Tips on writing a letter to the editor and getting it printed:
- Letters should have a clear message.
- Letters should be concise, to the point and original.
- Don't overcmplicate your message - focus on on no more than a few key points. It is a good idea to stress or repeat your key message(s).
- Letters are usually 2-3 paragraphs (approximately 250 words); they are more likely to be printed if they are short and clear.
- The tone of the letter should be straight-forward, civil and sincere.
- You can write the letter as an individual or as a representative of an organization such as a local Tibet Support Group.
- Present a local angle - if you are a member of a Tibet support group make that clear and stress that you represent a larger group and a powerful, widely supported international movement.
- Excercise your power as a constituent and call upon your Senators or Members of Congress, by name, to take action on behalf of Tibet and Tibetans.
- Highlight a human interest element, if appropriate, by portraying the Tibetan situation through the story of an individual Tibetan like the young Panchen Lama or another Tibetan political prisoner.
- Be sure to include your contact information, including your telephone number, and identify yourself and any relevent group (e.g., local Tibet support group) or organization (e.g., ICT) that you are affiliated with.
How are these letters used?
Newspapers and magazines print letters to the editor in part to allow others to raise or comment on issues that editors themselves may not. The letters section can provide a forum for local and regional awareness-building about Tibet and help expose the community to new or challenging topics within the Tibet issue.
Any time you see an article about China or U.S.-China relations in your local paper that you feel does not give full or accurate treatment to Tibet, take the opportunity to express your opinion in a letter to the editor. Alternatively, if you see an article that you feel represents the issue fairly and accurately, take the opportunity to write in and say so!
What can these letters accomplish?
Letters to the editor can be effective in getting your message out to others and raising the profile of Tibet in your community and beyond.
A letter that you write which gets published in your local newspaper may even help lead to greater media exposure opportunities such as local radio or TV attention if you can include a copy of your published letter when sending your request to a program producer.
Letters can also be used to keep an issue in the public's eye over an extended period of time: if a series of letters about a single issue can get printed. This might take the form of an exchange between multiple writers with different positions or comments on an issue. Sometimes exchanges like this can flesh out a topic and help make readers think harder about that topic.
Below are some examples of message points to focus on in a letter to the editor:
- The recent release of Tibetan ethnomusicologist Ngawang Choephel is a welcome step but not a major concession.
- Ngawang Choephel was a political prisoner but not a political figure. There are still hundreds of Tibetan political prisoners imprisoned by China including Chadrel Rinpoche, Ngawang Sangdrol, Tanak Jigme Sangpo and the Panchen Lama, one of the world's youngest political prisoners.
- The President needs to push for negotiations and demonstrate that he will follow through on his commitment, which he made to the Dalai Lama at the White House in May.
- It will be a challenge for the Bush whether he can effectively raise and deal with the issue of Tibet with the Chinese President.
