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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

Guest column: Prison savings to reach $250 million

by Bridge Staff

By Daniel Heyns/Michigan Department of Corrections I know for the past several years the Center for Michigan has been an active participant in the dialogue surrounding lowering corrections costs in Michigan. The Center facilitated the creation of the Corrections Reform Coalition — a collection of business, education, local government and nonprofit groups focused on enhancing […]

Posted inGuest Commentary

Guest column: Replace expensive, unreliable wind power with natural gas

by Bridge Staff

By Kevon Martis/ Interstate Informed Citizen’s Coalition Michigan voters recently defeated a renewable energy mandate by a nearly 2 to 1 margin. Since Michiganders desire cheap, clean, abundant electricity, should we try again to mandate higher percentages of renewable energy? Or is there a wiser path? Industrial wind facilities are similar to that disappointing Christmas […]

Posted inGuest Commentary

Guest column: NY Times flubs Mich. tax breaks

by Bridge Staff

By Tim Bartik/ W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research  Louise Story, an investigative reporter for The New York Times, recently wrote a three-part series on state business incentives. The series was accompanied by a new database, which reports annual dollar figures for business incentives for each state. This database reports that Michigan’s business incentives total […]

Posted inGuest Commentary

Guest column: Oakland County school helps students thrive in IB curriculum

by Bridge Staff

By Joan Stelzer More than 300 Oakland County high school seniors at the International Academy in Bloomfield Hills recently passed a key milestone when their 4,000-word essays electronically flew to evaluators around the world. Taking six months to research and write, each extended essay was an investigation into a topic never before published. It is […]

Posted inGuest Commentary

Guest column: Schools need help to better support and evaluate teachers

by Bridge Staff

By Amber Arellano/Education Trust-Midwest Students in Michigan are increasingly falling behind their peers in other states, including states that are making major investments in their teachers. Michigan, meanwhile, has struggled to develop its teachers. A report by my organization, the nonprofit Education Trust-Midwest, helps to explain why: Our local school districts and charter schools have […]

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