Writing a Letter to the Editor
Oct. 11, 2022 - Writing a Good Letter to the Editor
When you read headlines like, “Police Kill Suspect” or “Prosecutor Finds Officers Justified in Fatal Shooting” does it light a fire in your belly? Washington Coalition for Police Accountability strongly encourages people who want police violence reduced and their accountability increased to write letters to the editor (LTE) of newspapers in their area. LTEs are an effective way to reach a wide audience. They are published on or near the editorial page, a place most readers visit. Legislators or their staffers regularly read these to see what constituents think. Even a letter that is not published may influence an editor to give more coverage to your topic.
Here are a few tips for success.
· Think locally. Read minor as well as major papers in your area. Consider writing to any of them. Respond within a day or so to articles a paper has covered, especially front-page items. You can respond to letters, too. Identify the item to which you are referring.
· Write in your own words. You don't need to be a professional writer to say what you think. State the issue, tell why it is a problem, and then what action you want. Personal stories are very compelling. Be brief but clear.
· Name the legislator or public official whose action you may be seeking. This will ensure that their office reads your letter and forwards it to them. If your letter is published, follow up with that person.
· Leverage your expertise. If you are a person whose family was affected by police use of violence, consider saying so and speak from your heart. If you serve on an oversight panel, mention that.
· Be sure to include: Article with the title and date or incident or other impetus to which your letter responds. Your affiliation, if appropriate. Include your concern, your ties to the issue, and the steps you would like to have taken.
· Follow the paper’s guidelines. On the paper’s website, there is a page to submit letters to the editor. Check to ensure you are within the word limit. (Usually, 150 or fewer words is recommended.) Include your name and other requested contact information.
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Sample Letter to the Editor:
Most people believe crime is a problem. Police press an agenda that constantly claims crime is up. But what do national data show? A report from the Brennan Center for Justice noted in July 2022 that “More than six months into 2022, national-level data on crime in 2021 remains unavailable.” Read the WA Post article HERE.
There is no national method to collect crime data. How can we solve a problem we do not understand well? We need nationally easily accessible, transparent, thoroughly detailed, public data. Otherwise, police can and do claim what they please. Their claims of more crime are used to request more funding and to justify increased use of force.
The WA Coalition for Police Accountability (of which I am a member) knows data matters. It’s not like the data do not exist. Police agencies record crimes daily. We need a system for promptly collating the data into one national, publicly searchable database.
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If you would like assistance with writing, editing, or proofreading our team is available. If you get published, let us know. We will amplify your message. Contact us at info@wcforpa.org.
