Writing Letters to the Editor

Lynnell Burkett, Editorial Page Editor of the San Antonio Express-News explains that the Express-News, one of the larger metropolitan daily newspapers in the nation with a daily circulation of nearly 200,000 (nearly 300,000 on Sundays), prints only about one of every five letters to the editor it receives. However, writers can obtain a success rate much better than 20 percent in getting their letters from pen to newspaper page if they follow a few simple guidelines.

Maximum Number of Words

Newspapers impose a maximum number of words limit on the letters they publish on editorial pages. For the Express-News, the limit is 250 words per letter. Many letters never get published, simply because the writer did not adhere to the limit on number of words. A maximum of 250 words is in the range of what many other newspapers follow. Longer op-ed commentaries can range from 450 to 1,000 words for different newspapers.

To find out the limit for your newspaper, simply call the newspaper's phone number listed in the local public telephone directory and ask for the maximum number of words accepted for letters to the editor or for op-ed commentaries. (Op-ed stands for opposite the editorial page. Many newspapers have an op-ed page immediately following and facing the page that has the editorials and letters to the editor.)

Include Your Address and Telephone Number

If you don't include your address and telephone number, don't expect to see your letter to the editor or longer, op-ed commentary printed. The San Antonio Express-News and many other newspapers don't publish your address and daytime phone number with the letter, but they need this information to contact writers for confirmation. "So don't send a letter before heading off for a three-week vacation," Burkett advised at a past ASPB Public Affairs workshop. Writers generally don't hear whether their letters are selected until at least a few days after it is received by the newspaper.

Handwrite Your Name

Remember to include your signature in ink at the bottom of your letter. Letters that request use of initials only are not published. The theory is that individuals should take responsibility for their opinions.

Make it Readable

If editors can't decipher the handwriting in the body of the letter, they can't publish it. Typewritten or computer-generated letters avoid this problem.

Stick to One Major Point

If you are writing a letter about support for plant research, don't digress into other topics. Editors are looking for letters on one particular subject.

Assume Some Degree of "Goodwill"

"We are not perfect, and try as we might, we will, on occasion, write a misleading headline, leave out a word or cut a sentence in your favor. It is not a plot. We are not out to sabotage you or your letter. We did not treat your letter with disrespect because we disagreed with it. We have, I assure you, been charged with all of the above," Burkett said.

Members of Congress Read Local Editorial Pages

A letter to the editor of your local daily and weekly newspapers can be of more interest to your members of Congress than letters to national newspapers. Burkett pointed out that a U.S. Senator from Texas responded directly to the Express-News the same day a letter to the editor referring to the Senator was published in the newspaper. In comparison, a national newspaper like The New York Times does not have circulation among voters in Congressional districts outside New York that even approaches the size of the circulation of most local newspapers. It is also generally more difficult to get a letter published in a national newspaper. Keep an emphasis on your local newspapers.

Interacting with Editorial Boards

Just the thought of attempting to schedule a meeting with the editorial board of the local newspaper can be intimidating to many people. Burkett said she has observed the intimidating effect editorial board meetings have on many people. Some groups of individuals walk into these meetings treating them as pressure-packed events where each participant must speak in a particular order and say only a few words. Some people find even approaching editorial boards so daunting that they hire public relations firms to set up the meetings. It is better to relax and aim for a normal conversation flow with the newspaper editorial board.

To arrange the meeting, call up the editorial page editor, explain briefly the topic you'd like to discuss, the name of the colleague(s) who will accompany you and ask for an appointment. The editorial board meeting might include simply an editorial page editor and the reporter who covers your area. Although you probably won't walk out of the meeting with a commitment for a lead editorial supporting your views, you'll have provided an important perspective for the editorial and science writers to consider the next time they do write on a topic affecting science. You also will have established a line of communication with the local science writer and your editorial page editor which could lead to future interaction. You may find that you are one of very few scientists from any discipline who has met with your newspaper editorial board.

Contact ASPB

The ASPB Committee on Public Affairs members and ASPB staff are working to bring more information on plant research to the editorial pages of daily and weekly newspapers. If you have questions on writing letters to the editor, please send an e-mail message to bhyps@aspb.org.

As Burkett observed, "I'm convinced letters are one of the best-read and most worthwhile features. Nowhere are we more closely connected to our readers."