Our View: Anatomy of an opinion page

What is an editorial? What is a letter to the editor or a guest column? Is there even a difference?

Lately, we’ve taken notice to some confusion amongst the different items found on this page and as such, we decided to help clarify what it is you’re reading.

Almost all newspapers have a page or two devoted to opinions. Some host opinion writing from well-known, syndicated writers while some utilize writers located within their state, county or city. We’re fond of a more local approach, as we believe residents from Green River and Sweetwater County as a whole have a much better idea of what’s impacting our communities. Yes, we’ve published pieces from state officials and even U.S. Senators John Barrasso and Mike Enzi, but the core that drives this page is the sharing of thoughts and discussion about what impacts our readers: Green River’s residents.

This piece is the editorial. We call the newspaper’s editorials “Our View” and will always publish them on the left side of this page. We use this space to share our thoughts about issues and propose possible solutions to the problems our city county and state face.

In the upper center portion of the page is the editorial cartoon. Editorial cartoons have a long history in newspapers, often being both provocative and humorous in an attempt to sum up a newsworthy topic. It’s also opinion, in that it reflects the artist’s interpretation of events.

Columns found on this page are sometimes written by staff at the Green River Star or by people outside of the newspaper. The city of Green River regularly submits columns published here and we receive columns from other groups, such as the Wyoming Press Association. Columns can be about anything, from topics of local interest to articles about food, healthcare and video games. They can also be written from a more personal angle than regular articles, which is one reason why they’re often found on an opinion page. We’re always interested in publishing columns from local writers. Anyone interested in submitting on can contact David Martin, the newspaper’s editor.

A letter to the editor is a submitted piece sent to the newspaper from someone either commenting on a local issue, a previously published piece or other situation important to the writer. Letters to the editor are much shorter in length than a column and must have the writer’s name, address and phone number included, though we only publish the writer’s name and city of residence.

We hope this helps our readers understand the difference between the items they’re reading on this page.