In recent months, Illinois Aging Services (IAS) had Letters to the Editor published in the Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago Tribune, Daily Herald, Alton Telegraph, Belleville News Democrat, and Clinton Journal. Amy Brennan, Executive Director of IAS’s Illinois Family Caregiver Coalition, shared with RRF some tips for writing and placing a compelling opinion piece in news publications.
Photo: Chicago Sun-Times
Here are a few tips from IAS’ recent efforts placing Letters to the Editor:
- Start Strong and Grab Their Attention – The first sentence or two should grab the reader’s attention. On a page filled with letters, make yours stand out. Use a surprising fact – something that evokes a visceral feeling about your issue;
- Timeliness – If possible, tie your letter to a logical month, day, or event. IAS submitted our letters during November National Family Caregiver month to highlight our new organization focused on family caregivers. Editors are logically drawn to national days of awareness to stay relevant and keep in alignment with days of honor;
- Use Data to make your point, but don’t overdo it – After you grab the audience’s attention, back it up with one or two pieces of sourced data to show why your issue is significant. Be careful – don’t go overboard on the data or it will turn into a snooze fest;
- Make it personal – Early in the letter, share your experience to tug at the heart strings. This could come soon after the attention-grabbing opener or possibly later in the letter. Be sure to personalize the letter. Ideally, with someone from the area, or a member who has a tie to the publication.
- Break it up – Keep the sentences very short and break the letter up into easily digestible paragraphs. Keep their attention – avoid the temptation to include long, wordy arguments;
- Include an Action Step – Don’t be shy about asking readers to contact an elected official in support of your issue, drive readers to a website or link, invite people to an event, etc. – depending on the overall goal of your letter. Make the action simple and clear;
- Follow the publication’s parameters – It sounds simple, but every publication has differing instructions about where to submit, how to submit, length of letters, etc. Follow these rules completely – don’t give them an excuse to delete your submission;
- Larger publications might have preferences – Ask trusted influencers who have had success publishing letters to the editor – do larger publications refrain from publishing letters already printed in competitor publications?
- Responding to Letters Published – Responses to articles or earlier letters to the editor are compelling when submitted quickly. For tips on these types of letters, please see the National Council on Aging’s suggestions here – https://www.ncoa.org/article/letter-to-the-editor-sample.
At IAS, we were fortunate to have a few gifted writers providing quick read-throughs. Their editing suggestions were invaluable. Best of luck and happy letter-writing!
