WESTFORD — I wanted to connect with readers and provide a few updates and happenings at WestfordCAT News.
Communications Advisory Committee Survey
The Communications Advisory Committee has released a survey regarding public access programming in Westford. Regardless if residents subscribe to cable, the town requests that residents complete the survey.
The committee is collecting feedback on the town’s current services as well as ideas or requests for the future. Results from this survey will be used during contract renewals with Comcast and Verizon, and could impact WestfordCAT’s funding.
Member Columns
Want to submit a column? Members are encouraged to submit their own columns on, at most, a weekly basis. Columns can be used to promote their business, discuss a certain topic or educate the public on their field of expertise.
Press releases, which cover a newsworthy topic in the community, will be accepted from organizations as usual.
If you’d like to become a member, sign up online or call our studio at 978-692-7152.
E-Edition (coming soon)
As a number of local papers cease publication, we aim to continue to provide our residents with high-quality, hyperlocal journalism right to their inbox.
But for some, a digital-first news website isn’t their preferred method to read the news.
I’m happy to announce that we have taken preliminary steps to create an e-edition of WestfordCAT News. Though not a traditional print paper, our e-edition will give readers a new way to keep up with their community. We’ll have more to share soon.
Clarity on Letter to the Editor Policy
WestfordCAT receives a number of Letters to the Editor during election season, during the lead-up to Town Meeting as well as during hot-button issues that our town is passionate about.
A letter to the editor is not an editorial. We do not publish editorials as a general rule, as the opinion of WestfordCAT News or its reporters is not relevant to providing fair and objective reporting to our town.
A letter to the editor is a reader-submitted piece that WestfordCAT vets for libelous material. An editorial is a reported piece that is written and published by the newsdesk that represents the opinions of the news staff.
We are not a print operation, so we don’t need to regulate how long a letter is. But we do ask residents who wish to submit a letter to keep their letters under 750 words for digital publication. We also ask that residents submit no more than one letter to the editor per 30-day period.
We will not publish anonymous letters or letters that contain libelous statements or direct personal attacks against a person, organization, entity, or business among others.
Normally, it is not our habit to fact-check everything in a letter, as they are not content created by WestfordCAT, nor are the writers employed by our organization.
Occasionally, if a letter contains a claim that appears unsubstantiated, it is a habit to ask for a link to a source to back up that claim if it is based on data and can be directly verified.
However, if a claim cannot be backed up and such claims are not deemed direct personal attacks or deemed libelous, WestfordCAT may continue to run the letter.
To attempt to derail the publishing of a letter for an individual would jeopardize their First Amendment right to express their opinions.
We understand this is a very fine line to walk. As always, all letters are subject to the discretion of the editor and do not necessarily represent the opinions of WestfordCAT or its employees. We also retain the right to refuse any letter to the editor for publication for any reason.
Our role is to be fair to all sides in our reporting and publishing. These letters are a way to foster conversations among residents. If a fact seems off, we rely on our readers to point those out and encourage them to add that to our conversation.
