LETTERS TO THE EDITOR/OP ED GUIDELINES AND SAMPLES
If you have the time, watch the presentation by author Marion Roach-Smith on how to craft compelling op eds at https://register.gotowebinar.com/recording/8379221268783817474. The information can be used for letters to the editor as well.
The main media outlet in Greenfield is The Greenfield Recorder.
Letters to the editor (Readers Write) must be less than 300 words and can be submitted online at https://www.recorder.com/Opinion/Submit-a-Letter.
Op Eds (My Turn) should be no longer than 900 words. They can be sent to [email protected]. The subject line should say “My Turn: Name of Column, by Author.” Of course, fill in the name of the column and the name of the author. Always include contact information so that the editorial page staff can contact you to confirm, etc. They also like to include head-shots, so if you have a good photo of yourself crop it tight (so it's only your upper shoulders upward) and email along with your submission.
Below are some sample letters to the editor. They can be used as a model for your letter. You are a resident of Greenfield, probably a property owner, you should speak about the Library project from the heart. Use the emotion-logic-emotion model for writing your letter. Start out with an emotional appeal, bring in the logic of the argument and end with an emotional call to action.
You should also have a copy of the talking points about the Library project that will provide more facts for you to use: https://greenfield.voteyesforourlibrary.org/?page_id=30.
Sample Letter 1:
When my children were little, the Greenfield Public Library was the place for us to go. They loved Story Time and the look on their faces when they got their first library cards is something I’ll never forget. I remember it like it was yesterday.
The Library is a special place. Over 161,000 people come to the Library each year to borrow books, DVDs and other materials as well as to use its public computers and attend programs. The Library is a quaint, historic building that was originally a residence. With all the use it gets, with all the structural problems we know the building has, it’s time for Greenfield to come together for a new Library.
Lucky for us, the Library Trustees put together an effective proposal for the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners’ Capital Grants program. We’ve been awarded a $9.4 million grant that will pay for almost half of a new building.
Imagine what we could do as a community with a technology rich library with dedicated children’s and teen/tween rooms, quiet study space for our students and the right amount of space for our collections.
Imagine the Greenfield Public Library as a fully accessible space for people who use wheelchairs as well as those who have limited mobility.
Imagine the growth of our downtown with a new anchor to bring people to local restaurants and shops.
We need to rally behind the New Library Building Project. Organize your neighbors and friends. We can’t let this moment slip through our fingers.
Sample Letter 2:
As a young mom/young dad in Greenfield, I want my children to do well, to be prepared for school, to excel.
While we bring our children to the Greenfield Public Library, getting into the Library when we have our kids in strollers is getting more and more difficult. We can’t come in the front door. We have to navigate the ramp in the back of the building, manage a stroller or two through the door and narrow hallway and then get onto the elevator to come upstairs.
My family is not alone is our wish for a new Greenfield Public Library. It’s an investment we want to make in our community. It will be good for our property values, it will be good for our downtown, it will be good for children and for our schools.
I hope our City Council members understand how important this will be for Greenfield.
Sample Letter 3:
I’m a senior citizen on a fixed income. I have to watch my pennies. That’s why I go to the Greenfield Public Library. I can borrow instead of spend.
I’ve been in Greenfield long enough to know that plans get made but are not accomplished. I wouldn’t want to see that happen to the new Greenfield Public Library project. Let’s be honest. The present building, while well loved, cannot support the number of people who use it—500 a day—nor can it handle the weight of the collections.
We’ve seen ceilings fall on the first floor and the cinder blocks crumble in the basement meeting rooms. Water problems have resulted in mold.
I may live on a fixed income but I’m willing to pay $50-$100 extra a year to underwrite half of the cost of a new building. We need remember that the state is providing a $9.4 million grant as long as the City Council approves the project. We need to come together as a community and do what’s right for Greenfield’s families, for our children, for our seniors.
Our Library is so important to the fabric of Greenfield. It’s time for us to move forward and build a new Greenfield Public Library. Imagine the possibilities.
The main media outlet in Greenfield is The Greenfield Recorder.
Letters to the editor (Readers Write) must be less than 300 words and can be submitted online at https://www.recorder.com/Opinion/Submit-a-Letter.
Op Eds (My Turn) should be no longer than 900 words. They can be sent to [email protected]. The subject line should say “My Turn: Name of Column, by Author.” Of course, fill in the name of the column and the name of the author. Always include contact information so that the editorial page staff can contact you to confirm, etc. They also like to include head-shots, so if you have a good photo of yourself crop it tight (so it's only your upper shoulders upward) and email along with your submission.
Below are some sample letters to the editor. They can be used as a model for your letter. You are a resident of Greenfield, probably a property owner, you should speak about the Library project from the heart. Use the emotion-logic-emotion model for writing your letter. Start out with an emotional appeal, bring in the logic of the argument and end with an emotional call to action.
You should also have a copy of the talking points about the Library project that will provide more facts for you to use: https://greenfield.voteyesforourlibrary.org/?page_id=30.
Sample Letter 1:
When my children were little, the Greenfield Public Library was the place for us to go. They loved Story Time and the look on their faces when they got their first library cards is something I’ll never forget. I remember it like it was yesterday.
The Library is a special place. Over 161,000 people come to the Library each year to borrow books, DVDs and other materials as well as to use its public computers and attend programs. The Library is a quaint, historic building that was originally a residence. With all the use it gets, with all the structural problems we know the building has, it’s time for Greenfield to come together for a new Library.
Lucky for us, the Library Trustees put together an effective proposal for the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners’ Capital Grants program. We’ve been awarded a $9.4 million grant that will pay for almost half of a new building.
Imagine what we could do as a community with a technology rich library with dedicated children’s and teen/tween rooms, quiet study space for our students and the right amount of space for our collections.
Imagine the Greenfield Public Library as a fully accessible space for people who use wheelchairs as well as those who have limited mobility.
Imagine the growth of our downtown with a new anchor to bring people to local restaurants and shops.
We need to rally behind the New Library Building Project. Organize your neighbors and friends. We can’t let this moment slip through our fingers.
Sample Letter 2:
As a young mom/young dad in Greenfield, I want my children to do well, to be prepared for school, to excel.
While we bring our children to the Greenfield Public Library, getting into the Library when we have our kids in strollers is getting more and more difficult. We can’t come in the front door. We have to navigate the ramp in the back of the building, manage a stroller or two through the door and narrow hallway and then get onto the elevator to come upstairs.
My family is not alone is our wish for a new Greenfield Public Library. It’s an investment we want to make in our community. It will be good for our property values, it will be good for our downtown, it will be good for children and for our schools.
I hope our City Council members understand how important this will be for Greenfield.
Sample Letter 3:
I’m a senior citizen on a fixed income. I have to watch my pennies. That’s why I go to the Greenfield Public Library. I can borrow instead of spend.
I’ve been in Greenfield long enough to know that plans get made but are not accomplished. I wouldn’t want to see that happen to the new Greenfield Public Library project. Let’s be honest. The present building, while well loved, cannot support the number of people who use it—500 a day—nor can it handle the weight of the collections.
We’ve seen ceilings fall on the first floor and the cinder blocks crumble in the basement meeting rooms. Water problems have resulted in mold.
I may live on a fixed income but I’m willing to pay $50-$100 extra a year to underwrite half of the cost of a new building. We need remember that the state is providing a $9.4 million grant as long as the City Council approves the project. We need to come together as a community and do what’s right for Greenfield’s families, for our children, for our seniors.
Our Library is so important to the fabric of Greenfield. It’s time for us to move forward and build a new Greenfield Public Library. Imagine the possibilities.