Explore how writing a letter to the editor can make a difference
By Zan Dubin
Third Actors strive to make a difference in many ways: protesting, phone banking, testifying and pushing solar to anyone who will listen, to name a few. Writing, of course, is another tool, and SoCal member Ken Kobayashi hit pay dirt with a letter to the editor that topped “The Los Angeles Times’ ” letters section last Friday, July 17th.
Ken, a biotech professional and retired physician based in Rancho Santa Fe, had already written a blog about the U.S. Office of Management and Budget’s dangerous proposal to radically restructure how the federal government supports critical research, local programs and nonprofits through grants. So, when the issue made the Times’ front page, he jumped. The challenge: to show how the grant program, relevant to everything from cutting edge science to museums and legal aid foundations, has specific meaning to Third Actors.
That wasn’t hard: Ken highlighted the risk to research into diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and cancer. He noted that previous anti-science actions of the Trump administration have alienated some of our most experienced scientists—with Nobel laureate Omar Yaghi, himself over 60, departing UC Berkeley for China. This focus helped to ensure the inclusion of Third Act’s name after Ken’s at the end of the letter. We always want to increase such awareness.
It’s impossible to gauge the letter’s impact, even if Ken suggested remedial actions. But, as Central notes in its excellent guidance on writing these letters (which includes a Bill McKibben video), they are one of the most-read parts of a newspaper and are followed closely by elected officials.
Many local, regional, national and digital outlets accept LTEs, as they’re called. Substack also offer a platform for responses often read by people most keenly interested in the subject. Says Ken: “Letters allow Third Actors to express their perspectives on current events to a wide readership and thereby inform the public debate.” If you’re really feeling ambitious, op-eds are another powerful tool. So, write, write, write!
Photo credit: eReleases