I sent the comment about election coverage to all of the links you provided. Received a personal response from Aidan Gardiner of the NYTimes, including an inquiry as to how I found that feedback channel.
Here is the context from Aidan Gardiner's email: "Before I go on, I have to ask because I'm curious: How did you find this feedback channel? And where did this text come from? I only ask because I've heard from a number of readers using the same template."
Appreciate all comments. love the poem. Great focus to explain Jessica's stance on discussion of Palestine/Israel. my comment previously posted.
Today I snail mailed a hand written letter to Secretary Blinken with the RUM plan for ending Putin;s War. Details in "Every War Is An UnCivil War" with similar approach to 2 state solution in Palestine.
Love, Doc will let you know if a response from Dept of State.
Another great newsletter and thank you so much for the wonderful poem! I was very glad to see your information about available postcard campaigns. I usually write letters with Vote Forward, but I recently volunteered to send postcards for Tom Souzzi for the special election to replace Santos. I bought stamps and ordered some neat postcards from Etsy. But I found out from a friend that that campaign with Postcards to Voters is closed. And I wasn't sure what campaign I could volunteer for because I didn't know how to get information about available campaigns. So I'm delighted to have that information. Thank you.
This is great. I’m a ceramic artist and I’m going to find a way to incorporate this sentence into some of my work this year. Thanks for the inspiration ❤️😊
This is what I submitted to the Washington Post (I also submitted similar comments to the other outlets named):
This presidential election is not a "horse race." It is a face between a horse and a Jeep with a mounted machine gun. Therefore, usual horserace coverage is an anachronism that must be abandoned.
I implore all WP journalists to keep this mind when reporting, for example, on the upcoming speech by President Biden on 1/6/2024. His remarks about democracy being in peril are not just cynical campaign rhetoric. The 1/6/2024 was as close to the destruction of democracy as the country has faced since the Civil War. If Mike Pence had been spirited away in the waiting SUV, or caved to Trump's intense pressure campaign, what would have happened?
Will your coverage truly let the readers know that their vote means? Do they know about Agenda 47, or Project 2025? Only then will they know what the country is facing if Trump has a second term.
Please do your best to re-consider with fresh and open eyes how best to meet the mission of journalism.
"Americans are electing their next president. It’s a long road, but we’ve got just the guide to help you to navigate it.
The Campaign Moment is your occasional guide to the key, well, moments on the campaign. Publishing when news warrants, we’ll highlight the major developments that actually matter and then take you deeper, providing analysis, context and answers to the big questions. Sign up here.
I’m Aaron Blake, and I’ve been analyzing politics and campaigns for nearly 20 years – including a dozen at The Post. That experience helps me pick out when we’re truly having a moment, and my goal is to serve those moments up to you.
Click here to sign up
Here’s what you can expect:
The biggest news, broken down
Analysis of the polls that actually matter and tell us something significant
Historical context and anecdotes that inform and entertain
Links to the coverage that will make you smarter when you want to know even more
I want to hit the sweet spot between the political junkie and someone who’s more casually interested in where things stand in the 2024 race. But I think everyone with any level of interest in who our next president will be should find something for them in this newsletter."
Beautiful poem, thank you for sharing. And thanks for the Margaret Sullivan cut and paste! That was easy and so very very important to do. Especially since it’s this Saturday. 🙏🏻 thank you!
I am deeply disappointed in your decision to exclude the war in the Middle East from your newsletter because of complaints from one point of view. It is possible to be both deeply outraged by the Hamas attack on Oct. 7 AND the ongoing war on civilians in Gaza which is being funded by our government. I understand that you want to be done with this. I wish it wasn't happening either. But it is, and we are fundamentally responsible.
I don't want to "be done with this" at all. I am advocating strongly about it on my own time. But I am really concerned with keeping this coalition together to beat Trump, and if that means keeping it out of the newsletter then I will. If we are fighting about this issue--which ignites INCREDIBLY strong feelings on both sides, we will lose track of our primary purpose. I'm sort of at my wit's end about it, TBH. And I will likely break my own resolution again in the future--I already did after I first made it. But it's just an impossible ethical dilemma, since fracturing this coalition and losing the Presidential race will be horrible for Palestinians AND Jewish people. And Muslim-Americans. And so many others. I'm sorry to have disappointed you. I'm doing my best.
thank you. I do understand what you are saying, and more than that, I really appreciate that you would answer so thoughtfully. This is truly a complicated, painful topic.
I missed the workshop today on how to write powerful letters to newspaper editors. Do you know if there is a video of it available anywhere? I couldn't find anything on youtube.
Brad: I am a volunteer with Citizens' Climate Lobby, and have worked with my chapter in Laguna Beach, CA, to foster letter-writing. I have had 132 LTEs published in 29 states since 2018, including one this week in the Washington Post.
I don't know if the Comments Section will accept this full document (I have shortened it somewhat), but this is a set of notes about letter-writing that I have used with my CCL chapter. You are welcome to use this and forward it to anyone or any organization, if you think it will help people engage in a persuasive manner.
Articles to which some response occurs to you (and use it – it’s genuine, and conviction
somehow shines through).
Hierarchy of articles regarding which letters are likely to be published:
Editorial Board opinions
Front-page stories (especially with photographs)
Major articles
Articles composed by outlet staff journalists
Articles with local interest
IMPROVE YOUR ODDS OF PUBLICATION============================
Same day is best; maybe next day, but no later
Follow submission instructions very carefully (e.g., word limit, demographic information required)
Compliment the journalist, if you can do so honestly
Compliment the outlet, if you can do so honestly
Compliment the Editorial Board, if you can do so honestly
Adding a “Note to Editor” to have your letter stand out and personalize it, without it interfering
with the letter itself:
Highlight a personal connection
Provide a link to information you quoted or referred to (saves them time fact-checking)
COMPOSITION PROCESS AND PRACTICAL TIPS====================
Getting your thoughts out and down on paper – JUST DO IT
Say your thoughts out loud, then write
Record them and transcribe them yourself
“Automatic writing” – don’t “think”, just read article and pound out whatever comes to
mind in reaction
Avoid filtering much early on – this can quickly paralyze
Keep in mind that you may only be responding to one aspect of the article – it is not complete
rebuttal. The reason to get more remarks out is to give yourself more chances to express something you later find useful.
Consider writing at least a few words in reaction to every sentence or point made in an article
{This is a tool, not a universal method – too time-consuming}
Mentioning credential/experience
You worked at a relevant job in the past
You have formal education in a relevant topic
Finding an angle that is relevant to your expertise (medical, legal, business, art, whatever)
Reference authoritative sources (ones people hear about like the Mayo Clinic, Encyclopedia Britannica, Congressional Budget Office, etc.)
Keep it simple
Even a short letter of 30-40 words can be very effective if it fully captures your message.
Smaller, commonly understood words preferred
Minimize use of hyphens, parentheses or other punctuation
Declarative, simple sentences, the shorter the better
Check “readability statistics” option in the Spelling and Grammar section of Preferences
(in Microsoft Word); aim for 8th-grade Fleisch-Kincaid
First and last sentences most crucial to impact – most memorable
First sentence
Get attention
Short and punchy
Flat declaration that something is incorrect
Be humorous (take care with this)
Identify the subject
Refer to why this article is important
Middle text – Inform, explicate, expand, quote sources
Last sentence
Wordplay
Refer back to previous point
Powerful call to action
Appeal to emotion (as long as the content supports it)
Do a search on the authors of Op-Eds, or individuals featured or quoted in an article, whom you don’t know. Usually can take only a few minutes. Search azquotes.com, or brainyquote.com or other sites that may come up in a Google search, to find what an author has previously said. Make reference to organizations they participate in, and quote them, if this bears upon bias or inconsistency or conflicts of interest; always refer to actions (things they have said, written or done), not personal qualities.
Be vigilant for vague attributions in articles – “some scientists have concluded” – red flag for
distortion of scientific record or consensus. Identify this as vague and then quote your own scientific source and identify it
Personal remarks are to establish credibility (“as an internal medicine physician”…), identify
shared experience (“I grew up in St. Petersburg, Florida…”) or connect to a particular outlet (“I remember well summers in North Carolina…”)
EDITING==================================
Shorten without mercy. Example:
“Someone who is generally serious about what they do in life will bring that same seriousness to their activism.” (19 words) Becomes: “Serious people make serious activists.” (5 words)
“I have found that I tend to put more credibility in people who have deep and clearly
documented background knowledge, and it does not disappoint.” (25 words) becomes: “Trust those who are deeply experienced and knowledgeable.” (8 words)
“I want to express my great appreciation for this article from Mr. Hiltzik. He has really identified the issues well. I was very glad to see that he included mention of… [31 WORDS] becomes:
“Mr. Hiltzik has given an excellent rundown of the issues, especially…” [11 WORDS], which then becomes: “Mr. Hiltzik’s excellent rundown highlights…” [5 WORDS]
Use a thesaurus to find neutral words, but avoid fancy vocabulary – average reader is 8th-grade level)
Idiotic becomes senseless, foolhardy or foolish
Huge becomes monumental or immense
Ridiculous becomes nonsensical, absurd or laughable (not derisory or risible)
Partisan becomes unjust or biased
Emotionally neutral language can be strong in message, when text of letter supports it;
for example, the phrase “morally reprehensible” can be an accurate description of your opinion of some act
CALL FOR ACTION=============================
Call their representatives
Write the White House
Join an advocacy group
Inform themselves
Suggest “the book to read” on a subject
Provide sufficient information to allow a reader to locate an information source
Contemplate something seriously and see what they think about it
LTE SUBMISSION========================
Internet search for “Submit letter to the editor for <<<outlet>>>”
Complete form or use designated email.
Save bookmark for submission information for future reference
POST-SUBMISSION:=======================
Email copy of letter to the journalist who authored the article – as an “FYI” or a courtesy – puts your message in front of another potentially influential person
Share your letter with friends, family, organizations, especially if published; include social media of every type you are registered with
Outlet may contact you to verify authenticity of letter – this is normal – so pay attention to what you might think of as Spam calls.
Monitor outlet for appearance of letter (assuming access) (Many publications will not notify you about publication status)
May perform internet search for <<< [Your Name] Letter to the Editor >>>, or a search for a unique phrase taken from your letter.
Ms. Craven: Your enthusiasm for this tutorial is greatly appreciated. I have created a Google Doc of this that your team could work with, but I am not tech savvy enough to submit that through Substack to you. It is not formally published anywhere on the internet, otherwise, so I don't know how to insert a link to it. This was just my set of notes for a couple of letter-writing sessions I had with my CCL chapter and once with a group of family practice residents at UCI Medical Center. Just let me know what you like me to do to help you, as I am very happy to let anyone use this - it is not a proprietary thing, and I am very big on LTEs, having had 132 LTEs published in 29 states since starting in 2018. My personal email is bertrandbartok@gmail.com, if that is helpful.
Haha I love that you think I have a team. I'm the team! (; If you write your notes up in a form that is a bit more formatted I will put it in a google doc. You can send it to me at hijesscraven101@gmail.com. Thanks!
I sent the comment about election coverage to all of the links you provided. Received a personal response from Aidan Gardiner of the NYTimes, including an inquiry as to how I found that feedback channel.
Whoa, really? I just googled it!
Here is the context from Aidan Gardiner's email: "Before I go on, I have to ask because I'm curious: How did you find this feedback channel? And where did this text come from? I only ask because I've heard from a number of readers using the same template."
Hahha. Well, he got the point, I hope! Did you answer him?
How did you manage to find where on the WaPo page that post your letter? Thanks.
I just selected "send feedback about news article" to get past the limited choices.
Thank you. I followed your wise steps. 😘
We needed that poem too, Jessica. Thank you.
So gorgeous, right?
Appreciate all comments. love the poem. Great focus to explain Jessica's stance on discussion of Palestine/Israel. my comment previously posted.
Today I snail mailed a hand written letter to Secretary Blinken with the RUM plan for ending Putin;s War. Details in "Every War Is An UnCivil War" with similar approach to 2 state solution in Palestine.
Love, Doc will let you know if a response from Dept of State.
Thanks very much for your suggestions---I did a bunch of them!
Yay thank you!
Another great newsletter and thank you so much for the wonderful poem! I was very glad to see your information about available postcard campaigns. I usually write letters with Vote Forward, but I recently volunteered to send postcards for Tom Souzzi for the special election to replace Santos. I bought stamps and ordered some neat postcards from Etsy. But I found out from a friend that that campaign with Postcards to Voters is closed. And I wasn't sure what campaign I could volunteer for because I didn't know how to get information about available campaigns. So I'm delighted to have that information. Thank you.
Yay! You can write for Activate America!
This is great. I’m a ceramic artist and I’m going to find a way to incorporate this sentence into some of my work this year. Thanks for the inspiration ❤️😊
Amazing!
This! Thank you so much, Jess. 🩵
This is what I submitted to the Washington Post (I also submitted similar comments to the other outlets named):
This presidential election is not a "horse race." It is a face between a horse and a Jeep with a mounted machine gun. Therefore, usual horserace coverage is an anachronism that must be abandoned.
I implore all WP journalists to keep this mind when reporting, for example, on the upcoming speech by President Biden on 1/6/2024. His remarks about democracy being in peril are not just cynical campaign rhetoric. The 1/6/2024 was as close to the destruction of democracy as the country has faced since the Civil War. If Mike Pence had been spirited away in the waiting SUV, or caved to Trump's intense pressure campaign, what would have happened?
Will your coverage truly let the readers know that their vote means? Do they know about Agenda 47, or Project 2025? Only then will they know what the country is facing if Trump has a second term.
Please do your best to re-consider with fresh and open eyes how best to meet the mission of journalism.
Gary M. Stewart, M.D., F.A.C.P.
Laguna Beach, CA
bertrandbartok@gmail.com
EXCELLENT letter!
Thank you, Ms. Craven. That is very kind and wonderful encouragement.
Gary
Here is Aaron Blake's pitch in WaPo.
"Americans are electing their next president. It’s a long road, but we’ve got just the guide to help you to navigate it.
The Campaign Moment is your occasional guide to the key, well, moments on the campaign. Publishing when news warrants, we’ll highlight the major developments that actually matter and then take you deeper, providing analysis, context and answers to the big questions. Sign up here.
I’m Aaron Blake, and I’ve been analyzing politics and campaigns for nearly 20 years – including a dozen at The Post. That experience helps me pick out when we’re truly having a moment, and my goal is to serve those moments up to you.
Click here to sign up
Here’s what you can expect:
The biggest news, broken down
Analysis of the polls that actually matter and tell us something significant
Historical context and anecdotes that inform and entertain
Links to the coverage that will make you smarter when you want to know even more
I want to hit the sweet spot between the political junkie and someone who’s more casually interested in where things stand in the 2024 race. But I think everyone with any level of interest in who our next president will be should find something for them in this newsletter."
you need to change the date on your post carding list. It refers to 2023
Done!
Ah! Good catch! Thanks!
Beautiful poem, thank you for sharing. And thanks for the Margaret Sullivan cut and paste! That was easy and so very very important to do. Especially since it’s this Saturday. 🙏🏻 thank you!
YES! Thank you! I'm really hoping they'll give the speech the coverage it deserves.
Same here. I shared the info with several of my friends. Time is of the essence
I am deeply disappointed in your decision to exclude the war in the Middle East from your newsletter because of complaints from one point of view. It is possible to be both deeply outraged by the Hamas attack on Oct. 7 AND the ongoing war on civilians in Gaza which is being funded by our government. I understand that you want to be done with this. I wish it wasn't happening either. But it is, and we are fundamentally responsible.
I don't want to "be done with this" at all. I am advocating strongly about it on my own time. But I am really concerned with keeping this coalition together to beat Trump, and if that means keeping it out of the newsletter then I will. If we are fighting about this issue--which ignites INCREDIBLY strong feelings on both sides, we will lose track of our primary purpose. I'm sort of at my wit's end about it, TBH. And I will likely break my own resolution again in the future--I already did after I first made it. But it's just an impossible ethical dilemma, since fracturing this coalition and losing the Presidential race will be horrible for Palestinians AND Jewish people. And Muslim-Americans. And so many others. I'm sorry to have disappointed you. I'm doing my best.
thank you. I do understand what you are saying, and more than that, I really appreciate that you would answer so thoughtfully. This is truly a complicated, painful topic.
It truly is.
Hi Jessica,
I missed the workshop today on how to write powerful letters to newspaper editors. Do you know if there is a video of it available anywhere? I couldn't find anything on youtube.
Thanks for all you do! Ruth R
I will find out and if so I will post a link in the newsletter. Thanks!
Brad: I am a volunteer with Citizens' Climate Lobby, and have worked with my chapter in Laguna Beach, CA, to foster letter-writing. I have had 132 LTEs published in 29 states since 2018, including one this week in the Washington Post.
I don't know if the Comments Section will accept this full document (I have shortened it somewhat), but this is a set of notes about letter-writing that I have used with my CCL chapter. You are welcome to use this and forward it to anyone or any organization, if you think it will help people engage in a persuasive manner.
Gary Stewart, Laguna Beach, CA, bertrandbartok@gmail.com
Writing Letters To The Editor (LTEs) - Practical Tips
VALUE================================
Representatives pay attention to constituents.
Big donors get access, because they can deliver voters (i.e., marketing/advertising, campaign experts, etc., etc.).
They are buying what you have – your vote.
Don’t give away your vote for free.
LTEs multiply your message by getting it in front of more eyes.
Representatives are very sensitive to what is said about them in the newspaper.
Even if your letter is not published:
Helps get someone else’s letter on the same topic published
Guides decisions by editors where outlet resources should go
Think of it as having gone to a rally but not being up on stage
ARTICLE SELECTION:=================================
Articles you care about
Articles to which some response occurs to you (and use it – it’s genuine, and conviction
somehow shines through).
Hierarchy of articles regarding which letters are likely to be published:
Editorial Board opinions
Front-page stories (especially with photographs)
Major articles
Articles composed by outlet staff journalists
Articles with local interest
IMPROVE YOUR ODDS OF PUBLICATION============================
Same day is best; maybe next day, but no later
Follow submission instructions very carefully (e.g., word limit, demographic information required)
Compliment the journalist, if you can do so honestly
Compliment the outlet, if you can do so honestly
Compliment the Editorial Board, if you can do so honestly
Adding a “Note to Editor” to have your letter stand out and personalize it, without it interfering
with the letter itself:
Highlight a personal connection
Provide a link to information you quoted or referred to (saves them time fact-checking)
COMPOSITION PROCESS AND PRACTICAL TIPS====================
Getting your thoughts out and down on paper – JUST DO IT
Say your thoughts out loud, then write
Record them and transcribe them yourself
“Automatic writing” – don’t “think”, just read article and pound out whatever comes to
mind in reaction
Avoid filtering much early on – this can quickly paralyze
Keep in mind that you may only be responding to one aspect of the article – it is not complete
rebuttal. The reason to get more remarks out is to give yourself more chances to express something you later find useful.
Consider writing at least a few words in reaction to every sentence or point made in an article
{This is a tool, not a universal method – too time-consuming}
Mentioning credential/experience
You worked at a relevant job in the past
You have formal education in a relevant topic
Finding an angle that is relevant to your expertise (medical, legal, business, art, whatever)
Reference authoritative sources (ones people hear about like the Mayo Clinic, Encyclopedia Britannica, Congressional Budget Office, etc.)
Keep it simple
Even a short letter of 30-40 words can be very effective if it fully captures your message.
Smaller, commonly understood words preferred
Minimize use of hyphens, parentheses or other punctuation
Declarative, simple sentences, the shorter the better
Check “readability statistics” option in the Spelling and Grammar section of Preferences
(in Microsoft Word); aim for 8th-grade Fleisch-Kincaid
First and last sentences most crucial to impact – most memorable
First sentence
Get attention
Short and punchy
Flat declaration that something is incorrect
Be humorous (take care with this)
Identify the subject
Refer to why this article is important
Middle text – Inform, explicate, expand, quote sources
Last sentence
Wordplay
Refer back to previous point
Powerful call to action
Appeal to emotion (as long as the content supports it)
Do a search on the authors of Op-Eds, or individuals featured or quoted in an article, whom you don’t know. Usually can take only a few minutes. Search azquotes.com, or brainyquote.com or other sites that may come up in a Google search, to find what an author has previously said. Make reference to organizations they participate in, and quote them, if this bears upon bias or inconsistency or conflicts of interest; always refer to actions (things they have said, written or done), not personal qualities.
Be vigilant for vague attributions in articles – “some scientists have concluded” – red flag for
distortion of scientific record or consensus. Identify this as vague and then quote your own scientific source and identify it
Personal remarks are to establish credibility (“as an internal medicine physician”…), identify
shared experience (“I grew up in St. Petersburg, Florida…”) or connect to a particular outlet (“I remember well summers in North Carolina…”)
EDITING==================================
Shorten without mercy. Example:
“Someone who is generally serious about what they do in life will bring that same seriousness to their activism.” (19 words) Becomes: “Serious people make serious activists.” (5 words)
“I have found that I tend to put more credibility in people who have deep and clearly
documented background knowledge, and it does not disappoint.” (25 words) becomes: “Trust those who are deeply experienced and knowledgeable.” (8 words)
“I want to express my great appreciation for this article from Mr. Hiltzik. He has really identified the issues well. I was very glad to see that he included mention of… [31 WORDS] becomes:
“Mr. Hiltzik has given an excellent rundown of the issues, especially…” [11 WORDS], which then becomes: “Mr. Hiltzik’s excellent rundown highlights…” [5 WORDS]
Use a thesaurus to find neutral words, but avoid fancy vocabulary – average reader is 8th-grade level)
Idiotic becomes senseless, foolhardy or foolish
Huge becomes monumental or immense
Ridiculous becomes nonsensical, absurd or laughable (not derisory or risible)
Partisan becomes unjust or biased
Emotionally neutral language can be strong in message, when text of letter supports it;
for example, the phrase “morally reprehensible” can be an accurate description of your opinion of some act
CALL FOR ACTION=============================
Call their representatives
Write the White House
Join an advocacy group
Inform themselves
Suggest “the book to read” on a subject
Provide sufficient information to allow a reader to locate an information source
Contemplate something seriously and see what they think about it
LTE SUBMISSION========================
Internet search for “Submit letter to the editor for <<<outlet>>>”
Complete form or use designated email.
Save bookmark for submission information for future reference
POST-SUBMISSION:=======================
Email copy of letter to the journalist who authored the article – as an “FYI” or a courtesy – puts your message in front of another potentially influential person
Share your letter with friends, family, organizations, especially if published; include social media of every type you are registered with
Outlet may contact you to verify authenticity of letter – this is normal – so pay attention to what you might think of as Spam calls.
Monitor outlet for appearance of letter (assuming access) (Many publications will not notify you about publication status)
May perform internet search for <<< [Your Name] Letter to the Editor >>>, or a search for a unique phrase taken from your letter.
WOW this is INCREDIBLE! Gary do you have a link to this in a google doc form? I'd love the share it with all of my readers!
Ms. Craven: Your enthusiasm for this tutorial is greatly appreciated. I have created a Google Doc of this that your team could work with, but I am not tech savvy enough to submit that through Substack to you. It is not formally published anywhere on the internet, otherwise, so I don't know how to insert a link to it. This was just my set of notes for a couple of letter-writing sessions I had with my CCL chapter and once with a group of family practice residents at UCI Medical Center. Just let me know what you like me to do to help you, as I am very happy to let anyone use this - it is not a proprietary thing, and I am very big on LTEs, having had 132 LTEs published in 29 states since starting in 2018. My personal email is bertrandbartok@gmail.com, if that is helpful.
Haha I love that you think I have a team. I'm the team! (; If you write your notes up in a form that is a bit more formatted I will put it in a google doc. You can send it to me at hijesscraven101@gmail.com. Thanks!
We have the same size team. One. Or should I now say, two?
I have emailed an edited, more conversational version of the notes to you as a Google Doc.
If you don't receive it or need me to do something else, let me know.
Otherwise, I will leave it in your hands to edit/send/share as you wish.
Perhaps you buddies Robert Hubbell or TCinLA, whose blogs I also follow, could use it? Just a thought.
Regards,
Gary
Thanks, Gary, for your letter writing information! Thanks too for your activism.
Ruth R
I hope I'm not taking up too much space. I seem to have trouble sometimes cutting and pastig to Substack.
That poem’s beginning is from the Jewish prayer service. But changed
I didn't know that! Oh wow!
PostcardsToVoters.org volunteers are writing for Tom Suozzi and Escambia County Fl Vote By Mail.
Markers for Democracy is hosting Sunday postcarding Zooms for Tom Suozzi for NY03.
https://www.mobilize.us/suozziforcongress/event/596053/