Letters should be short and concise, typically about 250 words, or about four short paragraphs. For a newsmagazine or a radio news show, they should be even shorter, about 100 words. Letters should be written with passion, using strong but not strident language.
Once a week, most newspapers will print guidelines on the editorial page for submitting a letter to the editor. Be sure to consult those guidelines before writing a letter to your newspaper.
Small-circulation newspapers usually print most of the letters that they receive. It is more challenging to get a letter printed in major metropolitan newspapers, as they receive a much larger number of letters. However, if you can tie your letter to a recent article, editorial or column, you will greatly increase your chances of being published. Use opportunities like coverage of a meeting of the World Bank to link your letter to current events. If you can comment on a specific story in the paper, do so, mentioning the headline and date.
In addition to submitting letters to your local daily paper, 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. Many cities and states have large denominational newspapers as well. Also consider sending to Hispanic or African-American newspapers, since they are often interested in issues which affect Latin America, Africa, and low-income people in the United States. Except as noted, it is OK to send the same or similar letters to more than one publication, but do not submit the same or similar letters to multiple papers in the same media market. Do not submit a letter to a paper that has already run another of your letters in the past month or two.
When submitting a letter to the editor by postal 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). When emailing, include exactly one e-mail address in the “To:” field. Don't send to editors via "Cc:" or "Bcc:" and send your letter in the body of the e-mail message, not as an attachment. Also include a daytime telephone number in case the newspaper wants to verify that you are the author. Bear in mind that it usually takes at least a week from the time a newspaper receives a letter before it gets published. Weekly papers and newsmagazines take even longer.
Please mention Jubilee USA Network by name, either in the text or by identifying yourself as a Jubilee USA Network member or supporter below your signature.
After you send a letter, check that paper's or magazine's website to see if it ran. Make sure to send a copy to the Jubilee USA office, so that we can publicize your work (see below).
With a little practice, writing good letters to the editor is neither time-consuming nor difficult. Your own letter will be more effective if it is not copied from a sample letter, because it comes directly from the heart. No other form of communication can match the impact of a thoughtful letter written by a concerned community citizen.
- More tips on Letters to the Editor from Jubilee partner RESULTS
