Resources for writing letters to the editor

• Elements of a Letter to the Editor
• Contact Information for Local Newspapers
• Sample Letter Opposing the Constitutional Convention - (from the Alliance for Retired Americans)

Elements of a Letter to the Editor

• Respond promptly — do not wait more than a couple of days to comment on a newspaper article.
• Facts and figures must be accurate — do the research.
• Be concise, focused and polite — provide a succinct single argument if disagreeing with something in an article.
• Create a title — place in subject line.
• Address the letter as "Dear Editor."
• Place the text in the body of the email — no attachments.
• Bcc your email to: retirees@uft.org.
• Limit your letter to two or three paragraphs — 200 word limit.

• Paragraph 1: State the purpose of the letter — name the article you are responding to.
  Introduce the problem and sum up your objection — make your point early.

• Paragraph 2: Write a few sentences to support your view — cite sources, provide documentation.

• Paragraph 3: Summarize your argument — end with a clever line.

• Include your name, address, email address and phone number in the email — you may request your name not be published, but you must provide all information so that the newspaper can validate who you are.

Contact Information for Local Newspapers

Local Newspapers

For your own local, weekly or community newspaper, you should be able to find their e-mail address on the editorial or title page or on-line.

Some of the larger newspaper addresses are listed here:

• Daily News
  Email address: voicers@edit.nydailynews.com
  Letters to the Editor, NY Daily News, 4 New York Plaza, New York, NY 1000
  Include full name, address and phone number. (This information will be used for verification purposes only). The Daily News reserves the right to edit letters.
   
• New York Post
  Email address: letters@nypost.com
  Letters to the Editor, New York Post, 1211 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10036-8790
  You must provide your first name, last name, email address, and the subject or issue you are writing about. Maximum number of words is 200. They reserve the right to edit and condense all letters.
   
• New York Times
  Email address: letters@nytimes.com
  Letters to the Editor, The New York Times, 620 Eighth Avenue, New York, NY 10018, Fax:  212 556-3622
  • Letters to the editor should only be sent to the Times, and not to other publications. They do not publish open letters or third-party letters.
  • Letters for publication should be no longer than 150 words, must refer to an article that has appeared within the last seven days, and must include the writer's address and phone numbers. No attachments, please.
  • They cannot return or acknowledge unpublished letters. Writers of those letters selected for publication will be notified within a week. Letters may be shortened for space requirements.
     
• Newsday
  Go to letters@newsday.com and submit the online form.
  Letters to the Editor, Newsday, 235 Pine Lawn Road, Melville, NY 11747
  Before submitting your letter to the editor, please type your name at the end, as though you are signing it. If you leave your name off, Newsday will assume you intend to comment anonymously and will not print your letter. Letter cannot be more than 5,000 characters and will be edited before publication.
   
• Staten Island Advance
  Email editor@silive.com
  “Your Opinion”, Staten Island Advance, 950 Fingerboard Road, Staten Island, NY 10305
  Letters should be 200 or fewer words to be considered for publication in the print edition of the Advance (500 or fewer words for the on-line version only). The following MUST be included with your letter or it will not be considered for publication:
  Real full name Complete address (including house number, street and town) Daytime phone number
   
• Wall Street Journal
  Email address:wsj.ltrs@wsj.com
  Letters to the Editor, Wall Street Journal, 1211 6^th Avenue, New York, NY10036
  Address comments to Timothy Lemmer, the letters editor. Make sure to include the date, your city and state in the email.

CONTACT INFORMATION FOR OUT-OF-TOWN NEWSPAPERS

Sample Letter Opposing the Constitutional Convention - (from the Alliance for Retired Americans)

Letter to the Editor template

Newspaper address

To the editor –

There are almost never simple solutions to complex challenges and for this reason, a no vote on a Constitutional Convention is the only sensible choice for New Yorkers this November.  We all want better government but creating an open-ended process controlled by professional politicians at a cost of potentially hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars, isn’t the best way to achieve it.

Seniors especially should understand that the state constitution has important protections such as provisions against age discrimination, the right to an absentee ballot, assurance of access to nursing care and labor standards.

(alternate paragraphs:)

1

Seniors should understand that the state constitution provides protection against age discrimination.  This is especially important on the job and in seeking employment as about 1/3 of 65-75 year olds in New York still work and make up a significant portion of the workforce.

Or 2

Seniors should understand that the state constitution provides important labor protections, setting the standards for the minimum wage, workday hours and fairness in how overtime is paid.

Or 3

Seniors, who use the absentee ballot more than any other group, should understand that the state constitution provides important protections on ensuring their voting rights.

Or 4

Retirees that depend on their pensions can lose them.  This will result in a dramatic blow to the NYS economy as those pensions create 216,000 jobs, contribute $35 billion to the economy and result in $4.13 billion in New York State taxes.

There are already better ways to modify the constitution than by opening it up to wholesale changes that put rights and protections at risk.