Writing Effective Letters to the Editor

Letters to the editor should always be short and concise, typically 150 words, or about three short paragraphs. If you are writing to the host of a radio or television news show, they should be even shorter, about 100 words. Although they should be written with passion, you should avoid strident language.

Most newspapers will include instructions and guidlines for letter writing in their publication. They will also post guidelines on their Web site on the same page as the letters to the editor, or in the "contact us" section. Radio and news shows will post insturctions and guidlines on their web sites as well. If you cannot find instructions, don't be shy - call them and ask!

Make your letter relevant. It should deal with current events. If you can relate it a recent article, editorial or column, you will greatly increase its chance of being published.

In addition to submitting letters to your local daily newspaper, consider other newspapers in your area. Most major metropolitan areas have free weekly community newspapers that go to tens or hundreds of thousands of homes.

The best method of sending letters to the editor today is via email. When submitting a letter, remember to include all of your contact information including a daytime phone number whre you can be reached to verify that the letter was indeed written by you. If you submit by regular mail or fax, don't forget to sign it, as many newspapers will not publish a letter without a signature (letters sent by e-mail obviously cannot be signed).

Use your own words. If a letter is copied from a sample letter or media alert, it is unlikely to be publsihed. No other form of communication can match the impact of a thoughtful letter written by a concerned community citizen. With a little practice, writing good letters to the editor is neither time-consuming, nor difficult.

Don't be discouraged if your letters are not published. Remember, newspapers must have readers, and radio and television shows must have listeners and viewers, to stay in business. Editors pay close attantion to what their audience is saying even if most correspondence is not published or read "on air". In short, writing good letters to the editor is always an effective tool for promoting media accountablity.

Maximize the impact of your letter by sending a copy to your MP. Don't "cc" it though. Editors will not publish letters that are copied to others. If you do send a copy of your letter to your MP or other local community leaders, send it separately. Include a brief cover note to reinforce your message.

Finally, when you are published share you success! Send a copy of your letter to your friends. And don't forget to send us a copy as well with the name of the publication that carried it and its date of publication. We'll post it to our own site so that your success can be an example to others.

Good luck!