From the editor: How we choose opinion content for the weekly Viewpoints page

Nearly two years ago, the StarNews changed the way it approaches opinion and editorial content. We now publish one Viewpoints page on Sundays with a variety of content that focuses on national, state and local issues.

I often get asked how we decide what to publish and which columnists to use.

Celia Rivenbark’s column often garners the most feedback. You either love her or you, well, don’t. I’ve had numerous readers thank me for continuing to publish her column, while others write to say how much they disagree with her views. There’s one thing I think we can all agree on – she definitely has an opinion.

Meanwhile, we frequently publish columns from John Hood, a John Locke Foundation board member and author, and Tom Campbell, a Hall of Fame North Carolina broadcaster and columnist, on statewide issues. We select these columns based on the topic and tone. Research shows that most Americans are increasingly fatigued by the divisiveness of opinion content, and they see social media as a toxic zone. So we look for viewpoints that enlighten readers on issues impacting our local community. We tend to shy away from their columns when they focus too heavily on politics and elections.

More: Wilmington StarNews guidelines for guest columns

We’ve also increased our use of guest columns on local issues from community members. We select these columns when they offer a unique perspective and don’t rely on tired talking points. Our goal is to increase readers’ understanding of local issues.

Feedback on our opinion content changes has been mostly positive from readers. But the one question that keeps coming up is why we don’t publish letters to the editor. We stopped doing this when we made the other changes because we were receiving very few letters – often just a couple each month. When we did get them, they typically failed to offer unique perspectives, and most did not focus on local issues.

We strive to offer balanced perspectives on the Viewpoints page each week, and to publish content on a variety of topics. Community leaders who are interested in submitting a guest column on a local issue can reach out to me directly at sjones1@gannett.com.

Sherry Jones is the StarNews executive editor. You can reach her at sjones1@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: How the StarNews chooses opinion content for the weekly Viewpoints page