Writing Letters to the Editor

[Guest guest]

Writing Letters to the Editor

Letters to the editor are impossible to overuse. We clip them and circulate them

through the office like gossip sheets of what’s going on. The press represents

an overall buzz in the community.

 

— a Congressional Aide

When writing a letter to the editor, remember your “C’s”:

Current — Responding to a recent article in the newspaper or to a very recent

event is a great way to increase your odds of being published. Refer

specifically to the article by using the name of the article and date, such as,

“In response to your recent article on child care . . .”

 

You can do a search on the newspaper’s website for recent articles, using search

words like “poverty,” “education,” “Head Start,” and “priorities.” You can find

many newspaper websites at U.S. Newspaper Websites and Letters E-mail Addresses.

Or, collect newspapers for a few days before writing your letter, and then skim

them looking for a “hook” that you can hang your response on, even if it is a

stretch.

 

Clear and Concise — keep your letter short and to the point. Stick to one

subject and check your grammar. After you have written your letter, read it out

loud and listen to it. Have you made your point clear? Can you shorten your

letter and still get your point across?

 

Most papers will not print letters that are more than 250 words, or three to

four paragraphs in length. The shorter the letter, the better chance it will be

published.

 

Controversial — feel free to question or challenge what others have said or

done, and even start your letter off with a catchy first sentence. However, be

sure to avoid personal attacks. An argument based on merit rather than emotion

tends to sway opinion.

 

Contact information — include your address, e-mail and a daytime and evening

phone number. They won’t print this information, but may use it to confirm that

you indeed wrote that piece of art!

 

Contagious — maximize your efforts by using U.S. Newspaper Websites and Letters

E-mail Addresses to help you send your letter to newspapers all over the

country. (Please abide by notes on that page calling for exclusive letters for

papers such as the Washington Post and the New York Times.) If your letter is

printed, be sure to send us a copy so we can track our effectiveness. And send a

copy to your representative’s and senators’ offices too!

 

For more suggestions, see Tips for submitting letters to the editor.

 

 

 

Materials developed by RESULTS

 

440 First St. NW, Suite 450 • Washington, DC 20001 • Ph. (202) 783-7100 • Fax:

(202) 783-2818 • www.results.org

 

 

 

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