Letters To The Editor
A letter to the editor provides an ideal opportunity for replying to a story which has already been carried in newspapers or journals but which omitted certain aspects or neglected your particular point of view. You can also trigger correspondence with a good letter which has a new approach and new information in it. Reporters sacn the letters to the editor columns before publication to see if they contain any news stories - so a good letter may be picked up in the editorial columns as well.
Letters should be succinct and avoid making personal attacks on the subject of the letter or on the journalist who first reported the story.
Newspapers usually resever the right to shorten letters for space reasons. You are much more likely to get your letter published if it is short and to the point.
Letters to the editor can also be written to correct information already published.
What to give it a go? Try writing a rapid response to an article in the studentBMJ.
Summary
- Keep letters short, use simple language, avoid jargon.
- Letters can be in response to an article or another letter.
- Letters can be used to correct inaccurate reports.
Acknowledgements:
- BMA Handbook for Public Affairs
Last updated on Friday 30 November 2007 at 22:44.
