Sign up for new Opinions newsletter -- and maybe a free lunch

We're making it easier for you to tap into Bradenton Herald's community discourse through its editorials, letters to the editors, and opinion columnists.

Bradenton.com has launched a daily Opinions newsletter, which will deliver the headlines and website links found on www.bradenton.com/opinion directly into your email about 9 a.m. every day.

Just click here and follow the instructions to sign up. It takes about 30 seconds (and you'll see the other newsletters we offer as well). I've included the step-by-step below, just in case.

What a great way to sharpen your debate topics for the day! The Bradenton Herald's editorials are meant to spark community discussions. They explore current events, almost always with a heavy emphasis on the local impact. They aren't news coverage -- the editorials stem from news coverage, often with additional research to form a reasoned opinion. That voice speaks independently of the newsroom, setting out the institutional beliefs of the Herald as a leader in the community.

Editorial Page Editor Chris Wille authors most of our local editorials, usually after a lot of his own research and a healthy debate with the Herald Editorial Board. Members include Publisher Bob Turner, community representative Rosalie Shaffer, and the executive editor (that's me!). This mix helps us maintain credibility and balance -- the most valuable attributes that can be offered on an editorial page.

We want to broaden our reach, and we hope this newsletter helps accomplish that. Open up the latest Leonard Pitts column on your iPad, and comment away! Or send us a letter to the editor via your iPhone.

Just sign up for the newsletter by July 9, and you'll be entered to win a lunch with Chris Wille. That's right, there is such a thing as a free lunch -- well, almost.

THE STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

First, sign up as a member of bradenton.com. If you don't have an account, click the "Join" link in the upper right section of any Herald web page.

After you have successfully logged in, click on your user name. This will take you to the Member Center. Once there, click on the blue "Newsletters" icon in the right column.

This will take you to a list of your newsletter subscriptions. Add a check mark to the box by "Opinion Newsletter" and click the "Save Edits" button at the bottom of the page.

That's it. You'll start receiving the Opinion Newsletter the next day it's sent.