Dear members,
The Gazette will resume publishing letters in the next issue (4/14/26); all letters submitted during the pause, in addition to any new submissions, will be eligible for consideration for that issue. The updated, clarified letters policy can be found below and on the Gazette’s About page. All letters published going forward should adhere to these guidelines.
Thank you for your patience and cooperation.
The Co-Coordinating Editors
Lily Rothman
Eric Baldwin
Whitney Curry Wimbish
General Manager Joe Szladek
General Coordinator Ann Herpel
LETTERS POLICY
Letters should be no more than 300 words in length. The Letters Editor reserves the right to run a representative selection of letters on any given topic, in the event multiple letters make substantially similar points.
Letters must be the opinion of the letter-writer and can contain no more than 15% non-original writing.
All submissions must be original; we will not accept form, chain, or template letters for publication. We will not accept letters from nonmembers or former members, nor will we accept submissions prepared by someone other than the submitting member. Letters to the editor should reflect the authentic voice and writing of the submitting Coop member; submissions that appear to be generated or substantially written using artificial intelligence tools may not be published. Writers may include links to reputable websites in submissions. Letters are meant to express opinions; the Gazette does not publish letters containing known inaccuracies or falsehoods. When facts are in dispute, writers may be asked to supply a reputable third-party source. The editors reserve the right to determine whether sources are sufficient and reliable for publication.
Letters must adhere to the Fairness, Anonymity and Respect policies (see below). They cannot be hateful, needlessly inflammatory, discriminatory, or libelous; contain personal attacks; make unsubstantiated claims or accusations; or be contrary to the values of the Coop, as expressed in our mission statement. The Gazette discourages the use of the Letters section to make accusations about identifiable members, and may edit or omit such content at its discretion. References to individuals may be permitted in the context of factual descriptions of public statements made in official Coop forums, such as the General Meeting, or to previously published letters or articles.
All submissions must be legible, intelligible, civil, and concisely written, with accurate and attributable statements of fact that are easily verifiable.
Letter writers are limited to one letter per issue.
Editor-Writer Guidelines: All submissions will be reviewed. Those that do not abide by Gazette policies will be rejected. Writers are responsible for the factual content of their stories. Editors may lightly copy edit letters to conform to the Gazette style guide (AP style). Editors will not revise or suggest improvements for grammar; writers are responsible for writing intelligible prose. Letters must contain a salutation (“To the Editor”) and a suggested title. Letters without a title will be given one by an editor.
FAIRNESS, ANONYMITY AND RESPECT POLICIES
In order to provide fair, comprehensive, factual coverage:
Fairness
1. The Gazette will not publish hearsay—that is, allegations not based on the author’s first-hand observation.
2. Editors will reject polemical accusations against specific members. Writers should instead address ideas.
3. The Gazette may allow publication of submissions that make claims about specific individuals, if necessary to make the point of the submission. To comply with Coop Fairness, Anonymity and Respect policies, those submissions will be shared with individuals named to enable them to write a response, and both submissions and responses will be published simultaneously. This means that the original submission may not appear until the issue after the one for which it was submitted. (Straightforward summaries of public statements by identifiable members, including at General Meetings or in the Linewaiters’ Gazette, will not necessarily require a response.)
Anonymity
Unattributed letters will not be published unless the Gazette knows the identity of the writer, and therefore must be signed when submitted (giving phone number). Such letters will be published only where a compelling reason is given to the editor as to why public identification of the writer would impose an unfair burden of embarrassment or difficulty. Such letters must relate to Coop issues and avoid any non-constructive, non-cooperative language.
Respect
Submissions to the Gazette must be in keeping with the Coop’s Anti-Discrimination Policy, and must not be hateful, inflammatory, or needlessly provocative. They may not be personally derogatory or insulting, even when strongly critical. The Gazette also does not tolerate abusive behavior towards staff and, consistent with New York State workplace safety guidance—which defines workplace violence to include threats, harassment, abuse, and intimidation in the workplace—will not publish submissions that include such conduct toward staff or otherwise conflict with these requirements.
The Gazette is a collaboration among Coop members. When submitting, please consider the impact of your words on the writers, editors and production staff who use our limited workslot time to try to produce an informative and cooperative publication that reflects the values of our Coop community.