Writing a Letter to the Editor

Ellen Bishop

Who reads the newspaper? Your elected officials and your fellow concerned citizens! Getting your opinion published in your local paper can help bring important public lands issues to the attention of others in your community and your elected leaders.

fact

What defines Oregon’s high desert?

What defines Oregon’s high desert?

Bounded by the Cascade Mountains to the west and the Blue Mountains to the north, Oregon’s high desert covers approximately 24,000 square miles. Annual rainfall in the high desert varies from 5 to 14 inches. The average elevation is 4,000 feet; at 9,733 feet, the summit of Steens Mountain is the highest point in Oregon’s high desert. The terrain of the high desert was mostly formed by a series of lava flows that occurred between 30 and 10 million years ago.

Sources: The Oregon Encyclopedia; Wikipedia  

watch

Helen Harbin on Wildlife

Helen Harbin on Wildlife

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Wildflower Poetry Reading

Wildflower Poetry Reading

How to write an effective letter to the editor in six simple steps:

  1. Follow the rules of the publication. Most papers limit letters to 250 words. Don’t go over your limit. Find links to the letters to the editor policies for many Oregon papers below, as well as instructions for how to submit your letter.
  2. Be concise. Choose one topic to focus on, and state your opinion clearly and briefly at the beginning of your letter, then use local examples, personal experience, or relevant facts to back it up.
  3. Keep it current. Write about something happening right now, or a topic the newspaper recently wrote about. If you’re responding to an article or editorial, mention it and the date it ran.
  4. Make a clear ask that offers a solution. What do you want the reader, the editor of the paper, or your elected leaders to do after they read your letter?
  5. Revise your letter and let it sit. If you used emotional language (words like stupid, dumb, ridiculous, silly, or expletives), take it out. When you can, wait a few hours after your write your letter, then read it again before you send it. Or, send it to a trusted friend for feedback.
  6. Send it in. Don’t let “the perfect be the enemy of the good.” Your letter does not need to be Pulitzer Prize-worthy to be effective. Take a deep breath, and press send!

Letter Submission Policies – Select Oregon Newspapers:

  • For the Willamette Weekly: Letters to the editor must include the author’s street address and phone number for verification. Letters must be 250 or fewer words. Submit to: 2220 NW Quimby St., Portland, OR 97210 or, email: mzusman@wweek.com

Letter Submission Policies – Select National Outlets:

Letter Submission Policies – Select Regional Outlets: