This example is based on writing a letter to the Vancouver Sun. Thanks to Dale Littlejohn at BC SEA!
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR EXPECTED TIME: <10 MINUTES
1. Step 1 - SCAN:
a. Go to: http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/index.html
b. Scan the articles for any interesting ones related to energy (for instance, Sat. Sept.23 has “Sun’s Energy Series” under CURRENT FEATURES as you scroll through.
2. Step 2 - READ:
a. If there’s an article of interest, read it to get the gist of it
b. Determine if there might be anything you could say to support the position or to challenge the position.
c. Note the title of the article and the date (useful to highlight and copy the article headline).
3. Step 3 – REPLY:
a. Scroll to the VERY BOTTOM of whatever page you are on in the VancouverSun site.
b. The LAST SECTION in the MENU BAR on the LEFT should be “LETTERS”, under that, there should be “TO THE EDITOR”. Click on this. This should take you to: http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/letters.html
c. Fill in the basic info in the short form (depending on how you have your browser configured, once you start, the rest may auto-fill)
d. Enter your letter in the box at the bottom
4. Step 4 – WAIT:
a. Wait for a phone call from the Vancouver Sun if your letter caught their eye and is being considered for publication
STYLE NOTES on letters to the editor to improve chances of success:
• Stay within the word limit, ideally under it.
• Start by referencing the article to which you are responding
• Be concise – short, simple sentences – remember the average reading level of a subscriber is relatively low
• Be opinionated – no use writing if you don’t have an opinion, no use publishing if you don’t stir the pot a bit
• Do not attack the reporter individually please
• When you have communicated your point, stop writing. Less is more.
• To be a real pro, read the letters to the editor every now and then to see what style gets published.
WHY LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
• Elected officials have clipping services that monitor them — if they see a shift in momentum toward sustainable energy, they will note this. They have to get elected again.
• Other people read them (not me, but apparently a lot of people do)
• Energy is not an engineering problem, it’s a human perception problem, this helps
