To paraphrase a trademarked slogan, “Neighbor, when’s the last time you wrote a letter to the editor? Well, that’s too long!” Summer is an ideal time to submit your thoughts on current events to your local paper: there are interim legislative hearings; candidates are campaigning; school districts and local governments are making budgets.
To help jumpstart your next “LTE,” we’ve laid out how to structure a letter (150 words is really not a lot) and described some pro tips to increase your chances of getting published. Ready to write your LTE? Follow the steps below!
1. Newspapers and online news services all have specific policies for letters. Some have special email addresses for letters, and most have some kind of word count—for big papers, it’s usually 150 words. You can get all the information you need on the paper’s website.
2. Editors often call submitters to make sure they are “real people” so be prepared to answer a call and confirm the letter is from you. This is especially likely if it’s your first submission to this paper.
3. Highlighting the first sentence of each paragraph helps you keep your thoughts organized. You should be able to read just the highlighted sentences and get the gist of what the letter is about—if you can’t, consider rearranging your sentences to make the message clear.
*BELOW IS A MODEL LETTER ABOUT PUBLIC EDUCATION. IT HAS 105 WORDS, NOT INCLUDING THE SALUTATION AND SIGNATURE.*
“Dear Editor,
I am very concerned about the impact budget shortfalls are having on our school district. As reported in your article [PUT ARTICLE NAME AND DATE HERE], our school district is [MAKING CUTS, CLOSING SCHOOLS, OR OTHER ACTIONS] due to the Texas Legislature withholding funding to public schools.
I’m concerned about this issue for my own family and the wider community. As a parent of a public-school student, I am concerned about how these cuts may diminish my child’s educational opportunities. As a taxpayer, I am worried it will hurt our economy and drive employers away from our town.
[THERE’S ROOM FOR ABOUT FIFTY MORE WORDS—THESE COULD INCLUDE DATA POINTS; A STORY ABOUT THE HARM A SPECIFIC CUT WILL DO, LIKE CUTTING ART OR MUSIC; OR PROFESSIONAL KNOWLEDGE. NOTE: BULLET POINTS ARE NOT APPROPRIATE FOR LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.]
Rep. [NAME] and Sen. [NAME] should do what’s right for Texas and fund our public schools.
Sincerely, Your Name Your Contact Info”
Get the Most Mileage Out of Your Letter
Just getting your letter printed is great, but there are a few simple things you can do that will increase its impact.
1. If you submit a letter to the editor, let Texas Impact know so that we can “scan” for it—we will watch the online version of the newspaper and let you know if your letter appears.
2. If your letter gets printed, let Texas Impact and others know. If your letter is available online on the newspaper’s website, simply email the link to us, as well as your denominational newspaper, and the newsletters of other groups you belong to.
3. If your letter gets printed, link the letter from the newspaper website and email it to your elected officials. If you like, include a
personal note, or at least hand write a short memo indicating that you are a constituent.
4. If your letter was printed in a statewide paper, email it to your local paper and suggest they reprint it. If it was printed in your local paper, email it to the nearest statewide paper and ask them to run it.
5. Post a copy of your letter on your church bulletin board if you have a space for such items.
Listen to the Blue’s Clues song “Mailtime” because now it’s stuck in your head.