CHCO-TV and The Courier welcome informed opinion, lived experience and constructive debate on matters relevant to our communities. This policy sets the standards for contributed columns and op-eds across our print, digital and broadcast platforms. Opinion contributors may advocate a position, but their work remains subject to factual verification, fairness and editorial review.

Purpose and scope

A column is a recurring opinion contribution. An op-ed is a guest opinion piece. Both must be clearly identified as opinion and attributed to their authors. Publication does not imply endorsement by CHCO-TV, The Courier, their staff or their governing boards. Institutional editorials must be separately identified as the position of the publication or its editorial board.

This policy applies to solicited and unsolicited contributions. A regular column, previous publication or an invitation to submit does not exempt a contributor from these standards or guarantee future publication.

Editorial independence and discretion

The editorial team determines whether a submission is suitable and whether, when, where and in what form it will appear. Decisions may consider accuracy, relevance, originality, fairness, clarity, available space or airtime, repetition, newsroom capacity and the needs of the audience.

We seek a range of relevant perspectives, including views that differ from those of our editors. Contributors have no entitlement to publication, a recurring platform or equal space. Editors may decline material that does not meet this policy or the outlet’s editorial purpose. Identifying a piece as opinion does not exempt its factual claims from scrutiny.

Advertising, donations, sponsorship, organizational affiliations and personal relationships do not secure publication or influence editorial standards. Contributors must not represent a submission, editing exchange or tentative publication date as a commitment by either outlet.

Accuracy and supporting evidence

Contributors must distinguish verifiable facts from opinion, interpretation, prediction and personal experience. Statistics, quotations, legal or policy claims, descriptions of public decisions and allegations must be accurate, current and presented in context. Contributors must provide source links or supporting records when submitting and respond to reasonable requests for verification.

An opinion may be strongly expressed, including through criticism, satire or rhetorical language, but must be recognizable as opinion and have a factual foundation that is stated, linked or otherwise apparent to the audience. Disputed claims must be identified as disputed. Selective quotations, omitted context and misleading implications are grounds for revision or rejection. A submission must not knowingly or recklessly communicate falsehoods or be used to pursue a dishonest attack on someone’s reputation.

The responsible editor must assess supporting evidence and the meaning conveyed by the piece as a whole, including headlines, captions, images and promotional excerpts. Attributing an allegation to someone else, adding “allegedly” or using an opinion disclaimer does not by itself make publication lawful. The outlets retain responsibility for their publication decisions.

Fairness and respectful debate

Contributions may criticize public policies, institutions, elected officials and decisions. Criticism should address relevant conduct, evidence and arguments. We will not publish threats, harassment, discriminatory attacks, gratuitous personal abuse or unsupported allegations of wrongdoing.

Before publishing a serious allegation about an identifiable person or organization, the responsible editor must assess its public relevance, the reliability of the evidence and sources, and the justification for including it. The subject should ordinarily receive the substance of the allegation and a reasonable opportunity to respond; a material response must be fairly reflected. Any decision to proceed without that opportunity must be documented and, where legal risk remains, reviewed with counsel. Silence is not evidence that an allegation is true.

Contributors and editors must respect privacy and assess the public-interest justification for sensitive personal information. Extra care is required with children, victims and vulnerable people. Consent to share one person’s experience does not authorize disclosure of another person’s protected information.

Legal restrictions

No contribution may be published or broadcast in breach of an applicable publication ban, statutory identity restriction, court order or other legal prohibition. Restrictions can cover indirect identifying details as well as names. Contributors must flag relevant proceedings and restrictions; editors must verify the position rather than rely solely on contributor assurances. Material involving unresolved defamation, privacy, contempt, hate-propaganda or copyright concerns must be referred for legal advice before publication.

Authorship and disclosure

Submissions must include the author’s full name, community, contact information and a short biography. Private contact details are used for verification and administration, protected against unnecessary access and disclosure, and not published without permission unless disclosure is legally required. Pseudonyms or withheld names require an exceptional, editor-approved reason and verification of identity. Any anonymity agreement must be explicit; absolute confidentiality cannot be promised.

Authors must disclose relevant employment, organizational roles, political affiliations, financial interests and personal involvement in the subject, including payment or assistance received to produce the piece. Material conflicts or affiliations must be disclosed to the audience, or the piece declined if disclosure cannot adequately address the concern. A group submission must identify its organization and an accountable author or representative.

Contributions must be original or identify prior publication and any permissions needed. Contributors must be authorized to submit the text and accompanying material; attribution alone does not establish permission to reproduce another person’s work. Plagiarism, fabricated quotations, invented sources and false identities are unacceptable. Substantial generative AI assistance must be disclosed to editors. Authors remain responsible for the submission, and a human editor must review it before publication.

Submission expectations

Pieces should make a clear argument or offer a distinct perspective relevant to the audience. Opinion submissions are not a substitute for advertisements, promotional profiles, fundraising appeals or organizational announcements. Editors may direct such material to a more suitable format.

Contributors should contact the editorial team for the current word limit, submission method and deadline. Submissions should include a proposed headline, the complete text, supporting sources and required disclosures. Please identify simultaneous submissions, previous publication and any time sensitivity.

A submission deadline is a cutoff for consideration, not a publication guarantee. Late submissions, incomplete sourcing or unresolved revisions may prevent inclusion in a particular edition or broadcast. External campaign, event or promotional schedules do not determine our publication decisions.

Editing and author review

We may edit for accuracy, clarity, length, grammar, Canadian Press style, fairness and suitability for the platform. Editors determine headlines, labels, accompanying images, placement and presentation. Edits should preserve the author’s intended argument without introducing a meaning the author did not express.

Substantive changes to the argument or meaning will be referred to the author for agreement before publication. Routine copy edits and headline changes may be made without separate approval, provided they accurately represent the piece. Authors may decline substantive revisions or withdraw an unpublished submission, subject to any separate agreement; editors may decline a version that does not meet these standards.

A request for revisions, discussion of a draft or completion of edits does not constitute final acceptance. Acceptance remains subject to final editorial review and scheduling.

Publication and use across platforms

Submission permits editorial consideration; publication rights must be confirmed with the contributor before use. Unless an existing agreement governs, written terms must identify the rights holder and authorize non-exclusive publication on the agreed print, digital and broadcast platforms, approved editing, related promotion and continued archival access. A substantial broadcast adaptation or use outside those terms requires further permission. This policy does not transfer copyright or waive moral rights. Employee, commissioned and syndicated work may be governed by different ownership rules and agreements.

Publication on one platform does not guarantee publication on another. Editors may hold a submission, request an update or decline it if circumstances change. Payment, exclusivity, recurring contributions and termination terms must be agreed separately. This policy does not override existing contracts or applicable law.

Broadcast and election requirements

Before an opinion contribution is broadcast, CHCO-TV must assess the requirements applicable to its broadcasting authorization and distribution arrangements, including CRTC standards and election-period equitable treatment. Partisan contributions, candidate appearances and regular contributors who become candidates require review under the applicable election rules and the newsroom’s election policy. Newspaper publication does not establish broadcast eligibility. The general editorial discretion in this policy is subject to those requirements.

Corrections and responses

Authors must promptly notify editors of errors or material changes. Established material factual errors must be corrected promptly and transparently on the affected platforms, including a broadcast correction where appropriate. A clarification, editor’s note or removal may also be warranted. Changes must not conceal the original error; editors must preserve the original and document substantive changes. Removal is exceptional and does not replace consideration of a correction.

People or organizations criticized may submit a response, assessed under the same standards. This creates no general entitlement to publication or equal space; applicable legal and broadcast obligations take precedence. Editors must assess factual complaints on their merits, separately from disagreement with an opinion.

Concerns and editorial review

Contributors who dispute an edit or publication decision should raise the concern with the responsible editor and identify the specific issue and supporting evidence. If unresolved, they may request review by the station manager or a designated editorial reviewer who was not responsible for the initial decision. Anyone with a relevant conflict must step aside from the review.

Review considers whether this policy and applicable standards were followed and does not guarantee publication. The organization must designate review authority through its governance arrangements; this policy does not independently alter board powers or create a new appellate body. Reviewers must respect editorial independence and disclose relevant conflicts. Any external complaint route must be described accurately, without implying membership or jurisdiction that has not been confirmed.

Records and legal complaints

Editors must retain the submitted and published versions, supporting sources, verification notes, relevant correspondence, publication permissions and correction records under the organization’s retention practices. A legal demand, threat of proceedings or notice of a potentially serious legal issue must be escalated promptly to the responsible editor and station manager for counsel and any required insurer notification. Relevant records must be preserved; a legal hold overrides routine deletion. Contributors must cooperate with verification and correction requests. This policy does not shift all legal responsibility to contributors.

Respectful treatment of staff and volunteers

Readers may question our reporting, challenge our conclusions, disagree with editorial decisions and make good-faith complaints. Disagreement, persistent scrutiny and requests for corrections do not, by themselves, constitute harassment.

Harassment, threats, intimidation, discriminatory remarks and abusive personal attacks directed at staff or volunteers will not be tolerated, whether by email, telephone, social media or in person. This includes repeated unwanted contact that disregards clearly communicated boundaries, and attempts to use threats or abuse to compel publication, reverse a decision or dictate coverage.

Depending on the conduct, The Courier and CHCO-TV may end an exchange, designate a single contact person, restrict contact to a particular channel or block abusive communications. Threats or safety concerns may be referred to the appropriate authorities. Restrictions will address conduct; they will not be imposed simply because someone criticizes our work or holds a different view.

Complaints, corrections and editorial independence

To raise a concern about published work, identify the article or broadcast, the specific statement at issue and any supporting evidence. We will review substantive complaints and correct verified factual errors. Complaints about a staff member’s conduct may be directed to the editor; concerns involving the editor may be directed to station management.

Once a submission has been reviewed and our decision explained, we may close the exchange. New evidence of a factual error in published work will still be considered, including through a designated contact where communication restrictions apply.

Editorial decisions are made independently. A contributor’s credentials, public support for a position, advertising relationship or pressure on staff does not override our standards or create an entitlement to publication.

Letters reflect the views of their writers and do not necessarily represent those of The Courier, CHCO-TV, their staff, editorial board or ownership. The accuracy, originality, editorial discretion and respectful correspondence provisions of this policy also apply to op-ed submissions.

Administration

The editorial team administers this policy consistently across contributions and may suspend or end a recurring column when these standards are repeatedly breached. The policy should be reviewed periodically and updated as needed.

Before adoption, confirm the approving authority, review roles, submission contact, contributor-rights process, record-retention practices and CHCO-TV’s applicable broadcast requirements. Record the approval and effective date. Separate contributor contracts and the newsroom’s election policy remain applicable.