The following is taken from the publication Making Your Mark on the Media: A new guide to pro-Israel media activism, written by AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee) and used with their kind permission.

There is only one way to make sure your local paper prints your views exactly — and that is to write them yourself! The Editorial Page is one of the most popular sections of the daily newspapers. You should write a letter whenever you have an important message to get across, see a slanted news story or headline or need to respond to an anti-Israel editorial, letter or column.

WHY A LETTER-TO-THE-EDITOR?

• It easy to write: A letter-to-the-editor should be not more than 250 words.
• It has a good chance of getting printed: The "Letters" section is the reader's forum.
• Letters have power in numbers: Even if your letter is not published, a flood of letters from the community cannot be ignored by any editor.

WHEN IS A LETTER-TO-THE-EDITOR APPROPRIATE?

• Supporting key legislation: Show your Members of Congress that you support them when they support Israel, and encourage those who are uncommitted to take action.
• Correcting slanted or inaccurate news coverage: When your local newspaper does not report news from the Middle East fairly or accurately, set the record straight with a letter.
• Responding to hostile editorials or letters: Do not let critics of Israel go unanswered. Write a letter-to-the-editor with your views on the Middle East.
• Praising an editorial or news item: Highlighting a good article or editorial multiplies the positive impact of the original message.
• Commemorating significant anniversaries: Write a letter using key events as launching points for discussion of important principles. Provide an interesting piece of information you can link to a recent news story or editorial.

HOW DO I GET MY LETTER PUBLISHED?

• Look for instructions for faxing, mailing or e-mailing letters-to-the-editor on the editorial page of your local paper. Mark your envelope or letter: ATTENTION: Letters- to-the-EdItor.
• Be sure to include your name as you would like it printed, as well as your address and home and daytime phone numbers. Your phone number is important, because editors sometimes wish to check facts or the identity of the author.
• Call the editorial page editor 3 days after you have mailed or 1 day after you have - faxed your letter to confirm that they received it. Ask if they plan to publish your letter. If they do not plan to run your letter, listen to their reasons why, and try to address their concerns with your next letter.

GUIDELINES FOR WRITING AN EFFECTIVE LETTER-TO-THE-EDITOR

• Be timely: Your letter should be mailed immediately when an important issue arises, or after the publication of a problematic news story or editorial. It may take up to 30 days for a newspaper to publish a letter.
• Local, local, local: Find a local "hook" for your letter that brings the issue home to the reader. Write about a recent trip to Israel by members of the community, a vote by your Member of Congress, how foreign aid to Israel is spent in your state or a local story that is related to events in the Middle East. Use local geographic points to illustrate Israel s security predicament.
• Use facts: The facts are your best weapon in the war of the printed word. Including a fact, statistic or quote strengthens the credibility of your argument and educates your readers.
• Remain focused: Confine your letters-to-the-editor to a single issue.
• Be concise: Delete unnecessary phrases or words. A short letter has a better chance of being Better you should edit it than an editor who might dilute or distort your main point. The letter should be no more than 250 words.
• Reason with the reader: Keep your message factual and discussion logical. Expressing hostility or bitterness will undermine your credibility.
• Set your own agenda: Your letter is your forum. Do not waste precious words repeating the charges the story to which you are replying or the arguments of the other side.
• Beware of eye appeal: Keep your paragraphs short. Narrow newspaper columns make long paragraphs seem longer and uninviting.
• Use interesting and engaging language: Spark the reader s interest with an intriguing opening sentence. Close it with a sentence that leaves the reader remembering your point.

TIPS ON GETTING AN OP-ED PUBLISHED

• Send in your op-ed, typed, double-spaced, to the op-ed page editor, with a short cover letter that states the topic of your op-ed.
• The op-ed should be no more than 750 words and should not contain any spelling or grammatical errors.
• Do not rant and rave in your op-ed. Highly emotional diatribes will get tossed in the trash. Be factual. Back up assertions with fact.
• Do not write in the first person, unless it is a personal column or story about your own experience.
• Give it a local angle. It is more likely to be printed if it has local relevance or is of particular interest to a segment of the local population.
• Sign whatever you write, and include your address and a daytime phone number in case the editor needs to contact you.
• Follow up with a phone call to the editor of the op-ed page. Be polite; do not demand that your article be printed.
• Several papers, including most of the top papers, do not accept unsolicited opeds. In that case, you should first call the editor to pitch your idea. If the editor accepts your idea, work with the editor during the editing process to ensure that your words are not edited inappropriately.

Below is a short list of contact information for the editorial boards of some major newspapers around the country. For a list of local media contacts, click here. For a guide to local elected officials, click here.

Letters to the Editor can be sent to:

The New York Times
229 West 43rd Street
New York, NY 10036
fax: (212) 556-3622
letters@nytimes.com

The Washington Post
1150 15th Street
Northwest Washington, DC 20071
Letters@washpost.com

USA Today
editor@usatoday.com

Letters to the Editor
Los Angeles Times
202 W. 1st St.
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Fax (213) 237-7679
letters@latimes.com

Voice of the People
Chicago Tribune
435 N. Michigan Ave.
Chicago, IL 60611
fax to 312-222-2598
ctc-TribLetter@Tribune.com

The Detroit News
Letters
Editorial Page
615 W. Lafayette
Detroit, MI 48226
Fax (313) 222-6417
letters@detnews.com

Detroit Free Press
600 W. Fort Detroit, MI 48226
letters@freepress.com

Letters Editor
The Seattle Times
P.O. Box 70
Seattle, WA 98111
E-mail letters to: opinion@seattletimes.com
Fax letters to: (206) 382-6760

The Arizona Republic
200 E. Van Buren
Phoenix, AZ 85004

The Baltimore Sun
501 N. Calvert Street
P.0. Box 1377
Baltimore, Maryland 21278

The Boston Globe
P.O. Box 2378
Boston, MA 02107-2378
letter@globe.com

The Cincinnati Enquirer
Letters to the Editor
312 Elm Street
Cincinnati, OH 45202

The Columbus Dispatch
34 S. 3rd St.
Columbus, OH 43215
fax 461-7580

Houston Chronicle
viewpoints@chron.com

The San Francisco Examiner
988 Market St.
San Francisco, Calif., 94102
Fax: 415.359.2766

The Salt Lake Tribune
P.O. Box 867
Salt Lake City
Utah 84110
letters@sltrib.com

San Jose Mercury News
letters@sjmercury.com