General

Letters to the editor are short letters from readers printed on the editorial page, most often discussing a recent event or issue covered by a publication, radio station, or TV program. They are your chance to “sound-off” to your community about issues in the news. They are widely read—so make them an important part of your media strategy.

Tips

• It is much easier to publish a letter to the editor than it is to place an op-ed. Your letter has the best chance of being published if it is a reaction to a story in the paper. Respond as quickly as you can.
• Read the letters page—you will learn how to develop an effective letter-writing style and you will see if someone has already responded with your idea.
• Keep it short and concise—150-200 words. The paper will take the liberty to shorten your letter to suit its format; the more it has to cut, the less control you have of what gets printed. Lead with your most important information.
• Focus on one main point and make a compelling case. State the point very early in the letter—the first or second sentence.
• Write in short paragraphs, with no more than three sentences per paragraph.
• Avoid personal attacks.
• Put your full name, address and phone number at the top of the page and sign the letter at the bottom. You must include a phone number for verification purposes.
• When you write a letter, copy your member of Congress' foreign policy aide. Even if the letter doesn’t get printed, they’ll see that you’re writing to local papers, and they’ll pay attention—because they know that when a letter does get printed, a lot of their constituents will be learning about Latin America policy, and their office had better respond to constituents concerns!
• Follow up with the paper to see if the letter was received, unless the paper specifically says “do not call.”

Op-eds are guest columns, published in the opinion section of the newspaper. They can be a very powerful tool to get your message out. They are your chance to express an opinion on an issue, whether or not the newspaper has covered it recently.

Op-eds are not easy to get published, but following through can help your chances. Send a hard copy, via fax or mail, to the op-ed editor of the paper, and also send an electronic version. Include your name, daytime phone number, and address on the op-ed, and a short byline at the end ("Rev. Jane X is a minister at All Soul's Church. She recently returned from three weeks in Cuba)." Call the morning after the submission to make sure it was received. Keep your call very short. 

Tips

• Length: Varies from paper to paper, but is usually 500 to 800 words. Guidelines are often published in the paper or on their website—or just call!
• Before you begin writing consider your and the purpose of the op-ed. Are you calling people to action? Talking "common sense" into misguided public opinion? Pressuring for a change in policy right before a congressional vote? Remember who you are writing to, and gear your writing style toward your audience's level of knowledge. Refine your message based on who you're writing to and stick to the message throughout the op-ed.
• State your argument in the first paragraph. Use simple sentences, and avoid jargon. Be coherent—make sure that your reader can follow your argument from point to point. Remember that most people don't read articles or op-eds all the way through, so make your most important points at the beginning.
• Provide concrete evidence to support your points, but don't overwhelm your readers with numbers or statistics. Using personal experiences can be a powerful tool in convincing your audience, especially if you are writing for a local paper.
• Analogies are a helpful tool, or quirky sound bites, ("Sending more military aid to Colombia is like pouring gasoline on a fire," or our personal favorite, "Congress should remember the first rule of holes: when you find yourself in one, stop digging").
• Make sure the issue you are writing on is timely, relevant, and in the news. An excellent time to write an op-ed on policy toward a Latin American country would be right before or right after a major event or before a major congressional vote.
• If you are writing for a local paper, link it to local issues so the paper will be more interested in picking it up.
• Only submit your op-ed to one newspaper.

DOs

1. Do learn members' committee assignments and where their specialties lie.
   
2. Do identify the aide(s) that handle the issues and build a relationship with them.
   
3. Do present the need for what you're asking the member to do. Use reliable information.
   
4. Do relate situations in their home state or district to legislation.
   
5. Do, in the case of voting records, ask why the member voted the way she/he did.
   
6. Do show openness to knowledge of the counterarguments.
   
7. Do admit what you don't know. Offer to find out and send information back to the office.
   
8. Do spend time even when the member has a position against yours. You can lessen the intensity of his/her opposition, or you might even change her/his position.

DON'Ts

1. Don't overload a congressional lobby visit with too many issues. One visit for one or two topics.
   
2. Don't confront, threaten, pressure, or beg or speak with a moralistic tone.
3. Don't be argumentative; speak with calmness and commitment so as not to put them on the defensive.
4. Don't use easy ideological arguments.
5. Don't overstate the case. Members and staff are very busy.
6. Don't expect members to be specialists; their schedule and workload make them generalists.
   
7. Don't make promises you can't keep.
8. Don't leave the visit without leaving a position or fact sheet in the office.

Following up is the key to building a relationship with your elected officials, so don't forget to do it! The better you follow up, the more they'll keep you informed when your issue comes up in Congress and turn to you for trusted information and advice.

If Your Congressperson Agrees with You: Don't forget to follow up your meeting with a thank you and a review of your main points. Always take that opportunity to include any new printed information on your issue that you think is relevant (newspaper articles, editorials, letters from organizations in the country you're talking about, letters from your church, petitions, etc). Continue to send materials whenever you see something interesting. Remember, just because they agree with you now doesn't mean that others aren't trying to change their mind. If you keep your position in their mind, they are less likely to change theirs.

If Your Congressperson Does Not Agree with You: Arrange to take other constituents in to meet with them. In follow-up meetings, always reiterate that you are asking your representative to take your opinions, as constituents, into account. Remind them that the issue you are there to talk about is important to you, and, very importantly, to your vote.