products or services (general discussions about local business types or economic development are acceptable).
- Poetry, personal tributes (unless editorially approved for a specific community section), or personal thank-you notes not related to broader community issues. We may have other avenues for such content, so please inquire if unsure.
- Factually incorrect information. Rio Linda Online strives for accuracy and will not knowingly publish false statements. Please check your facts before submitting.
Originality and Exclusivity for Featured Pieces:
- If you are submitting a longer opinion piece or letter for potential feature publication, please ensure it is written exclusively for Rio Linda Online. We generally do not publish pieces that have been sent to or published by other news outlets or platforms. This does not apply to general comments on articles.
Verification:
- For comments on articles, a valid email address and username are typically required.
- For longer opinion pieces or letters submitted for publication, we require your full name and a valid email address. A phone number may also be requested for verification purposes only and will not be published. Anonymous submissions for opinion pieces will not be accepted, though we can discuss withholding a name from publication in rare, sensitive circumstances at the editors’ discretion. Your transparency helps build trust within our community.
Our Commitment:
The Rio Linda Online team reviews submissions and comments. We reserve the right to edit for clarity, length, and adherence to these guidelines, or to decline publication of any content that does not meet our standards. Our goal is to amplify the voices of Rio Linda in a way that is productive, informative, and respectful to all.
Thank you for being an active part of the Rio Linda Online community! We look forward to hearing from you.
To submit an opinion piece or letter, please email us at Editor@RioLindaOnline.com, or visit https://www.riolindaonline.com/letter-to-the-editor/
