Notes On The News: How the Independent picks columnists

A longtime local "liberal" columnist joined during the past week — what’s up with other "Voices" being published?

(Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Independent)

By Mark Sabbatini

Juneau Independent

One of the primary goals when launching the Juneau Independent was ensuring it featured lots of Voices (hence the name for our opinion section) from a broad range of the community.

That means going beyond liberal/moderate/conservative political leanings to include age (students, working parents, seniors, etc.), occupations (tourism, fishing, mining, etc.), demographics (Alaska Native, homeless, veterans, etc.), and social groups (arts, outdoors, sports, faith, etc.).

We’re doing OK, not great, at that so far — largely because I need to do a better job of keeping track of schedules and sending reminders. But with two developments during the past week — the end of the municipal election and longtime Juneau Empire columnist Rich Moniak now opting to write for us instead — this is a good time to note the search for regular columnists is an ongoing effort and what we’re looking for from contributors.

Political balance among contributors is essential since otherwise the Voices section is largely an echo chamber for people who already know and agree with what they’re reading. Equally important is contributors, regardless of political leaning, be well-reasoned and factual in their arguments.

The end of the municipal election, for instance, meant being able to reach out to Angela Rodell since she is no longer actively campaigning as part of the Affordable Juneau Coalition (allowing a political candidate or member of a campaign group a regular column during an election is a big no-no, although occasional guest ones are OK). For similar reasons we also aren’t asking any current Assembly members, legislators or other notable policymakers to be regular columnists.

She’s immensely qualified to opine on a wide range of matters as a former CEO of the Alaska Permanent Fund Corp., commissioner of the Alaska Department of Revenue and member of Juneau’s airport board, among other things. As she puts it, that experience provided "a front-row seat to Alaska’s economic and fiscal dynamics — particularly how statewide decisions ripple through communities like Juneau." Her column will appear monthly in the Independent beginning in November.

If Moniak is considered "liberal" then Rodell could be considered "conservative" — but it’s not the primary reason either were sought out as columnists. Their local experiences and place in the community are. As Moniak’s bio notes, he’s been writing local columns for the past 18 years so his connections with the community are well established.

Other people are also being approached — and, yes, we will consider pitches from anyone out there who is interested in being a regular Voices columnist. We’re also, of course, always interested in people submitting letters to the editor or guest columns. Here’s some things that we (and therefore anybody making a pitch) should keep in mind:

– Exclusivity: Columns need to be written exclusively for the Juneau Independent — or at the very least first for us before sending to other non-Juneau publications such as the Anchorage Daily News, Alaska Beacon, etc. A regular columnist for us cannot do the same thing at the Juneau Empire (or KTOO or other Juneau media source). It is worth noting some columns written by people elsewhere — Larry Persily in Wrangell, Ned Rozell’s Alaska Science Forum, etc. — do appear in both the Independent and Empire since those are published outside Juneau and then made available to a range of publications, similar to how Alaska Beacon articles appear in media statewide.

– Frequency: Once or twice a month is typical, ideally with a set schedule (the 15th of the month, the first and third Friday, etc.).

– Length: 700-1,000 words allows for depth without exhausting the typical reader’s attention span (letters to the editor are typically 300 words or less). Since the Independent is online, publication at other lengths is possible, but should be discussed if the regular intent is to write significantly shorter or longer.

– Topics: As a Juneau newspaper, local topics are the priority — the goal is to give residents news and other content they can’t get from other sources. People writing about CBJ and school board issues are of high interest and importance. A letter or Voices column about Trump or Gaza is more likely to be considered when there are specific Juneau links (i.e. a Trump action affecting a local tribal program, or local person(s) currently in the Middle East who are affected by a development there).

– Tone: We’re looking for measured, articulate and reasonable — not the maniacal rantings of somebody shouting falsehoods on social media or a street corner. We will not knowingly publish falsehoods and intentionally manipulated facts. Quotes by other people must be sourced and hearsay is not allowed (you can’t say "I talked to the mayor, who says I’m right" unless it’s documented, for instance). Accusations have to meet legal standards — saying "the mayor is a bank robber" is libelous, whereas "the mayor is acting like a bank robber" may be legally OK. Don’t use ALL-CAPS, exclamation points and other things generally associated with screaming and scolding.

– Editing: Everything is subject to edits that nearly 100% of the time include minor fixes for AP style (using "Oct. 26" instead of "October 26th," for instance). Other edits may be for length ("It is clear that the reason for the decision was because of bad data" shortened to "It is clear the decision was due to bad data") or to correct obvious/inadvertent factual inaccuracies (someone stating Alaska Day is Oct. 19 rather than the 18th). If substantial changes are needed — such as removing false facts or libelous accusations — the writer will be contacted and asked to resubmit the section in question (and/or article) with the changes needed.

–Photos: A headshot of the writer is obviously something sought for all regulars. Photos to go with columns are also encouraged, but they cannot violate copyright laws — a person writing about state politics can’t send a photo of the governor from an Anchorage Daily News article, for example.

• Interested in being a regular columnist, or just a guest submission? Contact Mark Sabbatini at editor@juneauindependent.com or (907) 957-2306.