Following our earlier piece, 5 Tips for Getting Your Letter Published, we’ve got some more handy suggestions to help ensure that your letter to the editor has the best chance of being printed.
• Choose the right media outlet
The vast majority of newspapers don’t have their own staff of foreign correspondents. Instead, many newspapers and websites pay to republish content from wire services such as the Associated Press (AP) and Reuters. Another option is to republish articles from those papers that can afford to have journalists posted abroad, such as the Washington Post, The New York Times, The Independent, and others.
If an article irks you, take a moment to check the byline and the bottom of the piece. Before inadvertently sending a letter to the wrong address, take the time to see who should be receiving your letter. If the story was written by the Associated Press and published in the Boston Globe, for example, you should make sure to send your letter to the Associated Press, not just to the Globe. The journalist in question would be an employee of the Associated Press, and therefore it makes most sense to direct your concerns to the wire service, not the newspapers that republished the offending article.
• Restrict yourself to one or two points
Yes, some articles are truly horrendous and riddled with errors and bias. Don’t list them one by one. Instead, pick one or two and focus on these points. The reverse is true – don’t get bogged down with the minutiae. Some points are too complex to be understood by editors, let alone by your average newspaper reader. Pick your battles.
Instead, make your letter about the things that news writers and editors will have a harder time refuting – point out omissions, inaccuracies, and lack of context.
• Write your letter to the editor well
Before writing in to a newspaper, look at its letters page. You’ll see a number of recurring themes in each letter to the editor; most of the texts are similar in length, style, and all exhibit a good command of English. The need for brevity was already addressed in 5 Tips for Getting Your Letter Published, so we’ll focus on style and tone here.
Many letters include formulaic structures, such as:
- I strongly disagree with (Arthur Barnes)’s column on (15 May) about (American foreign policy), and feel that some crucial context was lacking.
- I am truly saddened to read that (the government is planning to fund alien research) (“Government Sets Aside $15 billion for Mars Massion,” Jan 3).
- Sir, I was disappointed to see that The Times’ (2nd September) editorial “Title of Article” omitted a number of important facts.
- Dear Editor, I strongly disagree with (Bel Tring’s name) narrow view on Israel’s use of force in Gaza. (“Israel Launches Air Strikes at Gaza after Renewed Rocket Attacks,” July 17)
Beyond style, make sure that your letter doesn’t contain any basic errors. If you aren’t confident of your writing ability, don’t be shy to ask a friend to look over your letter to help weed out any spelling mistakes or grammatical errors. In fact, even if you are confident of your writing, it’s still not a bad idea to have someone proof-read your work. With editors receiving masses of incoming mail each day, don’t expect them to finish reading your letter if they spot a blatant spelling mistake or incorrectly used word. Editors are sticklers for detail – after all, that’s a big part of their job. Don’t give them a text that requires work for it to be printed; take the time to send in a letter that needs next to no work on the editor’s part.
Finally, avoid writing in ALL CAPS! It’s seen as the online equivalent of shouting, and considered rude by many internet users. It’s a strain to read and will likely cause the editor to ignore your letter. Writing well will greatly improve the chances of having your letter read by editors, which in turn boosts the chances of it being published.
• Move quickly!
With the rise of social media and instant messaging apps, “news” becomes “old news” faster than ever before. Don’t wait days to respond – by then journalists are already working on another story and readers will have moved on. If you come across inadequate reporting or bias in an article or television show, make time to send an email that same day, while the issue is still fresh in people’s minds. Bear in mind that if you’re responding to an article in a weekly newspaper, your letter must meet a deadline so that it can stand a chance of being published in the next issue. If in doubt, look up the newspaper’s deadline online, or even try calling the newspaper to find out.
Finally, if you can’t write something yourself in this time, you can always raise the alarm via social media and ask others to write something instead.
• Ensure you have the right email address
Less haste, more speed. So you’ve written the perfect email, now you just have to send it. Don’t go to your email, find the last message received from the news outlet in question and hit ‘reply’ – your email is unlikely to be seen by anyone. Instead, take a moment to find the right address.
Use Google or another search engine to locate the right email address by entering a few select key terms. For example, if you want to respond to an article in the New York Times, search for “New York Times letter to editor”. If you have a complain for the BBC, you should type something like “BBC complaint”.
The key is to mention the specific news outlet and let the search engine know that you intend to write a letter, email or complaint. This helps the search results direct you to the right email address. Have a little patience, and you’ll find what you’re looking for.
Related reading: 5 Tips for Getting your Letter Published
