What Makes a Good Letter to the Editor? 

In General
  • Length of Letter to the Editor (LTE) – aim for 150-200 words. Check the paper’s website for maximum length (e.g., 350 words for the local papers listed below).
  • Make one point in your letter. State the point clearly, ideally in the first sentence.
  • Make your letter timely - e.g., respond to an article published very recently, or to a recent or near-future event.
  • If you are trying to influence a legislator or corporation, include the full name in your letter. If your letter includes a legislator’s name, in almost all cases staff will give him or her the letter to read personally. Corporations also monitor the media, especially in areas where they have offices or operations. 
  • Have an action item at the end - What do you want the reader to do with this information? Or if the letter is directed at a person or group, what do you want them to do?
Make Your Plan
  • What is the issue? 
    • Example: Immigration
  • What is your point of view?
    • Example: How immigration-related fear harms the children in our communities
  • Significance to readership - why should they care?
    • Example: Compassion for kids; bad for kids’ health, behavior, school engagement, learning; affects entire school community.
  • Give it a human spin - tell your personal story about or personal connection to issue, if possible.
    • Example: I am a teacher in a middle school with 50% Hispanic population. Recently I heard a child say…
 Get Writing​ 
  • Be direct. Be clear. Be brief. Use short sentences.
  • First sentence – State your one point (the issue and your point of view).
  • Rest of first paragraph - Put the heart of your letter in the first 30 or 40 words of the first paragraph. This is the baited hook that lures your audience in. Make this paragraph absolutely to the point. If you have special qualifications related to the topic you're addressing, include that (e.g. you’re a doctor writing about a health issue, or a Prius owner writing about hybrid cars).
  • Later paragraph(s) - Support your main point with facts, statistics, significance to readership, “human spin,” etc. Communicate your point of view and why you care.
  • Last paragraph  - Tie back to first paragraph. Wrap your letter up by explaining what you think needs to happen now. Make your call to action.                                                                  

Submitting Your LTE for Publication

Submitting for Local Publication
Check the website of the newspaper you're targeting to find their instructions about submitting your LTE. If submitting online is an option, do that.
 
Our local paper, Gorge News, has online submission: 
Submitting to Other Oregon Papers
You may want to submit your LTE to other newspapers for wider coverage  -  for example, to papers in other towns in your political district if the issue involves that politician, or to papers in other parts of the state if you're writing about a state issue. Check the website of the newspaper(s) you're targeting to find their instructions about submitting your LTE. If submitting online is an option, do that.

Newspapers will often preferentially (or only) publish from local submitters, but it doesn't hurt for you to try. You've already done most of the work in writing the LTE! See below to contact other Oregon newspapers.
Oregon newspapers, listed alphabetically by city  (cities in Walden's district noted in RED):
Cities:  a - B
Note: RED indicates Walden's district.

ALBANY
Albany Democrat-Herald
541-926-2211
Letter to the Editor
250 word limit

ASHLAND
Ashland Daily Tidings
541-776-4477 
Letter to the Editor
200 word limit ; 150 for elections

ASTORIA
The Daily Astorian 
800-781-3211
Letter to the Editor
250 word limit

BAKER CITY
Baker City Herald
(888) 318 7508
Letter to the Editor
[No word limit specified]

BANDON
Bandon Western World 
541-347-2423
Letter to the Editor
400 word limit
 
BEND
Bend Bulletin
541-382-1811 
Letter to the Editor
250 word limit
 
BROOKINGS
Curry Pilot 
541-469-3123
Letter to the Editor
250 word limit
 
BURNS
Burns Times Herald
541-573-2022
Letter to the Editor
[No word limit specified]
​
CITies: C - H
Note: RED indicates Walden's district.

COOS BAY
The World 
541-269-1222
Letter to the Editor
400 word limit
 
CORVALLIS
Gazette-Times 
541-753-2641
Letter to the Editor
250 word limit
 
ENTERPRISE
Wallowa County Chieftain
541-426-4567 
Letter to the Editor
250 word limit
 
EUGENE
Register-Guard
541-338-2525
Letter to the Editor
200 word limit
 
FLORENCE
The Siuslaw News
541-997-3441
Letter to the Editor
 [No word limit specified]

GRANTS PASS
Grants Pass Daily Courier
541-474-3823
Letter to the Editor
250 word limit
 
HERMISTON
Hermiston Herald
800-522-0255
Letter to the Editor
250 word limit
 
HOOD RIVER
Hood River News
541-386-1234
Letter to the Editor
350 word limit
​
CITIES: j - o
Note: RED indicates Walden's district.

JOHN DAY
Blue Mountain Eagle
541-575-0710
Letter to the Editor
350 word limit
 
KLAMATH FALLS
Herald and News
541-885-4410
Letter to the Editor
310 word limit
 
LA GRANDE
La Grande Observer
541-963-3161
Letter to the Editor
350 word limit
 
LINCOLN CITY
The News Guard 
541-994-2178
Letter to the Editor
250 word limit
 
MADRAS
Pamplin Media Group (then find town name in "Daily News Where You Live" list on home page)
541-475-2275
Letter to the Editor
200 word limit

MEDFORD
Mail Tribune
541-776-4477 
Letter to the Editor
200 word limit; 150 for elections
 
NEWPORT
News Times  
541-265-8571
Letter to the Editor
[No word limit specified]

ONTARIO
Argus Observer
541-889-5387 
Letter to the Editor
300 word limit
​
cities: p - Z
Note: RED indicates Walden's district.

​PENDLETON
East Oregonian
800-522-0255
Letter to the Editor
400 word limit
 
PORTLAND
The Oregonian
Letter to the Editor
250 word limit
You can also post your writing on OregonLive’s public blog, My Oregon.

PORTLAND - GREATER PORTLAND AREA
Pamplin Media Group  (then find town name in "Daily News Where You Live" list on home page)
Letter to the Editor 
200 word limit
Each of these communities has a separate paper within Pamplin Media Group:
Beaverton, Clackamas, Canby, Estacada, Forest Grove, 
Gresham, Hillsboro, Lake Oswego, Molalla, Newberg,
Oregon City, Sandy, Sellwood, Tigard, Tualatin,
West Linn, Wilsonville, Woodburn 

PRINEVILLE
Central Oregonian
541-447-6205
Letter to the Editor
Political letters limit is 200 words
 
ROSEBURG
Register-Guard
541-338-2525
Letter to the Editor
200 word limit
 
SALEM
Statesman Journal
503-399-6773
Letter to the Editor
200 word limit
 
SISTERS
Nugget Newspaper
541-549-9941
Letter to the Editor
300 word limit
 
THE DALLES
The Dalles Chronicle
541-296-2141
Letter to the Editor
400 word limit (250 for election letters)
 
TILLAMOOK
Headlight-Herald 
800-275-7799
Letter to the Editor
500 word limit

Getting Your LTE Published in a "Selective" Paper
Smaller local newspapers tend to publish all of the LTEs they receive. Larger/big-city papers tend to be more selective. For the more selective papers:
  • Call the editorial page editor to make sure that your letter was received. Ask if the paper will print your letter, and make a quick pitch as to why it should. This follow-up call does increase the odds that your letter will be published.
  • Get others to write letters on your topic as well. This will show that many individuals in the community are concerned about the same issue. If your letter doesn't get published, perhaps someone else’s on the same topic will.
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