Your historic preservation advocacy group will probably have to cope with some community misunderstandings and "bad press." Fortunately, you have two tools at your disposal to respond to misleading or confusing stories: op-eds and letters to the editor.

Both of these tools are conventional ways to raise questions about commonly held assumptions that work against your cause. Both op-eds and letters to the editor should do these three things:

• Offer a unique perspective
• Be well-written by a credible author
• Include statistics and hard facts

Writing an Op-Ed

When you write an opinion piece, you will deliver more impact if you write from a first-hand perspective. Your op-ed should sum up your complete argument. Structure your op-ed with this format:

• Start by telling a story to pull the reader in and identify a single problem.
• In the main body, expand on the problem and suggest one or more solutions.
• In the conclusion, refer back to your opening story.

Although your writing should reflect a first-hand perspective, your op-ed should be collaborative and part of a larger advocacy strategy. If you are voicing an opinion on behalf of an organization, meet with your group's leadership to discuss the ideas your group would like your piece to contain. Your internal policy for creating opinion pieces should be a part of your advocacy plan.

Writing a Letter to the Editor

Unlike an op-ed, a letter to the editor is short, responsive, and often critical. Sometimes a letter to the editor is used to correct a misstatement in the newspaper or to amend a published story. Follow these guidelines to prepare a letter to the editor:

Be concise. Letters to the editor tend to be a few paragraphs long. They may be longer depending on the nature of the issue. If your organization is responding to a crisis or a complex set of misunderstandings, your letter to the editor should be relatively long. In the example accompanying this article, Madison Trust for Historic Preservation's Executive Director, Jason Tish, responded to a single mischaracterization. The length of his letter reflects the complexity of the issue.

Stick to the facts. If you correct a misstatement in the paper, use facts to make your case. Don't get personal. A nasty rebuttal will work against your cause.

Check for spelling and grammar. Don't let careless mistakes get into print due to a speedy response. Use the spell checker before you send your letter. Your advocacy committee or other predetermined group should take the lead on opinion piece writing, including editing and review.

Send it the same day. If you feel the need to write a letter to the editor, send it immediately before the issue becomes "old news." Letters to the editor usually respond to the previous day's news stories. Each publication provides readers with deadlines and submission requirements. The power of a letter to the editor decreases rapidly with each passing day.

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Historic Preservation Advocacy Guide

Find more how-to articles about historic preservation advocacy.