Letters to the Editor

In his regular column, the Council's Chairman, Prof David Flint gives letter-writers some clues on how to get published.

Of all the media, newspapers offer the greatest access to the public, in particular through the letters column. These pages are widely read and the Council recommends that readers who are concerned by a report try to use them as a means of redress. A few issues ago, the News published an article from the Letters Editor of The Australian about how letters columns are put together. To add to that article, the Council believes that it would be useful for me to point out why some letters are not published and how best to get your letter published.

The Council frequently sees letters written by complainants which are certain not to be published. Often such letters are far too long, contain extraneous or irrelevant matters, are defamatory or downright abusive. Choice Book's excellent publication Media Rights: Consumer Action makes some useful suggestions on the best ways to get a letter published. The suggestions in that book are set out here.

Your letter will have a better chance of being published if it:

• reaches the Letters Editor when the issue it refers to is still current - responses to particular items should be sent as soon as possible and not longer than a few days after the item's publication;
• is written in "house" style - avoid sending exactly the same letter to several publications;
• is typed or carefully handwritten;
• is issue-orientated or topical;
• is concise and within any specified word limit;
• is original in its expression (ie wit, passion and panache help, while cliches do not); and
is free of phrases like "I know you won't publish this ..." or "this is an open letter ..." and avoids abusive or offensive language.

David Flint

see also
Index on David Flint's material on the website

Press Council rulings on letters to the editor
Dinoo Kellaghan of The Australian on letters to the editor

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