Speakout! Tips for getting your message across.
Scroll
down this page to read tips from 20/20
Vision about writing letters/Emails,
phone
calls, writing
effective letters to the editor, writing
and publishing an op-ed, influencing
editorials, and calling
a talk radio show.
Writing
Letters & Emails:
The more personal
your letter is, the more influence it will have. Say what’s
on your mind and in your heart. You don’t have to be an expert—you’re
a concerned citizen. Describe briefly how the policy in question
affects you or your community.
- If you type
your letter, add a hand-written note (this way the receiver can
tell you're a real person).
- Be brief, clear,
and specific. Keep your letter to one page if possible, and get
right to the point.
- Ask for a written
response from the policymaker, stating his or her position on the
specific issue you raised.
- Don’t let
them off the hook with a generalized response!
- Be courteous
with the people you contact even when you disagree with them.
- Include your
address on your letter! An envelope can get lost.
Optional Enhancements
- Enclose an article
that bears on the policy in question.
- Remind the policymaker
if you have a personal association with him or her.
- Use professional
letterhead if possible.
- Write or call
a second time, thanking for help or pressing for satisfactory answers.
Regarding e-mails:
Again, the wisdom is the more personal the communication, the better.
While some congressional offices do give e-mails the same weight
as letters and send a formal response, others simply tally electronic
letters and don’t give them the same importance as "real
letters." Emails are best if time is of the essence. One idea
is to print and mail letters you compose on an activism web site,
or at least personalize your e-mail. It is very important that you
include your address and zip code in all correspondence, because
congressional offices only count opinions submitted by the people
in their districts.
Phone
Calls
If you are calling
a legislator, ask to speak to the aide who works on either defense
issues or the environment. If that person is not available, leave
a clear message with your name, address, and phone number. State
why you are calling and what you want your legislator to do. You
can ask for a written response to your message.
Tips
on writing effective letters to the editor:
Letters to the
editor are an easy way for you to voice your opinion to policymakers
and to educate readers about issues that concern you. You can use
letters to correct or interpret facts in response to an inaccurate
or biased article, to praise or criticize a recent article or editorial,
or simply provide your opinion on a current issue.
Without exception, the letters section is one of the most highly
read sections in any newspaper or magazine, and now many web sites
also have places
for readers to comment instantly on issues of the day. Make sure you
read the paper before you write to get an idea of the format, and be
sure to have the name of the editor you’re addressing. Don’t
miss out on this chance to reach the public—write early and often!
- Be timely – Capitalize
on recent news and events, within 24 hrs of a story if possible.
- Your chances
of having your letter published are much, much higher if you refer
to a relevant article or letter published in that newspaper! Editors
love to have you mention them.
- Know the guidelines
of the paper or magazine in which you hope to be published -- if
your letter is on their "maybe" list but is too long
-- they may toss it.
- Keep it short
and simple – Keep your points clear and stick to one subject.
If you look at the editorial page, a few paragraphs is all they
usually print!
- Think locally – Demonstrate
how this issue effects you locally, and mention lawmakers by name
to ensure you get their attention.
- Sign your letter.
Include your name, address and telephone number. Papers may need
to contact you if they are considering printing your letter. Don’t
worry—they won’t print your phone or street address.
- Follow-up. If
the newspaper doesn’t call you, call the newspaper. Ask to
speak to the person in charge of letters to the editor. Ask if
they plan on printing your letter, and if not, see if they have
any feedback for you.
- Don’t be
discouraged if your letter is not printed. Every time you submit
a letter, you are educating the editorial board of your paper and
paving the way for future letters to be printed. Keep trying!
- Seal the deal.
If your letter is printed, be sure to send us a copy so we can
track our effectiveness. If you mention an elected official, it’s
a good idea to send them a copy too!
Writing
and publishing an op-ed:
Opinions-editorials
are written by local citizens, experts, leaders of organizations— people
like you. If you can get one printed, op-eds are an extremely powerful
and cost-effective way to both educate a large number of readers
about our issues, and to influence policymakers. The pointers for
writing a letter to the editor are also applicable for op-eds. In
addition, we emphasize the following:
- Timing
is the most important factor in
whether the newspaper picks up your submission. Is this issue already
in the news? Is a controversial vote scheduled in Congress? Is
there an appropriate holiday or anniversary you can relate your
piece to, or is there a recent article or editorial to which you
can respond? Remember that it can take up to a week for a paper
to review submissions, but it’s still a good idea to check
and see if your piece is being considered.
- It’s
the messenger and the message. Finding a prominent person to sign the letter will have a big influence
in the paper’s consideration. For example, if you and a group
of 20/20 Vision members got together to write a piece about air
quality and public health just as Congress is considering legislation
on cleaning up emissions, it would be great to have a physician
sign the letter.
- Know
the guidelines of the newspaper. Text of an op-ed should be 300-500 words. You’ll need to identify
yourself, and you might suggest a title. Many papers require exclusivity,
meaning that you can’t submit to another paper at the same
time. Find out how submissions work— increasingly, editorial
departments prefer e-mail. Again, read the paper’s editorial
page to see how their format works.
- Identify
the largest newspaper in your area for maximum exposure. If you don’t have a copy of the paper, call to get the name
and address of the op-ed page editor before you mail it off.
- Call
to follow-up. Ask if your submission is under consideration. Even if they don’t
publish your piece this time, this is a great opportunity to educate
the editor about the issue. Building a relationship with editors
and reporters will prove helpful in the future. It might even lead
to an editorial meeting
Influencing
editorials
Editorials are
the voice of a newspaper, and the only place where opinions are openly
stated, as opposed to "unbiased" news stories. Editorials
are the first thing people look to when they turn to the editorial
pages, located in the back of the "A" section. An editorial
endorsing a particular position or piece of legislation has been
known to change even the most committed policymaker’s mind,
and can do much to influence public opinion.
Outreach to editorial
boards can result not only in editorials that take a progressive
stance on an issue; they can also affect news coverage throughout
the paper. If you can develop a rapport with the editorial staff
and are able to arrange a meeting, this is your best chance to make
some serious headway on an issue. Again, it is terrific if you can
bring a well-respected person to the table, though doing your homework
and presenting your case in a clear and compelling way is equally
important.
Newspaper editorials can be inspired by submitted information, events, current
opinion or even letters from readers. The single best way to influence
the content of editorials is conducting a briefing with editorial boards,
although influencing editorials can be achieved by simply sending materials
and following up by phone.
Prepare Yourself
- Read the paper
you are approaching. Asking for an editorial when one has already
been published will waste your time and hurt your credibility.
- Outline your
intent for the meeting in a letter. State your goal, e.g.: "Please
educate citizens in my area about how proposed legislation on hog
farms will hurt the people and the environment of Chesapeake Bay." Mail
or fax your letter and any supporting information to the editor
of the editorial page. Remember to keep copies for yourself.
- Follow up with
a phone call. After a day or so, ask the person if they’ve
received your materials. If not, be prepared to summarize. See
if they have time to meet, or at least set up a phone briefing.
It’s okay to call back a few times until you get someone,
but don’t make yourself a nuisance—editors are always
crunched for time, so be courteous as well as persistent.
The
Briefing
- To be most effective,
editorial board briefings should have 2-3 individuals who make
a combined presentation of not more than 10-15 minutes. Leave plenty
of time for questions, since that’s how journalists are used
to getting information. Again, you don’t have to be an expert!
If you don’t have an answer, reply that you’ll find out
and get back to them right away.
- Show broad support.
It’s great if you can demonstrate a coalition of support,
through individuals, or a letter signed by a variety of groups.
If you’re working on a peace issue, you might get leaders
from some local churches, for example.
- Have a game
plan. Before you meet, decide who will take the lead and who will
make certain points. Frame your arguments so they are locally compelling
and would appeal to the average Joe. This is better than being
too personal or partisan.
- After you’ve
made your case, go for the ask. Ask them if they think they’ll
write an editorial on your issue, and if so, when. If they decide
not to do an editorial supporting your position, or take a stance
to the contrary, propose that they print an op-ed piece from you.
Be sure to be gracious and thank the editors for their time, in
any case.
Calling
a talk radio show
Getting your message
out on a local or even national talk radio show is an excellent way
to educate the public on an issue they may never have heard of, challenge
popular notions, or mobilize action on an upcoming vote. Conservatives
and Libertarians have long recognized the airways as an effective
way to reach Americans, and have worked strategically to do so. Progressives
need to realize the power of radio too!
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