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ANS > Public Information > Nuclear Professionals > Member Outreach > Communication Toolkit > Audiences and Activities > Media > Taking Your Story Public
Writing to Newspaper Editors

A good letter to the editor is one that gets published in your local paper.  The following are a few tips on crafting a response to current events that will capture an editor's attention.
  • Follow the newspaper's submission guidelines.  Include your name, address, and phone number.  They will call to verify that you wrote the letter.

  • Be as brief as possible.  Check the paper's Op/Ed page or website for allowable number of words in a Letter to the Editor.  Be sure to meet those space requirements - long letters will rarely be printed at all.

  • Make one point clearly.  Use simple, direct language.

  • Be positive.  Avoid angry, combative language.  Explain what personal experience led to your point of view.
Editors Note on writing to editors:  Radwaste Solutions Editor, Nancy Zacha, comments on what the nuclear professional can do to promote clear thinking on nuclear issues.

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