Guide to Editorial and Commentary

Editorial Mission

Our mission: To guide the community’s deliberation of public issues, motivating people to get involved in the process and advocating for solutions.

About our Editorial Board

The primary function of the editorial board is to publish staff editorials. Editorials are the consensus view of the editorial board’s members. The editorial board also interviews candidates and publishes election endorsements, which are meant to inform voters and highlight important issues. Other newsroom staffers take no part in deliberations and editorials do not influence their news coverage.

Members of the editorial board:
Todd Dorman, Insights editor/columnist
Zack Kucharski, Gazette executive editor
Quinn Pettifer, Manager of brand initiatives
Contact: (319) 398-8262; editorial@thegazette.com

Staff Editorials

A Gazette editorial reflects the consensus opinion of the editorial board, which currently includes executive editor Zack Kucharski, manager of brand initiatives Quinn Pettifer and Insight editor Todd Dorman. The board meets weekly to discuss potential editorial topics and also meets with individuals and groups providing information to inform our editorial stances. Although Gazette news coverage also informs our consensus editorial viewpoints, news coverage is not influenced by opinions expressed by the editorial board.

Staff Columns

A staff column reflects the opinion of the columnist. It is not an objective news story, although columnists use reporting, interviews and research to shape their opinions. Columnists strive for accuracy, but unlike news reporters, they can provide their personal impressions, viewpoints and opinions on an array of subjects and issues.

Guest Columns

A guest columns are written generally by people in the community, region or state. Most guest columnists have expertise in the subjects and issues they are addressing, and the opinions expressed can be personal or representative of a group. Some columns are requested by Gazette opinion staff, but many are unsolicited. We evaluate the columns based on local relevance, quality and accuracy.

Community Letters, Letters to the Editor

Community letters give readers a chance to weigh in on a wide array of issues, political campaigns and content published in The Gazette. Letters are limited to 250 words, not including the headline, author and hometown, and are evaluated based on local relevance, quality and accuracy.

Ways to contribute

Submit a letter to the editor or guest column
Suggest a topic for an editorial to editorial@thegazette.com
To suggest an idea for news coverage, consult The Gazette’s newsroom directory.

Editorial Fellow Program

Our Editorial Fellow Program is intended to promote diversity of viewpoints in the The Gazette Insight section. Fellows publish two opinion columns each month on political, cultural and policy issues. Interested in becoming a fellow? Applications open in the spring of each year.