GET INVOLVED
Write a Letter
It may sound futile, but it really does make a difference. Write your congress person, write your local news station. Get in touch with the people who can make a difference, and it will make a difference to them.
Some Tips:
- Know the newspaper’s rules. Somewhere in the paper or on its website, the newspaper should have its guidelines for writing a letter to the editor. Make sure to follow them.
- Use your own words. Newspapers generally take a dim view of form letters or those that appear to be part of an orchestrated campaign. Don’t copy material from websites, either. Write from your own perspective.
- Pick a single topic. You can make two or three supporting points about your main theme, but don’t jump to unrelated subjects. If you’ve got another subject, write another letter.
- Stick to the length limit. Exceeding the newspaper’s limit can significantly lower your chances of getting published. Shorter is often better anyway.
- Be accurate. Make sure that any factual statements you make are correct. If you aren’t sure, don’t guess; check with a reliable source. If you use facts that might be questioned, it can help to include a short note to the editor about your sources of information.
- Tie your comments to a recent news event. This isn’t absolutely necessary but it makes your letter more timely.
- Consider including a little information about yourself if it is relevant to your topic. “As a college student struggling with tuition . . . ,” “I worry about the future that my five grandchildren will face . . .” Information like this adds a personal touch and helps distinguish your letter from others.
- Use sarcasm with care. Many people read everything literally and won’t get it.
- Avoid spelling mistakes. They make editors nervous. If in doubt, check a dictionary or dictionary.com .
- Avoid libel problems. Different states have different libel laws, but libel generally involves written statements that injure someone’s reputation by making incorrect factual assertions about that person. Quoting a false factual assertion that someone else made can be a problem as well. Don’t say someone is guilty of a crime unless the person has actually been convicted in court.
- Edit carefully. After you finish writing, wait at least a few minutes before editing your letter. You are more likely to spot mistakes and unclear wording.
- Ask two or three people to read the letter before you send it in. If they are puzzled about something you wrote – even if it seems perfectly clear to you – you should probably reword it.
- Include a phone number or email address where the paper can reach you during the day. The editors may want to verify that you wrote the letter, or they may have a question about something in it.
- Contact the newspaper if you have a question. One editor usually handles the letters section, and that person should be able to quickly answer most questions you might have. Getting to know that person a little over the phone may help your chances of publication as well.
- Don’t get discouraged. Newspapers often receive far more letters than they can publish, but the numbers can fluctuate quite a bit from one month to the next. Letters sometimes aren’t used simply because several others make similar points. Or a big news event may eat up a lot of the space that would otherwise be available for letters on other subjects. So don’t get discouraged; keep writing.