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Newsletters:
A newsletter is usually the most common tool used to communicate your message with the media and other target groups. A newsletter is a snapshot view of your organization and can be an effective way to promote and maintain your image. The newsletter has the logo prominently featured, an easily recognizable type or font and a look that is consistent from month to month. Newsletters can provide some advice, announce something new, and highlight certain events and activities. Their distribution to the media outlets provides reporters and editors with reasons to contact you and can fuel story ideas.
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Newsletters generally fall into three categories: |
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Information about an organization, including their resources and activities, |
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A strictly promotional newsletter, |
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An educational newsletter. |
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How to publish a newsletter: |
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Do |
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Make the newsletter concise, timely and up to date. |
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Target your audience and their level of expertise. |
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Let the subject matter dictate the style and the length of your newsletter. |
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Use a clear, readable font. You may want to mix fonts — but the end result should look clean and easy to follow. Remember to add eye appeal with small graphics, page headers, and of course photographs. |
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Get experience writing in a journalistic style. |
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Don’t |
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Have a disorderly page — be sure to use a lot of white space to set off the text and graphics. |
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Fill your newsletter with only one type of content — long, informative articles or short pieces. People will get frustrated if they always have to spend a lot of time reading it, or can never get enough information. |
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Give up – your newsletter may not attract much attention at first, but if it is consistent people will begin to see it as a reference on which they can rely. |
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Distribution:
Having a newsletter is one thing. Defining your target audience and distributing it properly and in a timely manner will make all the difference to its success and impact. Consider whether or not you need a printed version or if email and Internet make sense for your target group. Distribution also depends on your budget and how much you can spend on production and distribution.
Letter to the editor:
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Why write a letter to the editor? |
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To explain how you think issues in the organization’s work relate to other issues currently being covered in the news; |
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To clarify the record on an issue after a misleading, inaccurate or biased letter or story; |
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To respond to other editorials; |
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To react to a news or feature story; |
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To raise local public awareness of issues related to your work; |
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To provide insight about activities not being adequately covered by your local newspaper; |
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Most importantly, to express your thoughts and opinions; and |
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Use your own words and be confident that your voice can make a difference. |
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How to write a letter to the editor:
All letters should be typed, if possible, or neatly written. They should be signed and include the author’s work address and phone numbers. Newspapers often do not print letters from people they cannot reach to confirm authorship.
An effective format for a letter is: a topic paragraph, several paragraphs elaborating the writer’s views, and a conclusion. This lets editors cut for space and still allows the message to get across.
Most newspapers typically suggest a length of 200-400 words for letters to the editor. Letters that are too long may be significantly cut or not placed at all.
Reference the article you are responding to in the letter’s introduction. “I was astonished that the daily “Morning Star” May 12 article “Municipality to open new waste disposal site” omitted key facts on the issue of environmental protection…”
Try to keep the letter’s tone calm and lively at the same time. Bland and dull letters, emotional outbursts, or personal attacks will not give readers a good impression of you or the organization you represent.
Do not make false or misleading statements. Be sure to verify facts and quoted material.
Timing is important. A letter has the best chance of being printed if the issue you are writing about has been in the news.
Give a local character to your letter to the editor by making reference to recognizable local institutions, events or common experiences. Find ways to make your issue closer to the people. When writing to the local media give local examples and anecdotes.
Keep to the point. Address one issue per letter.
Organize your letter logically. First, site the argument to which you are responding. Next, cite your own position. Then, present your evidence. At the end, close with a short restatement of your position or some memorable statement.
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NOTE: |
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Letters to the editor can be used when you feel your organization has been misrepresented or that factual errors were made in the reporting of the newspaper. This is sometimes referred to as “demante.” In such case, state clearly the mistake you think has been made and then the correct facts or your organization’s version on the events or issue. Avoid accusations or condescending tones, simply inform them in a straightforward manner. |
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Sample of a letter to the editor
Daily “Utrinski zrak”
Street Partizanska 24/33
Skopje
Dear editors,
Your April 27 editorial calling upon environmental and health organizations to be accurate regarding the factuality of their claims is a legitimate standard. It is also one that could be applied to the editorial itself.
Given your proper concern about factual accuracy, here are some facts to correct the inaccurate assertion of your opening sentence, which refers to “the discredited campaign to terrify the public about the air pollution”.
Here is what has happened since the National Air Monitoring Agency released its report about the air pollution in a few towns in the country:
The National Air Monitoring Agency after a thorough review of all available data reaffirmed that the level of air pollution is above the average and it presents a serious threat to people’s lives in those three towns.
The Agency reiterated that the continuation of the work of the factories in those three towns presented an “unreasonable” risk to human health and that the work of the factories should be prohibited.
The same conclusion was reached by the scientific experts who recently formed an association to consider this issue.
Last December the Faculty of Biology released a report, which reaffirmed the basic premise of the National Air Monitoring Agency report, namely that according to the measurements made the level of air pollution is above the acceptable levels.
I trust that these facts are authoritative enough for “Utrinski zrak” to set the record straight as to which side of the “air pollution” issue is “discredited”.
Sincerely,
Petar Bogoevski
Executive Director
Environmental Association “Healthy life”
Mobile Telephone: 070 111 111
Email: petar@petar.com
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