HOW TO WRITE LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Short, concise letters are always more likely to be published than long, meandering ones; try to keep them under 150 words (The Daily allows up to 250). Longer letters are more likely to be edited. It's better that you do your own editing.

Ever notice how you read letters to the editor in the paper? Most people read the shorter letters first and then perhaps later read the longer ones. Thus your shorter letter has a better chance of being read.

WHAT TO WRITE? Replying to editorials, agree or disagree, is very effective.
Every day the news offers us all too many topics on which to comment.
Be timely; try to respond within two or three days of the article's publication. Pick an issue of particular importance to you - don't be afraid to let some passion show through.

Here are some stylistic considerations:
1. State the argument you're rebutting or responding to, as briefly as possible, in the letter's introduction. Don't do a lengthy rehash; it's a waste of valuable space and boring to boot.

2. Stick to a single subject. Deal with one issue per letter.

3. Don't be shrill or abusive. Editors tend to discard letters containing personal attacks. Even though you're dying to call Jesse Jackson a preachy parasite, stifle the urge.

4. Your letter should be logically organized. First a brief recitation of the argument you are opposing, followed by a statement of your own position. Then present your evidence. Close with a short restatement of your position or a pithy comment ("Jimmy Breslin says possession of firearms should be limited to law enforcement officers. I say when only the police have guns, the police state is just around the corner.").

5. Use facts, figures and expert testimony whenever possible. This raises your letters above the "sez you, sez me" category. For instance: "Anthony Lewis calls for taxing the rich as a way to balance the budget. Is he aware of the fact that if we confiscated the entire income of the top wage earners in this country (those with income above $200,000), this would run the federal government for exactly 8 days?" Readers respect the opinions of people with special knowledge or expertise. Use expert testimony to bolster your case ("George Will claims we need to draft to defend America. But General Edward C. Meyer, Army Chief of Staff, recently stated . . .").

6. Proofread your letter carefully for errors in spelling, punctuation and grammar. Newspapers will usually edit to correct these mistakes, but your piece is more likely to be published if it is "clean" to begin with. Read your letter to a friend, for objective input. One suggestion is that a letter shouldn't be mailed the same day it is written. Write, proofread and edit the piece. Then put it aside until the next day. Rereading your letter in a fresh light often helps you to spot errors in reasoning, stilted language and the like. On the other hand, don't let the letter sit too long and lose its timeliness.

7. Try to view the letter from the reader's perspective. Will the arguments make sense to someone without a special background on this issue? Did you use technical terms not familiar to the average reader?

8. Always include your name, year, and major (name, address, day-time phone number and signature for other newspapers). The papers will not publish this information, but they may use it to verify that you wrote the letter.

9. Most important - WRITE! Do not try to do a perfect letter writer. Just give it a good effort and send it off. Letter writing is the one thing that any one of us can do on our own without the need to work through a group. No committees are necessary. Just do it!

Don't be discouraged if your letter isn't published. The editor may have received more responses on that issue than he feels he can handle.

The Semi-Official ‘Huskies for Israel’ Letter to the Editor (LTE) Guide
Focus, force and style are the keys to effective LTEs

Please keep a respectful tone in all letters. If we come across as rude, racist, and ignorant, then we will look just as bad as other individuals. Please don't respond to other Letters to the Editor unless absolutely necessary. The best letters try to refute the writer’s main point, or try to discredit their ability as a writer. Note that these do not always have to be long letters.

1. Think before you write.
Before you write a word, decide the ONE thing you want to say. To be effective, a letter to the editor should get a single point across. There may be several reasons WHY you think Israel is right – but a letter to the editor should say one thing well, not several things poorly. Don’t start writing until you know what that one thing is, and make anything else in the letter support that one point.

2. Response or soapbox?
Decide if you are responding to something in the newspaper or if you are expressing your own opinions. Generally, we as a group have used LTEs to respond to articles or editorials in the Daily. This does not mean you can’t simply present opinions or facts, but make sure you have a goal when you begin writing. It will help you to focus.

3. Make clear what you're responding to.
If you are responding to something published in the paper, identify what it is in the first sentence of your draft letter to the editor. Such as: "In arguing for the abolition of the patent system ("Congress Goes Nuts, Again," The Daily Howl, February 30, 2000), your editorialist…"

4. Choose your words with care.
The words you use, as in everyday life, provide additional information. The occupied territories, West Bank, Judea and Samaria are different names for the same pieces of land. They all convey different messages to different people. Therefore, it is suggested that the term we should use is “Disputed Territories”, which is legally accurate, despite what some might say. There many examples of this, so keep the general message in mind: Choose your words with care.

5. Be brief.
The Daily has a 250 word limit for LTEs. That comes out to about 2 or 3 paragraphs, depending on your focus, force, and style. It is often helpful to write the first draft TOO short. Many writers find it easier to add than to cut – and the more work you make for the editor, the less likely your letter will be printed.

6. EDIT and REVISE!!!
The more work you make for the editor, the less likely your letter will be printed. And the more editions your LTE has gone through, the tighter it will be. But remember, you must FOCUS!

b’ hatz’ lachah (Good Luck)