Nanaimo, Duncan & District Labour Council 

Letters To The Editor

Letters To The Editor Tips

Establish the Key Message You Want to Send

• No more than two key messages.
• Make these messages the focus of your letter.
• Stick to the key messages and don't get sidetracked.

Identify Your Audience and Their Values. Make Your Message Appeal to Their Values

• Don't try to appeal to the converted (20%) or to the hostile (another 20%).
• Speak to the people who aren't strongly committed either way (60%).

Speak From Your Personal Experience

• Speak personally about your own background and experience.
• Speak as a worker and a citizen of your community.
• For example - it's all about caring for patients, about better care.
  
• It's not about your "narrow self-interest" as a health care worker or jurisdictional squabbles with other health care workers.

Avoid Jargon, Techno-Speak or Medical or Industrial Terminology

• Express sincere sympathy for the public interest.
• Don't talk down to the audience.
• Back up your general statements with credible, specific examples.

Unless You're Tom Clancy, Short & Simple is Better than Long & Complex

• You're more likely to  be published without edits.
• You're more likely to be read and remembered.

Organizational Hints

• The first paragraph is critical. Begin with a clear statement of your message, the focus of what you're writing about.

• "Pyramid Style" can help you organize your points clearly and cleanly.

• "Backing in" to the main point can be effective with some writing experience - for example beginning with a colourful reference or an anecdote to illustrate your main point, then coming to your main point. However, you risk losing your audience if your writing isn't done well enough. 

• Emphasis - To emphasize key points, you can also use - in a limited way - boldface, underlining or italics.
  

Address for letters