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 Opinions Guidelines

The Opinions pages provide a forum for diverse opinions on a range of topics related to the Saint Joseph’s University community. Content on these pages are also held to journalistic standards and industry best practices. Regardless of the subject matter, all content that appears in this section must be factually accurate, avoid hate speech or personal attacks and advance conversations on the chosen topic. All content on the opinion pages–staff editorials, letters to the editor, staff columns and guest columns–is edited for accuracy, clarity, length and adherence to The Hawk and AP style.

There are four types of content on the Opinions pages: staff editorials, letters to the editor, staff columns and guest columns.

Staff editorials are written through consensus by The Hawk’s editorial board and address a current topic that the board believes to be relevant to the community. These editorials may vary in topic, length and style from week to week.

Letters to the Editor are submitted by students, faculty and staff from the St. Joe’s community. These letters generally address an issue or a story recently published in The Hawk. Letters to the editor typically do not exceed 200 words. Submission of a letter to the editor does not guarantee publication. In cases of multiple letters on the same issue, The Hawk will seek to publish a diverse array of voices.

Staff Columns are written by regular staff columnists. Applications for the staff columnist position accepted on a rolling basis. Columnists write on a weekly, biweekly or monthly schedule. Columnists generally write on a specific theme, pitched in their application for the position. Staff columns are subjected to a thorough editing process to meet journalistic guidelines.

Guest Columns are opinions, also known as op-eds, submitted by writers who focus on timely or newsworthy events of interest to the greater St. Joe’s community. Guest columnists write personal narratives and reflections; opinions about local, national or international issues; and about recent scientific or technological news. Guest column opportunities are generally designated as such, e.g., Ad Hawk, and contain information on the column’s focus and how to contribute. Guest columns are subjected to a thorough editing process to meet journalistic guidelines. Guest columns typically do not exceed 300 words.

Letters to the editor must be submitted no later than 12 p.m. on the Sunday prior to publication. Staff columns and guest columns must be submitted no later than 5 p.m. on the Friday prior to publication. Submission does not guarantee publication. Please send submissions to thehawkopinions@gmail.com.