Laura KirbyMcIntosh OCT For classroomtraining purposes only Do not reproduce without permission What is a letter to the editor A letter sent to a publication about issues of concern from its readers Usually letters are intended for publication In many publications letters to ID: 593713
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Slide1
How to write a letter to the editor
Laura Kirby-McIntosh, O.C.T.
©
For classroom/training purposes only
Do not reproduce without permissionSlide2
What is a letter to the editor?
A letter sent to a publication about issues of concern from its readers. Usually, letters are intended for publication. In many publications, letters to the editor may be sent either through conventional
mail, fax, or
electronic mail.
Letters to the editor are most frequently associated with newspapers and news magazines. However, they are sometimes published in other periodicals.Slide3
Key Strategies:
Most newspapers have a web site.
Check the paper’s web site or the editorial/opinion page for information about submitting a letter to the editor. Some newspapers have an online submission form which you can use.
Check the newspaper’s print guidelinesSlide4
TIPS FOR GETTING PUBLISHEDResponding to a recently published article is one of the best ways to increase your chance of being published
The e
ditor
contact info is usually listed in the editorial section of the newspaperCite the date, title, writer and subject of the article you are responding to in your letterR
espect the word limitdo your homework – state facts that support your opinionSlide5
Keep it brief and to the point!
Letters should be concise
Newspapers typically have a word limit of about 250 words (about 3 paragraphs)
Editors are less likely to print long letters. Slide6
MORE TIPSWrite/create your own headline
Unless you represent an organization related to the issue, you
do not need to introduce yourself
make it personal - use personal experiencesproofread, proofread, proofreadYou needa clever, closing punch line. Use humour, something
dramatic, or aquestion to think onYour best point should be this last point - end with a bangWrite
to a local
paper, not just the big city papersSlide7
Make your letter timely…
Tie the subject of your letter to a recent article, editorial or column.
Use that article as a hook for communicating your message. Small-circulation newspapers usually print many of the letters they receive. It is more challenging to get a letter printed in a major metropolitan newspaper, so don’t be disappointed if it doesn’t get printed. Slide8
Localize your letter
Make a connection to how this issue affects people in your local community.
Lend
credibility to your letter by noting your
professional / personal experiences in the community that prompted you to write on this topic. Slide9
Tone…
Be mindful of the tone of your letter
The tone of your letter can either support or overpower the substance of the message you are trying to communicate.
Therefore, choosing and controlling tone2 is an important element of your communication. Slide10
Editors like…
Editors
like to confirm that the letter was actually written by the person whose name is on it.
Include your name, title, address and daytime phone number Also be sure to
provide your professional title and affiliation, (if applicable) as it lends credibility to your letter.Slide11
Send you letter to many different newspapers and magazines!
Many metropolitan areas have free weekly community newspapers that go to thousands of homes.
Many cities also have newspapers for specific ethnic groups.
Consider sending your letter to the editors of these other widely-read publications.
It is a greater chance that your letter will be published if you send it to a local newspaper Slide12
It is not just about you, it is about the people!
Tell the readers upfront why they should care for
Keep referring back to the people and tell them HOW OR WHY they are affected or should care about the issue that you chose
Tell the audience to TAKE ACTION!
Don’t just tell them about the issue… tell them what they can do to help (sign a petition, talk to people, donate , join a group etc…)Slide13
Example:
Re: Hope at a high cost, Feb. 6; Dreams coming true, by Brian Cross, Feb. 9.
Thank you, Windsor Star, for publishing these articles and for positioning these articles so prominently in the paper.
It is my great hope that this exposure will help to generate public interest in the growing number of children receiving diagnoses of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the wait time to receive life changing therapy, and the exorbitantly high cost of that therapy.
Because of the wait lists in Windsor (which are actually much shorter than in other areas of the province), we pursued therapy in the U.S. for our preschooler with ASD. We were fortunate enough to find an opening for him in the U.S. with no wait time.Our son has been receiving therapy five days a week in the U.S. for two years now, and he is a different child. His gains in language and social development have been nothing short of
staggering. The
child who wouldn’t respond to his name now asks for me to play with him, and just this weekend he performed a puppet show with his sister for us. But the costs incurred to achieve these gains are almost as staggering. It has been worth every penny, but it should not have cost us the price of a new house to get it.
I am excited about the opening of the new Therapeutic Learning Centre that has opened in Windsor. This new private centre provides a local alternative to the two excellent programs previously available (Thames Valley and Summit Centre), which both have waiting lists over a year long.
Due to the one-on-one nature of the therapy, it is exceedingly expensive to provide. With a quoted price of $3,700 ($44,400 a year), it is much less expensive than what was previously available by heading to the U.S., but the cost still is a barrier for many families.
It is devastating as a parent to know that there is a therapy available that will improve the quality of life for your child, but you cannot access it because you cannot afford
it. Many
U.S. states have mandated that private insurance plans must provide coverage related to autism therapy. In Michigan, for example, insurers must provide children under the age of six with an annual benefit of $50,000 for autism
therapy. Insurers
are provided some compensation from the state for these costs. In Ontario, we need to do better for our children.
As I have learned through my son’s therapy, every single day does make a difference. To have to wait over a year for a placement, or a year for funding is excruciating for parents and can make a difference in long-term outcomes for our children.
I am hopeful that the publicity that autism and the related therapy is getting as of late will help prompt changes in the legislature in Toronto.
This is Ontario. We shouldn’t have to wait over a year, nor should we have to mortgage our homes to get therapy for our children that is so life-changing.
PAMELA LUVISOTTO, LaSalle