Writing letters to the editor helps us get our message to the masses. For example, the local Austin American-Statesman and the Austin Chronicle have circulations in the hundreds of thousands. Not all subscribers read letters to the editor, but those who do are more likely to be activists, decision makers in their family, politicians, or letter writers themselves.
Below we've included some of PeTA's tips on writing letters to the local papers. You can also contact us for additional tips or to try out your letter on us. We're happy to help!
Guide to Letter-Writing
When you write letters to the editors of local newspapers instead of writing to just one person, you reach thousands! And it's easier than you might think.
- Read local papers and magazines for fuel for letters. Watch for articles, ads, or letters that mention animals.
Some examples:- ads for rodeos, circuses, and fur stores
- articles about medical experiments
- features about local humane groups or companion animal care
- Letters don't have to be rebuttals. Circus in town? Noticing a lot of strays? Or use the calendar for inspiration: At Easter, tell readers why they shouldn't buy bunnies. On Mother's Day, remind your community of the animals whose babies are taken from them on factory farms.
- Write on good news, as well as bad. Thank the paper for its coverage of an anti-fur protest or for running profiles of animals available for adoption at shelters.
- Be brief! Sometimes one short, pithy paragraph is enough—try to stay under 300 words (about one typed page). Editors are less likely to print long letters.
- Type, if possible. Otherwise, print legibly. Be sure to use correct grammar and spelling, and remember to have it proofread.
- Make sure you include your name, address, and telephone number in your letter. Some newspapers verify authorship before printing letters.
- Feel free to submit excerpts from PETA's Animal Times and other PETA publications to your local newspapers. Our materials are not copyrighted and may be distributed freely.
- Look for opportunities to write op-ed pieces for local papers. These are longer articles of about 500 - 800 words that summarize an issue, develop an argument, and propose a solution. Send the article to the Editorial Page editor.
- You can also write (or call) television and radio stations to protest glorification of animal abuse or to compliment them on a program well done.
The Today Show reported that it recieved more angry mail on its show about how to kill lobsters than any other segment.
- You can also write (or call) television and radio stations to protest glorification of animal abuse or to compliment them on a program well done.
Some Tips on Style
- Increase your credibility by mentioning anything that makes you especially qualified to write on a topic: For instance, "As a nutritionist, I know a veggie diet is healthy," or, "as a mother," or, "as a former fur-wearer," or, "as a cancer survivor," etc.
- Try to tell readers something they're not likely to know—such as how chickens are raised to produce eggs—and encourage them to take action (such as to stop buying eggs).
Whenever appropriate, include something for readers to do.
- Keep personal grudges and name-calling out of letters; they'll hurt your credibility.
- Don't give lip service to anti-animal arguments. Speak affirmatively.
EXAMPLE
"It's not true vegetarians are weaklings."
BETTER
"Vegetarians are healthier and slimmer and live years longer than flesh-eaters." - Avoid self-righteous language and exaggeration. Readers may dismiss arguments if they feel preached to or if the author sounds hysterical.
EXAMPLE
"Only a heartless sadist could continue to eat animals when any fool knows their lives are snuffed out in screaming agony for the satisfaction of people who can't be bothered to take a moral stand."
BETTER
"Most compassionate people would stop eating meat if they saw how miserable the animals are." - Don't assume your audience knows the issues.
EXAMPLE
"Don't support the cruel veal industry."
BETTER
"Calves factory-farmed for veal are tethered in small stalls and kept in complete darkness. Their mothers also endure sad fates, starting with the loss of their infants a few days after birth." - Inclusive language helps your audience identify with you.
EXAMPLE
"Eating meat is bad for your health."
BETTER
"We know eating meat is bad for our health." - Use positive suggestions rather than negative commands.
EXAMPLE
"Don't go to the circus."
BETTER
"Let's take our families to non-animal circuses." - Personalize your writing with anecdotes and visual images.
EXAMPLE
"Leghold traps can trap an animal by the face, leg, or stomach."
BETTER
"Have you ever seen a yearling fox with her face caught in a leghold trap? I have, which is how I know traps tear into an animal's face, leg, or stomach." - Avoid speciesist language. Instead of referring to an animal with an inanimate pronoun ("it"or "which"), use "she" or "he."
- Avoid euphemisms ("negative reinforcement," "culling the herd"); say what you really mean ("painful electric shocks," "slaughtering deer").
- Criticize the cruelty, not the newspaper.
EXAMPLE
"There is no excuse for your article promoting the circus."
BETTER
"There is no excuse for the abuse that goes on in the circus."