ACTION PLAYBOOK:
Write a Letter to the Editor
Let’s take action.
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Generate media coverage for your climate concern. Communicate your unique, personalized message to a broad audience that includes members of your community, policymakers, and key influencers who can nudge policymakers.
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Choose what to write about
Pick a publication
Write your LTE
Submit!
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A letter to the editor (LTE) is a short opinion piece (usually under 200 words), typically written in response to a previously published article. LTEs can:
Pressure or applaud public officials: “Governor Eldridge should continue her leadership on clean energy.”
Endorse a proposed solution: “Michigan should adopt the proposed clean electricity standard.”
Bring attention to underreported issues: “Why hasn’t this paper reported on increased coastal erosion?”
Respond directly to a recent article: “Your article on methane leakage missed the mark.”
1. Choose a climate solution to write about
Focus on the climate solution in our current campaign or choose one policy from the Issue Briefings (or get creative based on current events or whatever is top of mind). Spend a few minutes familiarizing yourself with the content, but don’t feel pressured to become an expert on the topic. Issue Briefings have digestible talking points that you can copy/paste and paraphrase in your LTE.
2. Select a publication and article to respond to
The goal is to get published! Try to target local papers and focus on local issues. As you consider local media outlets, visit their website(s) to read their submission instructions.
Can’t find a local paper? The Association of Alternative Newsweeklies and this Newspaper Map provide lists of local publications.
Now, choose a published article to which you want to respond (LTEs are typically written in response to a previously published piece). Browse articles posted in the last two weeks; anything generally related to the topic (even climate change more broadly) is fair game. If there’s nothing on the topic, your angle might be that the publication should report on climate issues more frequently.
3. Write your piece
Start drafting! Check out the writing tips below.
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Check submission guidelines before you write: do they accept LTEs? Do they post allowable word counts?
Copy/paste from an issue briefing to reduce your workload, and then make it your own by infusing it with your personal experience and editing the pasted sentences. Try the Write Your Climate “Why” exercise if you’re stuck.
Include a clear call to action. You can likely copy and paste the Clear Policy Ask directly from the Issue Briefing!
Stay timely and relevant, and focus on making one concise, persuasive point.
Mention your elected representatives by name. Every congressional and state legislator’s office monitors media mentions. For example, include something in your last paragraph like: “Senator Eeyore should express public support for the HEATR Act,” or “Mayor Piglet, please accelerate building electrification in our city.”
Contextualize your message with your identity and align your message with your authority. For example, a lobsterman describing his first-hand experience with warming oceans is more persuasive than a lobsterman advocating against deforestation. Use illustrative and memorable examples.
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An op-ed (“opposite the editorial page”) is a longer opinion piece (500-1,000 words) backed by a well-constructed and well-researched argument. It typically culminates in a recommendation or call to action.
An op-ed is standalone; it doesn’t have to be framed in reaction to something a publication did or did not do. But it’s important to open your piece with a topical hook to increase the chances of publication. Find something timely in the news cycle to connect your piece to current events.
For op-ed writing tips, visit:
You can also use these published examples from other changemakers to spark inspiration:
4. Provide a short bio, then submit!
Draft a one-sentence author bio to put at the end of your piece. This lets readers know why they should listen to your opinion. Remember that authority can come in all shapes and sizes.
Do one final proofread, then click submit! 🎉 Right after you submit, please let us know so we can make note of our collective impact:
5. After you submit
Set up a Google Alert: Most media outlets will not email you if they publish your LTE, so it’s helpful to set up a Google Alert for your name to notify you that your LTE is published. (If you leveled up and wrote an op-ed instead, they will notify you of publication).
If you do get published: Great! Email us at advocacy@climatechangemakers.org, which enables us to more accurately track our collective impact, and please consider sharing it in our Slack #wins-and-shoutouts channel, which helps inspire other changemakers!
Published opinion pieces have the potential to reach a lot of people. For example, six changemakers’ published opinion pieces in 2022 reached an estimated 12.4 million readers!
If you don’t get published, your action was still worth it! Not every LTE gets published, and that’s okay. You can still get a ton of mileage out of your piece by using the Level Up! options below.
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Letting others in your network know that you’ve taken action is a great way to scale your impact. Below is sample language you can adapt and customize:
“I just submitted an opinion piece to [PUBLICATION] on [POLICY TOPIC]. It’s really empowering and a lot more accessible than it seems! Check it out for yourself (from @theclimatevote!): https://www.climatechangemakers.org/preview-lte”
📲 Another quick option: Share this LinkedIn post or Instagram reel. It’s a mashup video of changemaker reactions to finding out their LTE was published!Social media, email, texting, and Slack (Climate Changemakers’ and other climate Slacks) are all excellent places to suggest a unique way for people to channel their climate concern (and writing skills!) into meaningful action.
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While you’re waiting for your LTE to get published, you can edit and adjust your piece to get more mileage out of it. Try tailoring what you wrote to suit different mediums, like social media or a personal message to a friend. (For more on selecting your audience and medium, try our Amplify a Policy Priority playbook). Here are some ideas for how to extend the life of your LTE:
Write a LinkedIn or Facebook post
Use it as the base of a message to one of your elected officials if you haven’t already reached out to them on this topic
Make an Instagram story (graphical)
Film yourself talking about it and make a TikTok/Instagram Reel/story
Create a Twitter thread
Turn it into an email or text invitation to your friends to inspire them to take climate action with you
And that’s it, playbook complete! Feel accomplished.
Thank you for taking action.
🎉 CUE CONFETTI 🎉
© 2023 Climate Changemakers