WRITING LETTERS TO THE EDITOR What are letters to the editor? 1.

Letters to the editor are principally letters written by individuals to share their opinions on current issues with the general public, or the readers of a newspaper/magazine. The letters are written to the media to provide an opportunity for anyone who reads the newspaper or magazines to express an opinion about a specific issue to a large audience. 2. Although the opinions in these letters are those of the individual writers, they play an important role in highlighting issues of public concern, inaccuracies and injustices besides providing additional information as well as request for immediate actions. On other instances, letters to the editor can also educate the public about certain issues or reply to other letters. 3. Letters to the editor are an effective means in influencing or shifting public opinion on matters of importance. They comment on events and printed news by bringing in fresh perspectives and analysis that may differ from those of the writer of the news. 4. Editors are busy people, and printing space in the newspaper is limited. Therefore, to give your letter a good chance of getting selected for publishing, you need to tailor your letter as closely as possible to the requirements of the newspaper. In general, keep in mind the following guidelines: a) The decision to share reader feedback is predicated on the quality of the writing, the timeliness, the relevance to the source article (including the correction of content errors), and an ethical standard that prohibits profanity, slander, and commentary that could be construed as selfpromotion. Study the submission guidelines carefully. These are located on the editorial page of the newspaper, and the guidelines will specify where the letter should be sent. A word limit may be listed as well. It's imperative you treat the editor with respect. Adhere to whatever rules which have been set forth if you want to see your letter in print. It is imperative that you submit type-written letters only. You are advised to address only ONE issue in a letter. Reference the general topic or specific news article (plus date) in your letter subject line. The editor will appreciate easy reference. Refrain from labeling your letter as "Expedite", "Urgent" or "Rush". (You'd be surprised how many people do this in the mistaken belief it will get them faster attention.)

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Newspaper editors look for letters that are timely, that is letters that relate to recent events, preferably events that have been reported in the same week. Thus, you should write your letter to the editor as soon as you have read the news article that prompts you to share your opinion with the public. Declare your position or opinion in the first sentence of your letter. This is important as it lets the editor know a lot about your letter from the first sentence, and it can be a great hook to gain the interest of the editor. Support your opening statement with facts that are accurate to the best of your knowledge. List the date, the headline, the page number. A writer can often spend all of his words reiterating his emotions. It is a better approach to offer new information that could potentially educate, influence or inspire your fellow readers. Apart from facts, you can also use figures, dates and comparisons to support your position or opinion. Recap your opinion, observation or concern in your final sentence. This ties everything neatly together from start to finish. Share your letter with several friends before you hit the send button. Extra pairs of eyes will help catch mistakes that you may have missed. Doublecheck your word count too! Include your complete contact information. This means that you should include your name, street address, phone number, and email so that an editor can follow up with you if necessary. It's the policy of many newspapers not to accept pseudonyms or publish letters as "Anonymous." Anonymous letters will not be published.

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SAMPLE OF CURRENT ISSUE 1

Source of news: ________________________ Date of news: ________________________

SAMPLE OF LETTER TO THE EDITOR 1 13 June 2010 Dear Editor Re: The rich not doing enough to help Date Salutation: eg. To the Editor Sir Heading

(signed) Marisa Demori 123, Jalan Puteri Desa Puteri

Signature Personal details: name, address, phone number

Ipoh, Perak 012 3456789

SAMPLE OF CURRENT ISSUE 2

Source of news: ____________________ Date of news: ____________________

SAMPLE OF LETTER TO THE EDITOR 2 13 June 2010 Dear Editor Re: Focus on immigrants instead Date Salutation: eg. To the Editor Sir Heading

(signed) Marisa Demori 123, Jalan Puteri

Signature Personal details: name, address, phone number

Desa Puteri Ipoh, Perak 012 3456789 IMPORTANT: 1. The opening sentence/paragraph states your reaction to a particular news report/ article/editorial that you have read in the newspaper/magazine, or a current issue. State clearly the specific issue or aspect of the issue you are reacting to, and your position to it. DO NOT provide a lengthy summary of the article. 2. Your opinion towards a news report/ article/editorial is your TOPIC SENTENCE of the letter. 3. The middle paragraph(s) present(s) your arguments supporting your opinion/position/analysis of the issue. Logical reasoning, personal experience, and statistics can be used. Provide specific details to convince the reader. 4. The closing/conclusion may propose a solution, state what action you want the reader to take, or simply reiterate the point you are arguing for. The content of this section is excerpted and edited from How to Write Letters to the Editor by Christina Hamlett. http://www.ehow.com/how_2363717_write-letterseditor-.html?ref=fuel&utm_source=yahoo&utm_medium=ssp&utm_campaign=yssp_art