Writing a letter to the editor or opinion piece for your local newspaper is one of the best ways to raise awareness and inspire action for health care reform. Letters to the editor allow you to voice your opinion, draw attention to an issue, bring issues to the attention of your legislators, and correct or interpret facts in response to an inaccurate or biased article.

We encourage supporters to submit letters or opinion pieces, and we can help and give you examples to follow. Generally, these letters should come from you, acting in your private capacity, NOT as a spokesperson for Maine AllCare. If you mention Maine Allcare, we’d like to see your letter in advance of publication to be certain it follows our guidelines and is consistent with our positions and principles.

We’re here to help! Contact us at info@maineallcare.org if you’d like help with crafting an letter or op-ed.

Here are some tips:

  • Keep it short—check the paper’s guidelines and don’t exceed them.
  • Speak your truth, and add personal stories.
  • Use local statistics if applicable.
  • Relate your letter to a recent article or op-ed, if possible.
  • Include your email, phone number, and address, as the publication will need to confirm that you wrote the letter before they publish it.
  • Don’t forget your small, local papers—they’re crucial for our communities and help to spread the word where you live.

Writing Op-Eds

  • Opinion/editorials are longer than letters to the editor (between 500 and 800 words.)
  • Be newsworthy: Tie your topic into an upcoming vote, appropriate holiday, anniversary, community event, the release of a new report, a recent article, or a popular movie.  The Maine AllCare email newsletter can be a source of articles and reports.
  • Consider inviting a respected or influential member or your community to co-sign or co-author with you.
  • Use local statistics to capture people’s attention.
  • It usually takes editorial boards two weeks to review submission.

Download and print a PDF version of this information.