About

The Local

Established in 1958, the Chestnut Hill Local emerged as a community forum and since has become an award-winning, independent weekly newspaper serving the neighborhoods of Chestnut Hill, Mt. Airy, Wyndmoor, Flourtown, Erdenheim  and the surrounding communities in Northwest Philadelphia and Eastern Montgomery County. Each week, the Local is read by nearly 10,000 adults in its print form and thousands others online.  About 60,000 people visit chestnuthilllocal.com each month.  The Local is currently distributed by mail and is available at newsstands and honor boxes throughout the region.  

For more than 60 years the Local has chronicled this section of Philadelphia, covering politics, business and the quality of life. Our local aspect offers in-depth coverage of area events, local personalities, life, restaurants, schools, art and cultural happenings in our region.

The Local has won prestigious awards from the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association in photography, reporting, writing, design, investigative reporting and advertising.

The Chestnut Hill Local is owned by the Chestnut Hill Community Association.

Guidelines and Standards

Letters to the Editor and Op-Ed

It is the policy of this publication to anticipate community problems and prepare public opinion  for their solutions, to review community problems as they arise and to present possible solutions, to study community problems and, with the help of expert opinion, direct community thinking toward a solution consistent with local tradition and the best forward-looking interests of Chestnut Hill.

It is the policy of the LOCAL to publish all responsible points of view on the various issues presented in our paper. Unless otherwise expressly indicated, the opinions and points of view expressed in this publication are those of the individual writer who shall be identified by name. Positions presented or adopted by the Community Association or its board of directors on any matter will be expressly identified as such.

All letters addressed to the LOCAL must be signed and must include an address and a verifying telephone number. All letters must not exceed 300 words.
Mail, or email carla@chestnuthilllocal.com

Letter and Op-Ed Standards

The Local welcomes letters and Op-Ed pieces on any subject but we prefer they take as their starting point an article or other item that has appeared recently in The Local.

  • Letters and Op-Eds may not have been submitted to, posted to, or published by any other media.
  • Letters and Op-Eds can be authored by more than one person.
  • Handwritten letters will not be accepted.
  • All letters must be signed.
  • No anonymous letters will be accepted.
  • The Local will reject any letter that disparages private citizens or local businesses.
  • Minors may not be named in letters or Op-Ed pieces without the approval of the child’s parent or guardian. Details that might identify a minor indirectly, or endanger a minor, will be removed at the discretion of the editor.
  • Expressed concerns about public officials or corporations are permitted if the complaint is based on substantiated facts.
Length
  • Letters to the editor should be a maximum of 300 words.
  • Op-Eds should be a maximum of 600 words.
  • Letters that are longer than 300 words are dealt with on a case-by-case basis and published at the discretion of the editor.
Editing
  • The Local reserves the right to edit letters to the editor and Op-Eds for clarity and AP Style, as well as to fact-check and edit to fit available space in the print edition.
  • Writers are highly encouraged to provide source links supporting claims pertaining to events, statements, claims, quotes and data that appear in their writings.
  • The Local reserves the right to remove information that cannot be independently verified.
Publication
  • The Local makes its best effort to publish every letter to the editor and Op-Ed that adhere to these policies on a first-come, first-served basis. However, the submission of a letter or column does not guarantee its publication.
  • Letters should be submitted by 5 p.m. Friday for publication the following week.
  • If a submission requires lengthy fact-checking where source citations are not provided by the writer, this may delay or negate publication.
Election and political letters and Op-Eds
  • The Local will accept letters and Op-Eds regarding elections and candidates up until two weeks prior to the last date to submit a ballot. After that time, only letters in response to the original piece will be considered. Because we do not have the staffing to research every claim made in letters to the editor, source information must be provided.