I love editorials.
The first newspaper clip I published when I bailed from the public relations industry – I worked for a firm in Toronto – was an op-ed expose on PR published in the Toronto Star. And when I surf the sites of other newspapers, editorials are what I go to right after reading the homepage headlines.
I was writing editorials before I broke into journalism, though. Sending the Globe and Mail letters to the editor was a hobby, I guess. At last count, I had more than 30 published in the national newspaper. And what’s a letter to the editor but a miniature editorial?
This is the long-winded intro to a pitch I’m going to make to you, the reader: Join the conversation.
It could be a comment on a story or blog. It could be a letter sent to our editor, Darrell Cole. Hopefully, though, it will include engaging with a broad range of issues and publications.
But how to get started. Well, I came across this little tutorial that might help: http://blogs.ottawacitizen.com/2013/02/14/how-to-get-the-notice-of-an-opinion-editor/
I wrote some tips a while back that are relevant: https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:ngJTJRm_4lAJ:www.pitbullproject.ca/letter.doc+writing+an+effective+letter+sparling&hl=en&gl=ca&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESgRK65GyPeB0cSVfPua88B2NFsKa9Fnxk20DGpy5wwyI8uciY8VQFuAL6X68F4QuDwb4E7_fXxlIi2ZSCvswTzvKq8PODLs7IdU98F1nhLNyuZqPwcKgU5_OFOz31JFkstz6JVi&sig=AHIEtbSWi5e2zZPIClHyEW5pECgzKvyAqw
Here’s a few email addresses to reach large newspapers: http://www.publicaffairs.ubc.ca/services-for-ubc-faculty-staff/writing-an-effective-opinion-editorial-piece-or-letter-to-the-editor/
And here are more tips (these are from the National Post): http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/news/issuesideas/story.html?id=3eafdfc5-1af1-430b-8bb4-3b1dc3f8abc0
Finally, those who aspire to writing letters to the editor – a nice way to start developing your writing style for longer opinion pieces – should read them, too.
NP: http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/category/full-comment/letters/
Globe: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/commentary/letters/
Star: http://www.thestar.com/opinion/letters_to_the_editors.html
CH: http://thechronicleherald.ca/opinions/letters
Sun: http://www.torontosun.com/opinion/letters
So if you’ve got something to say, now you have the tools to help you say it. What are you waiting for? Go on, tell me off, tell us off, and tell everyone how you’d make it better.
UPDATE: For those of you who were inclined to sympathize with British politicians and celebrities hoping to muzzle the press with new laws, I just thought you’d like to read a sound bite from one of the proponents of curbing the media: http://blogs.spectator.co.uk/steerpike/2013/03/parasites-in-parliament/
The media fear censorship with good reason.
