Tips for Writing a Letter to the Editor (LTE)

Tips for Writing a Letter to the Editor (LTE)

Postby Oscar » Fri Nov 16, 2018 9:21 am

TIPS FOR WRITING A LETTER TO THE EDITOR (LTE) - AND GETTING IT PUBLISHED

[ https://www.psr.org/blog/resource/tips- ... he-editor/ ]

Your best bet is to respond to a news item or op-ed in your local news outlet (print or online). You can submit an LTE responding to any story including AP or Reuters “wire stories” that show up in your local paper

Check the opinion section of your local outlet for their LTE guidelines. Especially watch for the maximum word count (which is rarely over 150 words), and “how to submit an LTE”

The most important thing to keep in mind: what is the ONE takeaway you want to impart upon your reader?

Three tips to increase the chances that the letters editor will choose to publish your LTE:

 - The sooner you respond to something in the news outlet, the better. Send it in pronto.
 - The shorter your LTE, the better. Keep it simple, short, and focused on your one main point.
 - Show your passion ~ Include emotional punch. Why do you care enough to write? If you have a personal connection to the story, include your title or connection to the story in your letter. Share personal experience and why you particularly care, e.g., “I care about my patients.”

And three more pointers on “the art of writing a successful LTE” :

 - Address your letter “To the Editor:”
 - In the first sentence, list the title and date of the article you are responding to.
 - Provide your full address and contact information that works, including your cell phone number. If the letters editor decides to run your letter, it’s a near-certainty someone will contact you to verify that you are the person who wrote and submitted it.
Oscar
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