Get Involved - Write Letters to the Editor and Elected Officials

Writing a letter-to-the-editor of your local newspaper can serve two purposes. First, it can help educate people in your community about tobacco-related issues. Secondly, it can impact the position of your elected officials. Members of Congress, state legislators, and city/county council members regularly receive the newspapers from their district and pay close attention to the editorials and letters to the editor. Here are a few tips to keep in mind to increase your chances of publication: Call the paper and ask if there is a word limit. Also, ask whether or not personal information, such as an address or phone number, must be included with the letter. This information is often listed in the editorial section of your newspaper. Some editors will not publish a letter if they cannot call to confirm that you sent it. Keep your letters short and stick to one point. Papers are more likely to print a letter that is clear and concise and focused on one issue. Support your position with facts. Rural Indiana papers often have more space to publish letters than the larger urban papers. Stay current. Write about issues while they are in the news. Write letters to the editor to keep tobacco-related issues in the news. Read the paper occasionally and see what types of letters are being published and what the topics are. Double check all grammar and punctuation. An editor will question the validity of the information in a letter with outstanding grammar mistakes. Always remember to include a date. Don't get discouraged if your letter is not printed. Newspapers receive hundreds of letters each week and cannot print them all. Try again with another angle on the problem. MAIL: Attn: Jeffrey W. Owen Daily Journal P.O. Box 699 Franklin, IN 46131 Letters to the Editor The Indianapolis Star P.O. Box 145 Indianapolis, IN 46206-0145 WEB SITE: Daily Journal .. click here Indy Star ... click here E-MAIL: Daily Journal - publisher Jeffrey W. Owen - click here Indianapolis Star - editor - click here PLEASE: We would like a copy of your correspondense MAIL: Partnership for a Healthier Johnson County P.O. Box 549 Franklin, IN 46131 E-MAIL Add our name to the CC of your e-mail - just copy and paste the below partnership@johnsonmemorial.org