The flashpoint in West Baltimore may have passed– but the problems and mounting community frustration in cities across Michigan and America remain.
Guest Commentary
At Bridge, we believe in listening to voices from all over our state. Got something to say? Contact us and join the conversation (details below)
How to submit a Guest Commentary
What to know:
Bridge welcomes a diversity of voices and perspectives from readers on issues important to Michigan. Guest commentaries reflect the views of the author(s), and are independent of the nonpartisan, fact-driven reporting of Bridge’s newsroom staff.
Commentaries must be the author’s original work and preferably will not have appeared first in other publications. Bridge reserves the right to decline submissions at our discretion.
We reserve the right to edit commentary for grammar, clarity, brevity or to address legal or factual concerns. We may offer editing suggestions, but in the service of making your work more accessible, not to alter your views.
We do not pay for guest commentary.
Here are some guidelines:
- Columns are usually 500-700 words
- They generally focus on a Michigan topic or policy and should avoid ad hominem attacks
- The more direct, distinct and/or intimate your perspective, the more effective your column will be
- The best columns do more than identify problems; they also offer solutions and facts to back them up
- Please include a one- or two-sentence bio, including the writer’s organization or relevant background.
- Authors must show their work, by backing up facts with links to reports or studies
- Bridge does not publish self-promotional columns or candidate endorsements
- Send a good quality, large headshot of the writer(s) as an attachment
- We also ask that, in return for publishing a guest commentary, the author(s) and their organizations generously promote the link to the published column through your Facebook, Twitter and other social or professional networks.
That’s about it. Keep the writing clear, conversational and free of jargon, and sell our smart and receptive readership on the argument you are trying to make.
Who to contact:
Email your submission or idea to guestcommentary@bridgemi.com. Please briefly describe who you are and what you would like to say and put the words “guest commentary” in the email subject line.
Posted inGuest Commentary
Yes, fixing the roads is an urgent need, but no, Proposal 1 isn’t the way to do it
An economist lists the problems with Proposal 1, and finds them, as a whole, too worrisome to justify a yes vote on May 5.
Posted inGuest Commentary
Tax burden Prop 1 would impose too heavy to bear
Yes, Michigan’s roads are atrocious. But this writer says Proposal 1 would increase funding for entities that have nothing to do with roads.
Posted inGuest Commentary
Will we be better off if Proposal 1 passes? Former treasurer says yes
Yes, it raises taxes, but the problem it was designed to solve is urgent and must be addressed if the state is to move forward.
Posted inGuest Commentary
Fix disparities in public university funding in Michigan
A Mackinac Center analyst says the way the state spends $1.5 billion on higher education is unfair.
Posted inGuest Commentary
An Earth Day pitch: When you hang up the phone for good, toss it the right way
The shiny technology we discard contains hazardous waste, and devices need to be recycled responsibly – especially since the volume is growing so fast.
Posted inGuest Commentary
Michigan’s roads affect everyone, so a 'yes' vote on Proposal 1 makes sense
Even residents who don’t drive can be directly affected by the terrible condition of the state’s transportation infrastructure. Proposal 1 is the best chance to get it fixed.
Posted inGuest Commentary
‘Diplomacy Begins Here’ conference aims to illuminate international relations
You don’t have to have immunity to be a diplomat. Some of the most rewarding relationships between people of different countries start with people-to-people exchanges.
Posted inGuest Commentary
The Great Lakes state, graying: Demographic reality hits Michigan
The graying of Michigan isn't confined to its northern counties. The whole state is aging, and simply isn't drawing the new residents it needs to keep its economy vigorous. A demographer asks whether we have the will to fix it.
Posted inGuest Commentary
Money Smart Week: Be penny wise, and pound savvier
Most of us aren’t aware of how the scores of small financial decisions we make in a day or week can have long-term reverberations. One week of free educational events aims to fix that.
