A letter to an editor is much shorter than writing an article or Op-ed. Most submissions are 250 words or less. Writing a letter to the editor provides you with a great opportunity to share your point of view and get conversations going in a new direction. You can use a Letter to the Editor as a form of rebuttal to unfair or biased news coverage, social media chatter or to enter into a debate within your community.
You can write to your small local paper or all the way up to a large national outlet. Hitting them all helps you to guide the conversation, but keep in mind, you have to say your piece in a clear and concise way. Two hundred and fifty words is not a lot.
Sign the letter with your name, city and state, email address and phone number. Editors verify the identity of letter writers. Refer to the article to which you are responding.
Additional Resources:
- Tips on Writing a Letter to the Editor, American Civil Liberties Union
- Guidelines for Writing a Compelling Letter to the Editor, National Association for the Education of Young Children
