Editorial and submission guidelines
Oakland Report’s editorial and submission guidelines were created to help contributors prepare and submit their work for consideration.
Editorial guidelines
Address the points at hand.
Back claims with verifiable evidence.
Provide sufficient context for claims (framing).
Avoid selective presentation of information (suppressed evidence).
If introducing an opinion, make the claim explicit.
Avoid implicit bias/judgment (loaded question).
If calling out people specifically, address the actions of the person relevant to the argument, not the individual.
Stick to the facts and evidence and let the reader judge for themselves.
Always remain open to examining and questioning our own biases.
There is no “perfect” in any of this -- i.e., everyone has bias. So we’re not looking for perfection, just a best effort to address the points. This inherent bias is why we publish guest commentaries and perspectives. We too have our biases.
Submission process
Format. Please send your proposed article in a format that supports comments and tracked changes, for example Google Doc or Microsoft Word.
Editing. During our review we may have questions or comments about your article, and we may offer edits for your review. We won’t publish changes to your work without your review and consent (minor typographical or grammatical corrections excepted).
Length. Generally speaking, we prefer articles of fewer than 1,500 words, however it’s fine if more words are needed to fully present the perspective and/or provide relevant supporting evidence.
Documents. We can save and serve attachments and documents. So if you have such evidence that’s not already linkable, just provide the document along with reference in your draft.
Biography. Please provide a brief bio of yourself to accompany the article. It would be good to include a photo (i.e. headshot) if you are comfortable with that.
Images. If you have other images you would like to include with the article, please provide captions and confirm each image’s source and use license.
Submittal. Send your proposed article to oaklandreport@citizensoakland.org.
Let us know if you have any questions or would like to discuss. We look forward to reading your perspective.
Thank you.
Updated November 23, 2025