Write a Letter to the Editor
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Writing a letter to the editor (LTE) is a great way to make your voice heard in the media. A well developed LTE with one unified message can be very powerful. Readers really do pay attention to Letters to the Editor, because they get to see their neighbors and friends writing in and are curious about where they stand. Policy makers also read them to gauge the views of their constituents. It is a very effective forum for discussion in communities and helps to make public point of view that would otherwise not be included. When submitting an LTE, target your local newspaper and reference a particular news article, editorial, or local column on a topic you wish to comment on. Each paper will have its own policy on how to submit LTEs, which can usually be found on the paper’s web site, on their opinion page. Following all of the paper’s guidelines increases the chances of an LTE getting published. Make sure you understand the maximum length for a letter to be considered, what information the paper requires you to include with your submission, how frequently you can be published in a given news outlet, whether the paper requires “exclusive” submissions only (i.e. you cannot send the same letter for publication to more than one outlet), and the entire process for submission. Generally, LTEs should not be more than 250 words. It is very important to include accurate contact information with your submission, so that the paper can verify that you wrote the piece if they want to print it. If you are unable to return a paper’s call to verify the letter promptly, you may jeopardize your chances of seeing it in print. |
