Your Role In Advocacy | Media Communications | Media Contacts

Advocacy Outreach – Media Communications

Letters to the Editor

Letters to the Editor is one of the most widely read sections of your daily newspaper. It presents an ideal opportunity for you to raise awareness of a timely issue or to respond to the newspaper's coverage of a particular event or issue that is relevant to your organization’s mission and provision of services.

A letter to the editor should be brief – 150 words or less – however, lengthier letters may be considered for publication. Newspapers generally have limits on word count as well as the letter's timeliness. Newspapers also prefer to receive original letters that have not been published or submitted for publication elsewhere. Before sitting down to write your letter, determine the newspaper's policy on Letters to the Editor.

When composing your letter, use the following points as a general guide:

Include the headline of the article you are referencing and the date it appeared.
Describe why your perspective on the news item is unique or valuable.
Explain your position on the news item – or your "take" on it.
Use facts to support your position.
Include your name, town, and phone number. Your phone number will not be published; however, the paper will contact you to verify that you wrote the letter.

Press Releases

A press release provides information to the media with the objective of letting the media know about an event and the organization in hopes they pass along the information to their audience. A well-crafted press release presents facts in a positive light and can provide valuable name recognition and credibility. There is no guarantee that the media will select a story. Here are some helpful tips for writing a good press release.

Use a creative headline that grabs the journalist's attention – keep it short.
Put the most important information, with the "hook" up front – the journalist should be able to tell what the release is about from the first paragraph.
Avoid hype and unsubstantiated claims – stick to the facts and provide specific information.
Don't use jargon and/or acronyms. Instead, use terminology that the public will understand.
Explain how people will benefit.
Keep it short: one page is desirable; two the maximum.
Include a "boiler plate" at the bottom of your release that gives a brief overview of your organization.
Include your contact information to ensure that the news media can follow up with someone in the organization for more information or to schedule an interview.
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