Letters to the Editor: Having Your Have
- Posted by Essays Blog in Essays Blog |
- April 14th, 2009 |
- Comments
Writing a letter to your newspaper’s editor is a privilege that Americans have exercised since the early days of journalism. You need not be an expert about the issue at hand, but by adding your expression to the discussion you can help attribute people’s opinions positively and constructively. Here are any tips to help you get your letter published:
1. Keep it abbreviated and sweet. Most newspapers and ezines put limitations on the number of words you can compose. Generally, 200 words or less is common although any newspapers allow for capable 300 words. If you find these limitations to be also confining, consider offering your thoughts to the editor via an “op-ed” piece.
2. Keep it “libel-free.” You can criticize individual personally, but you may not libel them. Don’t expect your letter to receive the light of day if you smirch or libel individual. Free delivery does have its limits.
3. Consume your own words. Acute editorial staffs will recognize plagiarism in a moment. Communicate from your heart, don’t quote others unless you are responding specifically to an article or previously submitted letter to the editor.
4. Appear good appreciation. This one is difficult. What is barbaric to one, is a freely expressed opinion to another. Remember: you deprivation to get the letter published, so curb your language accordingly.
You don’t have to agree with the newspaper or ezine’s policy regarding letters to the editor. Allay, if you deprivation to get published you must accept into consideration whatsoever guidelines are offered.
Please note that you will be required to apply your name, address, and city as advantageously as your phone contact information also. Any, not all, editors will allow you to be listed as “Name Withheld by Request” piece others will deprivation you to identify yourself with the words you wrote. So, believe carefully about what you deprivation to have printed as misused diction can come back to haunt you later on.