Letters to the editor can be a very effective way to
advocate for improvements in funding for mental health
programs. Letters to the editor are an inexpensive way
to get the word out. They generate support and, since
most legislators monitor the letters to the editor in
local papers, they also help persuade them to do the
right thing.
It’s easy to write a letter to the editor; anyone can do
it. The trick is to write a letter that will get
published. So here are some tips gleaned from several
websites and from years of my own letter writing.
1.
Include your full name, address and phone
number. Most papers call the writer to confirm that the
letter is by who it says it’s by. Most papers will
withhold your name from publication, but if that’s what
you want, you must make that clear at the end of your
letter.
2.
Keep your letter short and focused. Most papers
limit their letters to the editor to 250 or 300 words.
3.
Don’t rant. Instead focus on the problem,
stating it as clearly as you can in the first
paragraph. You may also want to call for a solution –
perhaps directed at the Illinois State Legislature –
although you may not necessarily have to have a
solution.
4.
Keep your sentences and paragraphs short
and to the point.
5.
When you have finished your letter read it
out loud to yourself to see if it reads smoothly. If
not, revise it and smooth out the rough places. Then
proofread your letter for spelling, grammar, etc. Make
it easy for the paper to publish your letter.
6.
If you want to send your letter to
multiple newspapers, make each letter different. Or
write your letter, send it to the first newspaper, wait
a week or ten days, and if they don’t publish it, then
send it to another paper.
7.
Be hopeful and optimistic – one website
put it this way:
You
can change the world, just not right away.
Letters to the editor should be thought of as bits of a
sustained civic conversation. You are not going to
change hearts and minds with a single letter. But you
might have a chance with several, well-written letters
offered over time. Write for the moment. Write for the
one point you're making today. Don't write as if you
expect to slam-dunk the issue for all time. Ain't going
to happen.
The more letters we can generate the better, so if you
want to help, start typing!
