Frequently Asked Questions about the protest of the Arizona Daily Sun's new policy regarding letters to the editor.

What is the protest of the Daily Sun Letters policy and how do I participate?

The protest is against the new policy regarding letters to the editor. Under the new rules, letters must be no more than 250 words in most cases, considerably shorter than the 300 words previously allowed. Though the protest started out as a simple boycott, you can participate in a variety of ways. You can refuse to submit letters to the editor. Or you can contact Randy Wilson, the editor of the Daily Sun, about the new policy. You can also have your name added to the list of those who oppose the new policy. Contact dan (at) CarryaBigSticker (dot) com to have your name added to the list. See the main protest page for more details about how to participate.

The stated goal of the new policy is to allow more letters to be published. What's wrong with that?

There is very little evidence that publishing shorter letters will result in more letters being published. In fact, in the month before the new policy took effect, far more letters were published than in the month after. (See statistics.) There are better ways to make room to publish more letters.

Aren't shorter letters better because they force the writer to focus on key ideas and write more concisely?

No, shorter letters are just shorter. They are not necessarily any better, and often they are worse than longer letters because important information has been left out. Shorter letters tend to be less interesting, less informative, and less persuasive. As a person who has written dozens of letters to the editor, I know how frustrating it can be to try to distill a complex idea into a mere 300 words. A policy of 250 words only makes matters worse, and continues a disturbing trend toward shorter and shorter letters. It is as if letter writers don't deserve a reasonable amount of space to articulate their ideas. It is an insult to the intelligence of letter writers. It reminds of me of the old joke about the complaint form that was as big as a postage stamp. But this is no joke. This is our freedom of speech that is eroding.

Who is participating in the protest?

People of all political persuasions are being encouraged to participate in the protest and boycott. A list of participants will be posted on this Web site soon. Contact dan (at) CarryaBigSticker (dot) com to have your name added to the list.

The protest started only recently and is still gaining momentum. Once we have at least 20-30 participants who are willing to have their names made public, we will post the list on this Web site. The protest was launched on Dec. 8 with an e-mail sent to fewer than two-dozen northern Arizona activists. Efforts are underway to expand the protest. Media coverage is expected and this will help to get the word out. But concerned individuals must help spread the word if the protest is to succeed. Please call or e-mail your friends about the protest.

Has there been any media coverage yet?

Yes, on Jan. 13, a full-page article appeared in "Noise", an alternative newspaper published in Flagstaff and other Arizona cities. About 21,000 copies were distributed. See the article on page 8. 

Does it really make sense to raise such a fuss over 50 little words? Isn't 250 words enough?

For many people, those 50  little words will make or break the power of their letter to the editor.  It is ridiculous to think that any idea can effectively be boiled down to 250 words. Ideas require words. Very often complex or controversial ideas require many words to be communicated clearly and persuasively. Remember that the limit on letters in the Sun was 500 words just a few words ago. If we agree to a 250-word limit, we may soon agree to a 200-word limit, or 150, or 100, or 50. Inch by inch, bit by bit, word by word, we are giving up our freedom of speech. 

Is this a good time to be boycotting? After all, an important referendum is coming up regarding the Big Box ordinance. 

There is never a good time for a boycott. Currently, the boycott is scheduled to run through the end of February. Of course, if enough people join the boycott quickly, the boycott could end much sooner. The referendum vote is in May. There will still be time to submit letters to the Sun after the boycott. 

If you are concerned about the referendum, consider having your statement published in the publicity pamphlet that will be distributed to voters before the election. There will be a fee to have your statement published. Contact City Clerk Margie Brown at Flagtaff City Hall in mid-January 2005 for more about this option. 

One advantage to holding a boycott now is that letters to the editor tend to be in short supply during the holidays. This means that even a marginally successful boycott now could virtually dry up the supply of letters submitted to the Sun.

How long will the Boycott last? Could it be extended?

The boycott is currently scheduled to last until the end of February. But if embraced and supported by the community, it could end much sooner. The boycott is not likely to be extended unless participation is extensive and growing, and the Daily Sun is still refusing to budge on its letters policy. 

If I decide to participate, won't I be banned for life from the pages of the Daily Sun?

Probably not. The Daily Sun can't afford to alienate very many of its most loyal readers. It is worth remembering that I used to edit an alternative newspaper in Flagstaff that routinely bashed the Sun. Since then I have had numerous letters to the editor published. If I was not banned for life, you probably won't be either. Of course, after this stunt, I may be banned for life, but I'm willing to take that chance. 

What happens if I decide to participate in the boycott, and then change my mind?

Nothing, except that the boycott might take longer to end, and the Daily Sun's new policy on letters to the editor might remain in effect longer -- maybe for a very long time.

Couldn't the Sun respond by saying it is going to stop publishing letters?

This is very unlikely. Letters to the editor are among the best read features in any newspaper. Letters to the editor are important not only to readers, but also to a newspaper's editors and managers, who use such letters to gauge the interests and sentiments of readers. 

What if we can't stop everyone from writing letters to the editor? 

The boycott does not need 100 percent compliance to be effective. Even a few dozen participants might be enough to send a strong statement to the Sun. Letter writers tend to be loyal newspaper readers and the Daily Sun, with fewer than 10,000 subscribers, can hardly afford to upset very many of its subscribers.

What if the only people who participate in the boycott are, say, Democrats, or liberals?

Though I hope that people from across the political spectrum will participate, I realize that this may not happen. But even if the people who participate are all left-leaning, the boycott could succeed. The Daily Sun tries very hard to appeal to everybody. That's why the paper tends to be so dull. The last thing they want is to end up running twice as many right-wing letters as left-wing letters. It would look terrible and they might soon lose some subscribers. 

Is this a case of the person who organized the boycott simply getting mad because his letter to the editor was not published? 

The boycott was launched by Dan Frazier. That's me. While it is true that I launched the boycott after my 300-word letter was rejected on account of its length, the boycott is about much more than my letter. I don't care much about that letter. After all, I have had dozens and dozens of letters published over the years. One more or less makes no real difference to me. And of course, I can post my letter on this Web site, and I have done so.  The real issue is the word-limit and how it affects us all. A community is about communication. When communication is stifled, the community suffers. A community of sound-bites is no community at all. 

Does Dan Frazier (the guy who organized the boycott) have something against Daily Sun Editor Randy Wilson? Is this personal?

No. While it is true that I worked at the Daily Sun several years ago, I have nothing against Randy Wilson as a person. Wilson and I enjoyed a pleasant enough working relationship. I was glad when he hired me, and I was glad when he was forced to let me go due to budget cuts in the newsroom. At the time I was let go, I was only working part-time, by choice. Meanwhile, I was trying to start my own business. I learned a lot during my two years at the Sun and I certainly did not leave with any grudge against Randy Wilson. 

However, I disagree strongly with many of Wilson's policies. Some of these, like shortening the length of letters by 50 words, or telling a letter writer he can't use certain words in certain contexts  seem like abuses of power. Wilson has told letter writers I have talked to that they can't use such words as "obscene," "fascist," and "Nazi" in certain contexts. This kind of micro-management is at times so petty and perverse as to defy any rational explanation. 

Sometimes I have to wonder if Wilson's policies are his own ideas, or if he is merely trying to do his job, following orders, implied or otherwise, from higher-ups in the corporate chain of command. I have watched Randy Wilson closely over the years and I know he has some excellent journalistic sensibilities. I suspect that at least some of the more egregious editorial policies, along with some of the more contorted Daily Sun editorials, make even Wilson cringe. He is a prisoner of the corporate hand that feeds him.  Maybe he is just doing his job. He does it well. 

And I am just doing my civic duty. I hope to do my job as well as Wilson does his. 

Editor Randy Wilson says he is shortening letters in order allow more letters to be published. This statement does not hold up to scrutiny as explained on the main protest page. What else could possibly be behind the new policy?

Good question. I don't pretend to know the answer. My best guess is that Wilson has no real intention of running more letters. When I worked at the Daily Sun several years ago, part of my job was to process letters to the editor. Letters to the editor, even when submitted by e-mail, are time-consuming and costly to process. Unlike syndicated columns, which arrive at the newspaper ready to publish, letters often need extensive editing and cleaning up before they can be published. And of course, every letter has to be read, or at least skimmed, by someone to see if it is at all suitable for publication. More than likely, Randy Wilson still does most of this initial screening himself. I'm sure it is a chore.  If letters are shorter, and if fewer of them are published, less time and energy will be required to process them. 

I am still hesitant to participate in the boycott. What if something comes up and I really feel the urge to write a letter to the editor?

Your hesitation is natural. Nobody wants to give up their right to get a letter to the editor published in the newspaper. But if we don't all pull together now to help restore the 300 word-limit on letters, we are all giving up part of our right. The right to get shorter and shorter letters to the editor published is no right at all. 

If you really feel you must write a letter, consider writing a letter to one or more of your elected representatives. Click here for addresses and more info.

Why are you so passionate about this issue?

I believe this is a free-speech issue. As the former editor of a monthly community newspaper, I am well aware of how our free-speech rights are gradually being rendered null and void by corporate control of the local media. 

Also, I have had a long-standing interest in letters to the editor. It was thanks to my own letters to the editor that I was able to get a job at the Daily Sun a few years ago. Over the years I have had dozens and dozens of letters published. I even gave a workshop once on how to get a letter to the editor published. This is an issue I care deeply about, and I feel I would remiss if I did not launch this campaign to change the letters policy.