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DU Article: Politicians follow letters to newspapers


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DU Article: Politicians follow letters to newspapers

Washington, D.C., may seem far removed from where you live, but lawmakers keep their ear to the ground when it comes to their constituents’ opinions. One of the ways members of Congress and their staffs stay on top of issues and attitudes is by reading hometown newspapers in their state, which provides Ducks Unlimited supporters a great opportunity to write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper to encourage congressional action on a full five-year farm bill.

Tips for your letter to the editor

Newspapers have different length restrictions, but letters to the editor are usually kept around 200-250 words and are more likely to be printed if you describe how the farm bill conservation programs affect your community.

Your newspaper’s opinion section will usually contain an email address to which you can submit your letters. Once you do so, it’s OK to call the paper and encourage them to print it.

We’ve prepared three sample letters to the editor about the farm bill to help you get started. (NY Dove Hunting supports this but deleted the link to keep to our special interest, however you can view this on DU’s website)

Good luck, and let us know if your letter is printed! Just email Heather Stegner, DU’s government affairs communications manager, at [email protected]. 

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DU Article: Politicians follow letters to newspapers

Washington, D.C., may seem far removed from where you live, but lawmakers keep their ear to the ground when it comes to their constituents’ opinions. One of the ways members of Congress and their staffs stay on top of issues and attitudes is by reading hometown newspapers in their state, which provides Ducks Unlimited supporters a great opportunity to write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper to encourage congressional action on a full five-year farm bill.

Tips for your letter to the editor

Newspapers have different length restrictions, but letters to the editor are usually kept around 200-250 words and are more likely to be printed if you describe how the farm bill conservation programs affect your community.

Your newspaper’s opinion section will usually contain an email address to which you can submit your letters. Once you do so, it’s OK to call the paper and encourage them to print it.

We’ve prepared three sample letters to the editor about the farm bill to help you get started. (NY Dove Hunting supports this but deleted the link to keep to our special interest, however you can view this on DU’s website)

Good luck, and let us know if your letter is printed! Just email Heather Stegner, DU’s government affairs communications manager, at [email protected]. 

If you are going to engage in letter writing to the local paper, be sure that you bounce your composition off of somebody that you know expresses themselves well before sending it in. I know that there are some who could do more harm than good. Be sure that your letter will not be judged as sounding too extreme or wacky. Every word that is publicly printed has the ability to convince and gain support, or turn-off and lose support. So use care when constructing letters to the editor. You are representing all of us, or at least that is the way the public will see it.

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Good points Doc. DU has an advantage with conservation issues because most people other than big bussiness ceos and their investors are accepting of their cause. With controversial stuff like guns, traps, and hunting you need extra caution. We write in to influence the public at large, which the politicians notice, according to DU. You certainly wont influence the public at large with angry attacks, emotional drivel, or versus of doctrine.

The number of people who read news letters is staggering. A factual letter can debunk fallacies and can influence public opinion. Regardless of where the majority public opinion rests, all but the most vulgar politicians are at least hesitant to support the side of controversial issues whose premises' have been debunked in local print.

I will add to Doc's caution recommendation, with another caution: be sure that you present facts and information from reliable sources and do not trust doctrine or propaganda.

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