Jubilee USA Network
April 2004 Grassroots Monthly Action

Write a Letter to the Editor or Op-Ed on Debt!

At the end of this month, on April 24-25, the IMF and World Bank will meet in
Washington for their spring meetings. This event, together with other stories in
the news, provides an excellent “hook” to get letters to the editor and/or
op-eds published in your local newspaper or online publication about debt!
Writing a letter to the editor is easy, and letters are an effective tool to
reach people in your community as well as decision-makers with our message. Read
on for tips on how to write a letter, sample letters and talking points on
various topics, and other helpful information. Be sure to send a copy of your
letter to the Jubilee USA office if you get published!

The information below, and more, is available online at:
http://www.jubileeusa.org/jubilee.cgi?path=/take_action&page=april04_med... [2].

Please find below: (1) tips on how to write effective letters and op-eds; and
2) “hooks” you can use to respond to current news items with a letter about
debt, the IMF, and World Bank. This section also includes talking points and
sample letter formats that you can use or adapt into your own words.

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1. Tips on Writing Effective Letters and Op-Eds

a. Tips on Writing Effective Letters to the Editor

Writing a letter to the editor is the easiest and most effective way to get your
own words into the media. The letters section is one of most read sections of
the newspaper. some guidelines:

· Submit a SHORT letter – best to keep it in the range of 150-200 words.
· Sometimes who you are makes a difference as to whether your letter is
printed, and other times it is the number of letters on an issue. An especially
moving letter may have a higher chance of getting printed.
· You always want to reference a previously published article. Reference
can be loose or specific. Always respond to a story that ran in the paper. With
a letter to the editor, you are not creating news, but responding to it and
offering your own views and insights, and you are continuing discussion of the
issue in the news article. The article you respond to can be about IMF/WB,
Haiti, Argentina, and of the above listed topics and/or the economy at large.
· You can write letters to the editor not just to correct errors but also
to amplify something the reporter said or to bring in whole new concepts and
pieces they don’t mention.
· It is always good to start your letter on a positive note. You could
start with: “Thanks for the interesting, provocative article on XXX.” Then
transition into the point you want to make. But keep it positive – don’t slay
the reporter.
· Decide what the main point is that you want to make, and focus on it.
Remember, after the introduction where you reference the article and identify
yourself, you only have 100-120 words to make your point.
· Be personal when you can. Who you are makes a difference. Say what
congregation you attend or what group you are a member of.
· Be timely – try to write your letter 1-2 days after seeing the article.
Remark on a very recent story.
· Keep your letter really simple and short.
· Proofreading is key – check your work before sending it in.
· Be sure to sign your name, give your address/phone number, as many
papers want to call you before printing the letter.
· Above all, don’t get discouraged!! The more letters to the editor they
get on a topic, even if they don’t run your story now, will make them more
likely to run one in the future!
· You don’t have to be a brilliant writer to publish a letter. You have
equal voice as a subscriber.
· Don’t forget: if you get published, send your letter to Jubilee USA,
and to your Member of Congress – LTEs are a great tool to get your members’
attention on an issue.
· Also, there is an equivalent to LTEs in the world of electronic media.
Radios have lines for feedback. TV stations have feedback lines too. Call in and
leave feedback on stories you hear or see on radio/TV.

Jubilee has a more detailed fact sheet on working with the media, which offers
additional hints on writing letters. See:
http://www.jubileeusa.org/edpacket/media.pdf [3]

b. Tips on Writing an Effective Op-ED

· Op-eds are slightly different and more involved than a LTE.
· In general an op-ed is 500-700 words in length, though it varies by
publication.
· In an op ed, you want to be timely, but also be the voice of reason.
You can tell your personal story if it relates to your editorial viewpoint.
· Avoid cliches and jargon -- Be as clear as possible.
· A lot of times editors want someone with a special name, but sometimes
just being a changemaker is good.
· Avoid passive voice. Give insight and show your expertise.
· Pick one outlet and give it to them, don’t put it out broadly.
Newspapers like to have exclusive rights to op-eds; so start with one paper, get
a yes/no, then move on to another rather than sending it to many all at once.
· A good process: E-mail the op-ed, and then phone the editor to follow
up. Mornings are better than afternoons to make calls to reporters/editors.
· Also, you can ghostwrite an article, ask someone with a bigger name,
like a religious leader or community leader to sign it and submit it.
· As for timing, it is best to try to place op-eds when the issue you are
addressing has legs or salience. Best to pitch op-eds in advance of an event. If
people want to try to get something in by April 24-25 IMF/World Bank meeting,
try to get in at least a week to 10 days out.

Jubilee has a more detailed fact sheet on working with the media, which offers
additional hints on writing op-eds. See:
http://www.jubileeusa.org/edpacket/media.pdf [3]

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2. “Hooks” You Can Use: Responding to Current News Articles

When writing a letter to the editor, it is best to respond directly to an
article which appeared in the newspaper. As there are few articles directly
about the issue of debt cancellation for impoverished nations, it is most
effective to look for articles about related issues and make the connection back
to debt and IMF/World Bank policies.

There are a number of topics that are currently in the news (or that will be
later this month) that provide effective hooks to talk about debt and IMF/World
Bank policies. Some of these include stories about Iraq, Argentina, or Haiti;
about HIV/AIDS; about the April spring meetings of the IMF/World Bank itself;
about the current selection process for a new IMF Managing Director.

Follow this link to see talking points and sample language you can use to
respond to articles on these subjects:
http://www.jubileeusa.org/jubilee.cgi?path=/take_action&page=april04_new... [4]
tml

Though these are some of the main topics in the news with easy links to debt you
don’t have to limit yourself to this list. Be creative! Make up your own links
to debt – just get those letters in!

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Neil Watkins
Outreach and Communications Coordinator
Jubilee USA Network
222 E. Capitol St., NE
Washington, DC 20003
Direct line - (202) 783-0129
Fax - (202) 546-4468
Web - www.jubileeusa.org [5]