I’m regularly inspired by Ideas & Voices contributors. Every day I work with people like you to help publish your perspectives about what can be done to improve the world around us.
As we move into a new year, I have good and bad news for you.
The bad news: The world is full of problems that you can’t fix on your own.
The good news? You don’t have to do it alone. By convincing others that there is a way to solve an issue, you can be the animating force that moves hundreds or thousands or millions of others to act alongside you. That’s the power of “opinion journalism” and the work of the Ideas & Voices section.
For every topic our reporters cover, there are numerous people in the community whose perspective and expertise could enrich the conversation. Building on the strong reporting from our staff, Ideas & Voices then leads discussion and debate about how the Dayton region gets better, focusing on:
- Championing this region’s efforts to build a vibrant, equitable community
- Leading conversations toward solutions
- Giving a wide variety of voices opportunity to speak
- Holding our region’s political and major institutions’ leaders accountable
It has been a pleasure working with our contributors over the past year to bring you a variety of perspectives on issues important to our communities.
In March, JEOPARDY! Champion and Dayton-native Amy Schneider talked about trans representation in the media. She wrote: “My hope is that my “Jeopardy!” run has shown some people who might not have known otherwise that being trans isn’t a myth, an illness, a perversion or a problem to be solved. Trans is just a thing that some people are, and those people are just like anybody else, and can do anything they want to do. Even become a champion!”
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
Not every opinion needs to tackle hard-hitting issues. Former WDTN anchor Mark Allan in a piece earlier this year tried to rally a return of the Gem City Jam, the crosstown basketball matchup between UD and Wright State.
You don’t need to be an expert or professional to contribute, either. Guhan Krishnan recently graduated from high school and, as a passionate advocate for juvenile justice reform, researched and wrote a fantastic guest column about the juvenile courts in Hamilton. He wrote: “The failures of the youth justice system are observable in every facet of our society. It is up to us as a community to work towards change.”
Our community has problems that need fixing and no one understands them better than the curious, informed and engaged readers of Ideas & Voices.
Think about a problem that affects you and your neighborhood and see if you can come up with a novel way of solving it. Talk to your friends, family and neighbors to find out what their concerns are or brainstorm potential solutions with them.
I was born and raised in this community and I’m deeply committed to seeing it succeed. It is my pleasure to continue to serve you as the Community Impact Editor and to convene important discussions on issues that we can solve together. In a polarized moment full of seemingly intractable problems, I believe spaces such as Ideas & Voices are the best way to build consensus at the local level toward solutions that benefit us all as neighbors, no matter your political ideology or background.
Hopefully, reading Ideas & Voices each day leaves you feeling a little more empowered and a little less frustrated by the enormity of all the issues we face today.
I look forward to working with you in 2023 and can’t wait to read your submissions. In today’s Ideas & Voices, learn more about the different ways you can engage with the Dayton Daily News and the Ideas & Voices section.
Thank you,
Nick Hrkman
Community Impact Editor
What makes a good contributed column?
Creating an opinion piece that motivates strangers to act is no small task. A good contributed column takes reported facts and research and builds momentum toward action. If you know of a topic has not been reported on that you believe is newsworthy, contact our newsroom at ddnnews@coxinc.com, or call (937) 610-7502. Ideas & Voices is not the place to report news — it’s a place to discuss the news.
For Ideas & Voices, we look for submissions that:
- Identify a problem in our communities
- Explain the importance of this problem and how readers might be affected by it
- Propose a solution
- Offer clear action steps that allow our audiences to be a part of that solution
Why am I the right person to speak on this topic? How does the topic affect local communities? Is there anything meaningful that readers in our region can do to address it? The more clearly you can answer these questions, the stronger the submission will be.
Other key considerations:
- Prioritize local issues. You can discuss national or global issues, but you should identify how those topics affect local readers.
- Use examples from your personal experience to demonstrate how the topic is important to you.
- Build a strong, logical argument that cites data, studies and reliable reporting. Every claim should be substantiated.
- Keep a civil tone. Remember, you’re writing to persuade your neighbors.
We can’t overstate the importance of solutions. Asking someone to care isn’t enough — show them how to be a part of the solution. Leave your readers with an actionable goal that will inspire and mobilize them. Keep it simple, concrete and achievable, like donating to a specific charity, volunteering time with a non-profit organization or directing them to a resource where they can learn more. Even if the problem seems too big to ever overcome, at least hint at what a first step can look like for readers.
It is also important that you know your audience. Though they may be reading, elected officials, CEOs and other community leaders are not the primary audience for Ideas & Voices. You should direct your contributed piece at the everyday readers of the Dayton Daily News. These are your neighbors, your friends, your family. Always keep them in mind as you write and think about how they can help with your proposed solution.
Do you have a photograph or graphic that can accompany the piece? Contributing visual elements with your submission can make it more compelling for readers.
Be prepared to revise and answer questions about your submission. Submissions are fact-checked for accuracy and editors will often have questions about specific claims or suggestions for how to improve elements of the submission. And don’t feel bad if your first draft isn’t immediately accepted — many submissions require multiple rounds of revision before they are ready to be published.
Not sure if you want to write a full 500-word submission without knowing if it’s a good fit? Email your proposed topic to edletter@coxinc.com and we will let you know if we are interested or how we can make it work.
You can submit the contributed column in the body of the email, as a Word document attachment or you can share a link to a Google Doc (please allow commenting permissions). All submissions will also require a recent headshot of the contributor and a short, one-line bio that tells readers about themselves.
Note: The Dayton Daily News does not require exclusive rights to any submitted Ideas & Voices pieces. That means you retain rights to the submission and can choose to publish it elsewhere — assuming that publisher does not require exclusive rights to it.
What makes a good Letter to the Editor?
Our Letters to the Editor are generally collected and published once a week, based on the volume and quality of submissions we receive. Letters to the Editor are short, focused submissions that quickly address a single topic. They can run up to 250 words in length.
Letters to the Editor can respond to specific issues in stories we’ve reported, other contributed columns or syndicated columnists. They’re a quick and easy way to add your perspective to the discussion of any topic.
10 ways to engage with us in 2023
1. Share your thoughts with our Ideas and Voices page by sending an email to edletter@coxinc.com. You can write a Letter to the Editor with your opinion on an issue (250 words or less), or submit a guest column (500 to 600 words). You can submit the contributed column in the body of the email, as a Word document attachment or you can share a link to a Google Doc (please allow commenting permissions).
2. If you see or hear about something you think is newsworthy, connect with the newsroom at ddnnews@coxinc.com, or call (937) 610-7502.
3. If you learn about something you think our investigative reporting team should dig into, you can submit an anonymous news tip using the online form found on our website.
4. Have an upcoming event? Get it on the Dayton.com events calendar.
5. Looking for a specific reporter? Find our newsroom staff listing on our website.
6. To learn how our advertising staff can elevate the reach of your product or organization across the community, visit our website for a list of contact information and answers to other frequently asked questions.
7. Help us help you. We want to know if you are having issues with your circulation or accessing our digital products. You can call customer service 888-397-6397. If it’s after hours, there are many ways to manage your account online at My Account or use our self-automated phone system. You can also email customer service representatives at customercare@daytondailynews.com. Someone will respond within 48 hours.
8. Sign up for email newsletters. We offer a bunch of free, regular newsletters on a number of different topics (local sports, history, business, etc.). Check out the options on our website.
9. Follow our reporting on social media on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Follow Community Impact Editor Nick Hrkman on Twitter at @NickHrkmanDDN and Facebook at facebook.com/NickHrkmanDDN. You can view all of our Ideas & Voices contributed content on daytondailynews.com/ideas-voices and via our e-paper.
10. Visit Dayton.com or follow it on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for the latest on what to know, love and do in the Miami Valley.
Let us know how we’re doing
Your feedback is important to us — Ideas & Voices is all about opinions. We are committed to local solutions, representing diverse perspectives and to a fair and balanced approach to all of our topics.
Do you feel that we missed an important perspective in our coverage? Was a topic not covered fairly? Is there a topic you feel deserves discussion? Email edletter@coxinc.com or nick.hrkman@coxinc.com with your concerns and comments. If you disagree with a contributor, we invite you to submit on the same topic to offer your perspective.
And we love to hear back from our contributors. Let us know if the publication of your submission led to any developments in your proposed solution or if you’d like to contribute again.
Credit: JIM NOELKER
Credit: JIM NOELKER