| Writing Great Letters to the Editor |
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The "Letters to the Editor" section is one of the most widely read sections of the newspaper, and can help shape the opinions of both the public and policy makers. We'd love to hear from you if you have suggestions on how to improve these tips, or if they have helped you get a letter published. Click here to send in your letter to the editor. Remember, most papers have a word limit of 150-200 words, so short and sweet is best! Four steps to a great letter Step 1. What was recently in the news that prompted you to write this letter, and what about it moved you to take action? If you appreciate the paper's coverage, say so. Say it in as few words as you can. Step 2. Choose the one, single most important point you want to make. Make it succinctly, carefully choosing facts or anecdotes as supporting evidence. Step 3: Include 1-2 facts, observations or personal statements that back up your main point. Personal anecdotes, when relevant, can work great here. Step 4: In conclusion, drive your point home. You can call for a specific change, from the paper, from a policymaker, from other readers, or some other audience. More Tips: * Keep it short, and you boost your shot at getting published. Every paper is different, so check you paper's word limit on the letters it publishes. A typical cap on length is 150-200 words. * Use legislators’ names. If your printed letter mentions a representative or senator by name, be sure to clip it out and send it to them. * Don't rant (not that you would). Hard-hitting criticism is a big plus, but rants are less likely to get published. * Get to know the tone and style of letters selected by your paper. * Use statistics and personal stories when you have them. * Your letter should be signed and must include your address and telephone number or it won’t be published. The paper may call to verify that you wrote the letter. * Be persistent. It may take you several tries to get a letter published, but even unpublished letters have an impact. The more you submit, the more likely you'll get in. * Work with friends or groups. Letter writing is a great group or volunteer activity, and the more unique letters on a given subject, the greater the chance that one or more will be published. * Submit unique letters. It's great to get inspiration from friends for letters, but if editors see that your language is too similar or identical to another writers, they probably won't publish it. Example 1: Dear Editor, Thank you for your coverage on Tuesday of the new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, just signed by President Obama and Russian President Medvedev. It's crucial to keep in mind that the world's 23,000 nuclear weapons are 23,000 chances for accidental launch or theft by a terrorist. As long as nuclear weapons exist, that threat remains. That's why it's so crucial the Senate quickly ratify the treaty, and bring down the number of nuclear weapons in the world. That's also why I am writing my Senator to encourage her vocal support for the treaty, and I hope other readers will join me. Thank you, Example 2: Dear Editor, In yesterday's editorial on the president's new Nuclear Posture Review, you argue that President Obama's efforts to lead towards zero nuclear weapons somehow make the US weaker. In fact, by deemphasizing US strategic reliance on nuclear weapons, we are strengthening our hand while making ourselves safer. The new review makes modest but crucial progress by reaffirming our commitment to not build new nuclear weapons, and by asserting that, with a few unfortunate exceptions, the US would not use nuclear weapons against a non-nuclear state. These are signs that the US is finally taking up the kind of leadership by example for which many nuclear policy heavyweights, like Henry Kissinger, have been encouraging for years. During the second Bush administration the US adopted a counterproductive and aggressive nuclear weapons policy that -- in its insistence on the right to "nuke" whomever we wished -- radically broke from the policies of past Republican and Democratic presidents. This new review provides a clear break from the "do as we say not as we do" Bush doctrine, improving our position in pushing other nations to forgo their own nuclear build up. Thank you, |