Behind the News: Providing church, ecumenical and inter-faith information, resources, and analysis on issues of current global concern

Issue 21: Special Edition - Resources for action compiled by the Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance 1

Say “no” to war: Writing a letter to the editor / Say “no” to war: Writing an op-ed piece / Submitting an op-ed / Say “no” to war: Sample themes for op-eds or letters to the editor from religious leaders / Say “no” to war: Sample petition

Say “no” to war: Writing a letter to the editor 2
Writing a letter to the editor is often the easiest way to get your message in print, and the letters pages of some publications are often the most widely- read section of a publication.

A letter is usually written to educate readers or make them look at an article published in the newspaper or magazine in a different way. In general, a letter to the editor is published if the writer:

  • has been injured by something published in the paper;
  • disagrees with something that was published;
  • can offer expert opinion or additional information on something published; or
  • can offer an interesting opinion about a current news event.

    • The letter may refer to an article, editorial, opinion-editorial (op-ed) or column in the publication. Alternatively, the letter may comment on a public statement or a recent news event (e.g., an upcoming decision of the UN or statement of a government leader). The letter will begin by noting the article in question or the news event. Then the author will point out an omission or incorrect aspect of the story, and then put forward a different argument or supply additional information. The letter may include a personal perspective or experience, or that of the church or organization that the writer represents.

    Some advice:

  • Make it timely. Write and submit your letter to the newspaper as near to the publishing date of the article you are responding to, or as near to an event or public statement, as possible. Your letter is more likely to be published if it is still of interest to the readership.
  • Check the requirements. Call the publication and ask to speak to the “letters to the editor” department: ask how long the letter should be, ask for the name, title and fax number, e-mail and postal address. Check whether they will accept faxed or e-mailed letters - because some publications require the original letter.
  • Draft carefully. Write a first draft of the letter that reflects your immediate feelings and reactions to the story. Then follow this with a second and third draft that analyses the story or event and puts forward a strong argument.
  • Get a second opinion. Make sure that you have your facts right - check with colleagues and other experts. Ask other campaigners and friends or family to read the article and give you their comments.
  • Keep it short. Editors have the right to shorten letters, so don’t take several paragraphs to introduce the argument. Also, make sure that the opening two lines are strong and simple: note the title and date of the article you are referring to and state your position.
  • Focus your response. Focus your argument on the article and don’t make your letter a personal attack on the author.
  • Acknowledge specific references. Use quotations marks to indicate phrases or sentences that are quoted from the original article.
  • Explain who you are. Sign the letter and put your telephone number and address under your signature. If you would like to have the name of your church or organization listed, check with those responsible to make sure that is OK. Such a reference can give the letter more authority and make the letter more publishable. The newspaper may need to contact you to discuss an editing change they have made.
  • Follow-up. If your letter is published: take note of what changes were made or parts cut out for next time. If your letter is NOT published: phone the editor and ask politely why this happened. Sometimes it is simply "bad luck" - your letter was one of many competing for space on that day! If your letter is printed, say “thank you” to the editor
    • .


    Say “no” to war: Writing an op-ed piece    3
    An op-ed is an opinion piece which appears on the page opposite the editorials in a newspaper, magazine or journal. Writing an op-ed article gives you a chance to communicate your point of view in greater detail than a letter to the editor, and also has additional credibility. An op-ed is not just an analysis of a problem, or a piece of policy writing. A good op-ed is unconventional wisdom. It presents new evidence for a change in thinking. It suggests a solution. It may refute previously published arguments, though newspapers frequently consign such rebuttals to letters to the editor.

    Some advice:

  • Keep it short and to the point. An op-ed should have an absolute maximum of 800 words, and usually about 600-750. Newspaper editors don't have time to labour over submissions. If it's too long, they will either cut whole paragraphs or toss the piece aside.
  • Well begun is half done. Begin with a startling fact or story — something that will catch the attention of both an editor and the reading public. Your first paragraph should sketch the ground you're going to cover: you don't want the reader to find out at the very end of the piece that your faith compels a different response to war.
  • Make it personal. Editors love the personal slant, so put in some of your own experiences and relate the issue to the average reader. It also may help if the issue and/or the writer comes from the local area where the paper is distributed.
  • Timing is everything. There is often a long delay between the time an op-ed is submitted and the day it is printed. Submit an op-ed at least four days before you hope for it to appear in a daily publication. Editors are not interested in pieces that are no longer relevant or timely. If you are expecting a debate at the United Nations in four weeks, submit your piece as soon as possible so the editor is ready to run it when the debate on the issue begins.
  • Choose your words carefully. Read op-eds in a major newspaper to get a sense of the appropriate style. Mix short and long sentences, but don't make any of them very long. Paragraphs should be 2-4 sentences. Avoid the passive voice — say "This bill prevents criminals from getting guns" instead of "Criminals will be prevented from getting guns by this bill". Avoid subjunctives, such as "Criminal gun ownership will have been prevented by this bill." Minimize all forms of the verb "to be" and substitute verbs that convey more meaning — say "This bill saves lives" instead of "This bill is a lifesaver."
  • Don't be too expert. Use plain language and eliminate jargon (this is a particular problem for people who are experts in a field). Stay away from acronyms — give the full name of a church, at least the first time you use it. Then for the second reference try to say "the Council/church/agency rather than using the acronym." Fully identify all involved parties. You don't have to quote an authoritative source if the quote is full of jargon — you can just cite or paraphrase it. Make all numbers easy to grasp (instead of "63.7 percent" say "nearly two-thirds.")
  • The secret of writing is re-writing. Revise and re-write. Review each sentence, until you can't stand it. Read it aloud and have at least one other person read it, preferably someone who knows about the issue. Check all facts very carefully — nothing gets a piece tossed faster than slipping on a basic fact like a date, name, title, etc. that the writer should know.
  • Format tricks. Type your op-ed and use double space. Title the piece with something that will grab attention, but don't count on them to use your title. Put your name, phone number and a two-sentence biographic description on the first page under the title, along with the date and the word count. Number the pages and have your name or the title on each page
    • .
  • The by-line is important. Newspapers take op-ed authors who are well known or have relevant expertise more seriously. If you are trying to get an op-ed in a major newspaper, it makes sense to have it authored by a bishop, the head of a church-related organization, the president of a women’s organization, a local politician, or someone else whose position gives them credibility on the subject or name recognition to sign the op-ed and help write it. Being a church/ecumenical leader is a good credential.
    •


    Submitting an op-ed

  • First contact. Once the piece is written, call the paper and ask who the op-ed editor is, making sure to get the correct spelling of his/her name. (Note: some papers call the op-ed page the opinion page.) When you talk to the editor, don't take more than 30 seconds. Say, "My name is (your name) and" either "l live in (your city)" or "I'm with (XYZ organization.)" "I have an op-ed about (topic), which is (timely/important) because of (current affairs.) May I send it to you?" Don't sound apologetic, i.e. "I know it doesn't seem important but…" or "Do you have any interest at all?" On the other hand, don't make every piece sound like it's the best thing the editor will ever see.
  • Sending it in. Editors will probably tell you they get many submissions, don't have much room, etc., but they'll be willing to look at it. Find out if you can fax it. Some editors prefer a mailed or delivered copy, and a few accept e-mail. (If you e-mail, make sure to strip out all formatting, including tabs, italics, underlining, page numbers, headers, footers, centering, bold and bullets.)
  • Editors are busy people. Don't expect them to call you. Wait at least a couple of days after sending the piece and then follow up. Telephone and say, "This is (your name). I sent in the piece about (this topic) and I wanted to see if you (received it/had time to look at it) and (what you thought/ if it's something you can use)." If they say they haven't received it, offer to fax it or e-mail it again and then follow up with another call. If they reject the piece, don't get accusatory or defensive, but try to ask if they are interested in any aspects of the topic, what they're looking for, etc.
  • Timing. The early part of the week is usually a better time to call editors than the end, since the weekend papers have more opinion and commentary, and the op-ed editors are working to get everything settled before the weekend starts. Don't leave multiple messages.
  • Don't send junk. Only send good pieces. If an editor starts to identify you with mediocre material, they won't pay much attention to what you send. But if you can help them do their job by sending well-written, interesting, properly formatted submissions, they'll be much more receptive when you call or write.
  • Don’t overwhelm. Don't try to submit two pieces about the same issue to the same paper, even weeks apart, unless they are really different approaches. Some editors don't mind, especially if they have a strong interest in the issue, but many will feel that with the similarity of writing, the piece will be repetitious. Don't expect to get paid, though a few papers pay a small fee.
  • Respect boundaries. It is not polite to submit the same op-ed simultaneously to more than one newspaper in the same circulation area. Start by submitting the piece to the largest daily in your area. If that paper does not accept it, then you can submit it to a smaller daily or weekly paper in the same area
    • .


    Say “no” to war: Sample themes for op-eds or letters to the editor from religious leaders

    As a religious leader or an individual person of faith, your voice matters as nations consider going to war. The debate on military intervention in Iraq has, in particular, raised moral, ethical, and religious questions among politicians and in the major media. As you consider writing an op-ed or letter to the editor, you may want to use one of the following themes:

  • The morality of war. Early in the debate on whether or not to enforce the disarmament of Iraq by military intervention, there was heated discussion on whether such use of force fell under the category of "just war". While most religious leaders have refuted this, debate still continues on whether or not such military action has moral legitimacy if its purpose, at least stated publicly, is to eventually improve the humanitarian situation of people in the country and provide greater security in the region. Your op-ed could address the "morality of war" in general, or in the case of Iraq in particular, looking at biblical texts and injunctions to work for peace and justice, the impact of modern military technology on traditional "just war" principles, humanitarian consequences of war, the dangers of mixing military and humanitarian interventions, etc.

  • Use of religious language in justifying military action. Religious influence on politics can be both beneficial and detrimental. If religion is used to justify particular political policies, or to gain political power and emphasize the exclusiveness and primacy of one's own group at the expense of others, it will be a most destructive contribution. On the other hand, by emphasizing such aspects as ethics and humanity, religious tolerance and understanding, responsibility for the global community, justice and peace, religion will make a much-needed and constructive contribution to societies. Many political and religious leaders fear that war in Iraq will unfortunately fit into the pattern of the increased role of religion in conflicts and further entrench the prevailing view in the Islamic world that the Christian West is out to destroy them. Here we can recognize the significant role and centuries-old presence of Christians in the Middle East and their key role as bridge-builders between the so-called Western Christian world and the Muslim one.

  • The role of the United Nations and international law. A main issue is the principles of the UN Charter and its ideals and mechanisms to act as a peace-maker around the world. This, combined with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other covenants and treaties, challenge the claims of individual nations, particularly the most powerful in the world, on their right to exercise pre-emptive or unilateral acts of war
    • .

  • Humanitarian catastrophe. Even the most conservative estimates of war in Iraq project staggeringly high numbers of civilian casualties, displacement of people, hunger, disease, illness, and injury. Such a disproportionate impact on civilians, in any war, is not justified and ignores both our common humanity and the provisions of international humanitarian law. In the event of war, it will be particularly important that assistance is distributed to civilians on the basis of need and not for political reasons. Churches and humanitarian organizations must be allowed to work independently of military authorities. (For the latest estimates on potential humanitarian consequences, refer to www.reliefweb.net)
    • .

  • Human security. War will not build peace, but only beget more violence. What will bring real human, regional and global security? Strengthening global institutions such as the UN; recognition of the need for a just settlement of other Middle East conflicts; commitment to long-term, non-military solutions; redirection of the huge commitment of national governments' budgets from military expenditures to development assistance (education, poverty eradication, fighting HIV/AIDS) and humanitarian assistance.

    • For any of these issues, make sure that you are informed of the debate among political and religious leaders and in the media before you begin writing your op-ed. Refer to published statements of your church and ecumenical organizations that emphasize your points.


    Say “no” to war: Sample petition     4
    During special services of prayer, peace vigils, or regular worship, consider encouraging people to sign a small petition or book addressed to your country’s prime minister, president, king or queen, or parliamentarians, with a message like:

    “God shall judge between the nations, and shall arbitrate for many peoples; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.” (Isaiah 2:4)

    Dear <name of leader>:

    War can be avoided [or ended] and we expect you to lead our nation in ways of peace.
    The people of <name of church/organization/community> implore you to:

  • build peace
  • value and protect life; and
  • respect international law
    • .

    We pray for peace, act for justice, and live in hope.

    “And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace for those who make peace”
    (James 3:18)

    Print name

    Signature

    Address

    		 Comments

    Print name

    Signature

    		Address Comments

    Print name

    Signature

    		Address Comments

    Print name

    Signature

    		Address Comments

    1. These suggestions for particular ways to express the viewpoints of organizations and individuals may need to be adapted to particular situations and cultural contexts.
    2. This section is based on a leaflet produced by Amnesty International USA, entitled: “How to...Write a letter-to-the-editor”,     www.amnestyusa.org
    3. This section is based on a resource provided by the Campus Alliance to Prevent Gun Violence, http://www.capgv.org/activism/dorm/oped/oped.asp
    4. This sample petition is suggested by the Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance. You are also encouraged to use the similar tools for expressing views to government leaders which have been produced by many churches, denominations and related organizations.