• Send your letter to the right newspaper
The vast majority of newspapers don’t have their own staff of foreign correspondents. The content, strictly speaking, isn’t original.
Rather, papers use reports from wire services like AP and Reuters, and/or republish articles from the other papers that can afford to have journalists abroad — like the Washington Post, NY Times, The Independent, etc. Before dashing off a letter, double-check the byline and give some thought regarding the most appropriate address to send your complaint to.
• Don’t write in all capital letters
DID YOU EVER SEE A PAPER PUBLISH A LETTER IN ALL CAPS? It’s the 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.
• Be quick
Thanks to the wonders of instant online publishing, “news” becomes “old news” faster than ever before. So take note of the date before sitting down to write. If the article is several days old, consider saving your energy for a better fight.
• Send to the right email address
Some news sites don’t clearly indicate how to send letters to the editor. Unfortunately, a surprisingly common mistake is to send letters to the site’s webmaster, as if it’s a default address.
Bad move. Webmasters don’t necessarily know the difference between Hamas and hummus. They’re paid to take care that the tech side of the website works and have nothing to do with content.
Instead, search Google for “New York Times letter to editor”, or “BBC complaint”, for example. The key is to mention the specific news outlet and let the search engine know that you intend to write a letter. 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.
• Be brief
For reasons of space, most newspapers limit the length of letters. A word count between 200-250 is sufficient to make your point. If you feel that all 489 words in your response are absolutely vital, it’s best to:
1) Realize you’re saying too much and cut it down
2) Label your piece an op-ed submission and tailor appropriately for the paper’s guidelines
3) Start your own blog and write to your heart’s content.
Related reading: 5 Tips For Getting Your Letter Published
