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Journalistic Writing MCM310

LECTURE 41

LETTERS TO EDITORS

Guide to Letter-Writing

Sometimes the pen -- or word processor -- really is mightier than the sword -- and you don't have to be

Shakespeare! Writing letters to newspapers, businesses, and legislators is an easy, effective way to help animals.

Here's how...

Letters to the Editor

When you write letters to the editors of local newspapers instead of writing to just one person, you reach

thousands! And it's easier than you might think.

Read local papers and magazines for fuel for letters. Watch for articles, ads, or letters that mention

animals.

Letters don't have to be rebuttals. Circus in town? Noticing a lot of strays? Or use the calendar for

inspiration: At Easter, tell readers why they shouldn't buy bunnies. On Mother's Day, remind your

community of the animals whose babies are taken from them on factory farms.

Write on good news, as well as bad. Thank the paper for its coverage of an anti-fur protest or for

running profiles of animals available for adoption at shelters.

Be brief! Sometimes one short, pithy paragraph is enough--tries to stay under 300 words (about one

typed page). Editors are less likely to print long letters.

Type, if possible. Otherwise, print legibly. Be sure to use correct grammar and spelling, and remember

to have it proofread.

Make sure you include your name, address, and telephone number in your letter. Some newspapers

verify authorship before printing letters.

Look for opportunities to write op-ed pieces for local papers. These are longer articles of about 500 -

800 words that summarize an issue, develop an argument, and propose a solution. Send the article to

the Editorial Page editor.

You can also write (or call) television and radio stations to protest glorification of animal abuse or to

compliment them on a program well done.

You can also write (or call) television and radio stations to protest glorification of animal abuse or to

compliment them on a program well done.

Four important aspects about letters:

Purpose: - your reason for writing, main idea, the bottom-line.

· Prompt: - supportive details, various aspects of the issue, your points of discussion

Tone: - formality, courtesy, politeness,

Format: - protocol for letter, layout etc.

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Journalistic Writing MCM310

Letter parts:

Core Components

Optional Components

1. Sender's address

1. Status

2. Date

2. Reference line

3. Inside address

3. Attention line

4. Salutation

4. Typing notation

5. Subject line

5. Enclosure

6. Bottom-line

6. Copy notation

7. Discussion

7. Post script

8. Windup

8. Page notation

9. Closing notation

10. Signed name

11. Typed name

12. Designation

Punctuation: Open and closed-punctuation

Layout: Full blocked, blocked and semi-blocked

Paragraphing: point by point and in accordance with principles of organization

Tone:

No name-calling

No blames or allegations

No criticism on people but their ideas

Use positive words and be assertive throughout your writing.

Organizing letters:

State your purpose first unless you have overriding reasons for not doing so.

When a message has more than one purpose, state all purposes at the beginning, or write additional

messages.

State your purpose first, even if you know the editor needs background information before he can fully

understand the purpose of your communication.

Bottom-line non-sensitive information in order of importance to the editor.

Put longer messages to the editor into an attachment.

In case of negative situations, consider a circuitous approach.

In negative-persuasive situations, use a circuitous pattern for most."

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Journalistic Writing MCM310

Some Tips on Style

Increase your credibility by mentioning anything that makes you especially qualified to write on a topic:

For instance, "As a nutritionist, I know a veggie diet is healthy," or, "as a mother," or, "as a former fur-

wearer," or, "as a cancer survivor," etc.

Try to tell readers something they're not likely to know--such as how chickens are raised to produce

eggs--and encourage them to take action (such as to stop buying eggs).

Keep personal grudges and name-calling out of letters; they'll hurt your credibility.

Don't give lip service to anti-animal arguments. Speak affirmatively.

EXAMPLE

"It's not true vegetarians are weaklings."

BETTER

"Vegetarians are healthier and slimmer and live years longer than flesh-eaters."

Avoid self-righteous language and exaggeration. Readers may dismiss arguments if they feel preached

the

author

sounds

hysterical.

EXAMPLE

"Only a heartless sadist could continue to eat animals when any fool knows their lives are snuffed out

in screaming agony for the satisfaction of people who can't be bothered to take a moral stand."

BETTER

"Most compassionate people would stop eating meat if they saw how miserable the animals are."

Don't

assume

your

audience

knows

the

issues.

EXAMPLE

"Don't

support

the

cruel

veal

industry."

BETTER

"Calves factory-farmed for veal are tethered in small stalls and kept in complete darkness. Their

mothers also endure sad fates, starting with the loss of their infants a few days after birth."

Inclusive

language

helps

your

audience

identify

with

you.

EXAMPLE

"Eating

meat

bad

for

your

health."

BETTER

"We know eating meat is bad for our health."

Use

positive

suggestions

rather

than

negative

commands.

EXAMPLE

"Don't

the

circus."

BETTER

"Let's take our families to non-animal circuses."

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Journalistic Writing MCM310

· Personalize

your

writing

with

anecdotes

and

visual

images.

EXAMPLE

"Leg

hold

traps

can

trap

animal

the

face,

leg,

stomach."

BETTER

"Have you ever seen a yearling fox with her face caught in a leg hold trap? I have, which is how I know

traps tear into an animal's face, leg, or stomach."

Avoid speciesist language. Instead of referring to an animal with an inanimate pronoun ("it" or

"which"), use "she" or "he."

Avoid euphemisms ("negative reinforcement," "culling the herd"); say what you really mean ("painful

electric shocks," "slaughtering deer").

Criticize

the

cruelty,

not

the

newspaper.

EXAMPLE

"There

excuse

for

your

article

promoting

the

circus."

BETTER

"There is no excuse for the abuse that goes on in the circus."

XXX

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