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write a Letter to the Editor (LTE)

#ABetterWorld

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write a Letter to the Editor (LTE)
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why write an LTE

Write an LTE if you want to make your opinion heard in a timely manner. You don’t need a lot of research, and your LTE can be brief and to-the-point - just 150-200 words! When time is of the essence, choose to write an LTE.

expert fact

Once submitted, you can track your letter by doing an internet search of your name and following up with the publication to find out if/when it is getting published.

secret tip

Your letter doesn’t have to be perfect, and you don’t have to be an expert to have an opinion. You simply need to care.

use your voice on social media
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why use social media

Use your voice on social media to tell Canada why they need to pass a #BudgetForLeadership.

expert fact

Tweets with images can receive approximately 160% more retweets than those without.

secret tip

When posting on social media, be genuine and speak from the heart. People want to connect with other human beings online, so be yourself and it'll help you get your message across!

Call-to-action summary: 

Budget 2025 presented a clear choice for Prime Minister Mark Carney and his government: invest in building a better world or cut international assistance and risks undoing decades of progress backed by Canadian leadership. The Prime Minister chose to break his promise and take a step back from our world when needs are urgent. We can’t be silent. We must be bold and tell our MPs – our voices in Ottawa – that this isn’t what we want to see from our government.

read full call-to-action

letter to the editor (LTE)
: a letter written to a newspaper, magazine or other periodical about issues of concern to readers, usually intended to be published in the paper/periodical

With a disappointing budget tabled on November 5, draft a letter to the editor (LTE) which highlights this missed opportunity to build a better world, and centre the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria as an opportunity for Canada to get back on track. Using the information in our call-to-action, pitch a short LTE to a news outlet to get the word out.

Canada spends just 34 cents for every $100 on international assistance, a small investment with life-changing impact. Whether you’ve seen the effects of global poverty firsthand, care deeply about fighting diseases like TB, or believe every child deserves access to food and care, your story and your opinion matter. Remind readers that Prime Minister Mark Carney broke his campaign promise to not cut international assistance, and that we are hoping he can correct this mistake by making an ambitious pledge for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria later this month.

Use your letter to share why you personally care about Canada showing up for the world and why you want to see our leaders keep our international assistance funding. Even a short message can spark awareness and inspire others to take action.

Be sure to send your LTE to your local community papers for the best chance of being published! Refer to past volunteer LTEs but don’t fall into the trap of copying other people’s styles. Don’t forget to let us know you took action!

follow these step-by-step instructions to write an LTE

Volunteers on average spend 1-2 hours researching and planning, 30 minutes writing their draft, and 15 minutes submitting it to newspapers. 

  1. Read our current call-to-action and note the “ask”. 
  2. Research the current issue by reading the news or external reliable sources (e.g., the World Health Organization). 
  3. Draft your LTE. It doesn’t have to be perfect, and you don’t have to be an expert to have an opinion.
    • Create an outline of your letter using the EPIC format. 
    • Keep it short – 150-200 words. Being clear and concise will increase your chances of getting published.  
    • Focus on your perspective and speak from the heart while supporting your opinion with evidence from our call-to-action and/or your research. 
    • Remember to state the problem early on and include a solution to the issue which is usually the “ask” in the call-to-action. 
    • Write a catchy title that will draw the reader in. 
    • Review your draft to make sure you are using respectful and inclusive language – see our anti-oppression best practices. 
  4. Decide if you are sending your LTE to one or many newspapers. If you’re emailing multiple newspapers, put their addresses in the BCC field. Use our database of editors’ emails for options.  
  5. Press ‘send’ – congratulations! Be sure to let us know you’ve submitted an LTE through our reporting form or tell your Group Leader. If you are not part of a group, contact us at action@resultscanada.ca. If you are not a volunteer yet, join us!
  6. Send your LTE draft to your Member of Parliament (MP) to let them know your opinion. 

did you get published?

  1. Do an internet search of your name and a key sentence from your LTE for a few weeks after you submit if the newspaper editor didn’t notify you that they picked up your LTE.  
  2. If you got published, complete the “I got published in the media” form. 
  3. Share it on social media and make sure to tag @ResultsCda and your Member of Parliament! 
  4. Keep submitting LTEs on future calls-to-action and you could become a publishing expert like Adil.
  • Look at our latest learning session on LTEs (15 mins).
  • Get more traction by connecting your LTE to a newsworthy topic or hook that inspires you - refer to our key dates, hashtags, tags, and keywords.
  • Respond to a recently published article as a hook for your LTE.
  • Collaborate with other volunteers. Nothing is stopping you from submitting a co-written LTE!
  • Speak another language? Send your LTE to community newspapers published in that language.
  • Consider writing an op-ed if you have lots of research material and 200 words isn’t enough!

see an example of an LTE

Vaccines a light of hope for children

While at times we can feel overwhelmed by all the bad news, there are many candles fighting the darkness. Critical health measures are succeeding around the world — even as the media focuses its attention elsewhere.

Since its inception in 2000, the International Vaccine Alliance Gavi, has helped vaccinate more than half the world’s children, reducing vaccine-preventable deaths by a staggering 70 per cent. In 1980, child mortality for children under five years old was 250 deaths per thousand live births. Today, it’s about 50.

We can keep the good news coming. The next round of funding for Gavi approaches and Canada’s share is $720 million. It’s critical the federal government steps up with its share of funding to vaccinate half a billion children in this next round. A half a billion candles to light the darkness.

Nathaniel Poole, Victoria, B.C.
Nov 16, 2024 in the Regina Leader-Post

See more published volunteer LTEs.

See all our resources to help you write your LTE, along with key dates, hashtags, tags and keywords found on our call-to-action page.

Before volunteering with Results, I was so intimidated to write a letter to the editor but they gave me the tools to write one about immunizations and it ended up getting published! I feel so empowered to continue making a difference. 

– Megan, Results Canada volunteer

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