Writing a letter to the editor

The document outlines how to write letters to the editor (LTEs) to reach wide audiences and influence legislators and corporations. It recommends responding to specific articles, following submission guidelines, sharing personal expertise, and using a structure that refutes claims, advocates for a position, and ends with a call to action.

• Letters to the editor are effective tools for communication because they reach a broad public audience and are monitored by congressional staffers to gauge the 'pulse' of constituent concerns.
• Even if a letter is not published, submitting one helps educate editors; a high volume of letters on a specific topic increases the likelihood that the newspaper will dedicate more news articles and editorial space to that issue.
• To increase the probability of publication, writers should respond to a specific article by citing its name, date, and author, follow the outlet's specific submission instructions, and write original content in their own words.
• Effective letters should explicitly name the legislator or corporation they intend to influence, share the author's relevant expertise, and follow a format of refuting a claim, advocating for a position, and providing a call to action.

APA

Union of Concerned Scientists (2008). Writing a letter to the editor. https://www.ucs.org/resources/writing-effective-letter-editor

Chicago

Union of Concerned Scientists. Writing a letter to the editor. 2008. https://www.ucs.org/resources/writing-effective-letter-editor.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Union of Concerned Scientists |title=Writing a letter to the editor |date=17 July 2008 |url=https://www.ucs.org/resources/writing-effective-letter-editor |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{unionofconcernedscientists2008writing, author = {{Union of Concerned Scientists}}, title = {{Writing a letter to the editor}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2008}, month = jul, url = {https://www.ucs.org/resources/writing-effective-letter-editor}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }