I need help writing a LTTE.

[devilgrrl]

The past 6 months the Los Angeles Times editorial page (under supposed "liberal" Michael Kinsley) has gotten so bad that it's literally unreadable and I want to write them urging for changes.

This is what I have so far:

The sorry state of the current editorial pages Los Angeles Times is quite disturbing. Horrible writing by the editors, lame opinion columns (left, right and center - especially Joel Stein!), a brutal cartoonist (Michael Ramirez), a whittled down letters to the editors section, an all an all travesty. As a subscriber to your newspaper I would highly recommend improving the editorial section or I will just cancel my subscription.

What else should I say and how should I say it? Grammar cops feel free to edit and correct my horrific diction.

[TalkingDog]

1. grammar nazi to the rescue

I would would actually start with your request as it is quite forceful:

In the past several months the.... page under a supposedly liberal Michael Kinsley has become unreadable. The sorry state of the editorial pages is quite distressing. The editorial writing is (use more descriptive phrases here...why is it horrible?), the opinion columns are (lame, but again WHY?)...especially Joel Stien, who (explain what he does to bug you here).

Add to that a brutal cartoonist, Michael Ramirez and a condensed.... section. All in all a travesty. If the editorial pages do not show substantial improvement, I will be forced to cancel my subscription.


edited to grammar nazi my own grammar

[jody]

2. Suggestions:

1. Don't threaten to cancel your subscription. You are limited to perhaps 150 words so don't waste them.

2. Select two three egregious examples and build a two or three sentence case around each.

3. Summarize by saying they are not doing their duty as members of the fourth estate.

Good luck and give them hell. :hi:

[Yoda Yada]

3. I agree, I don't like it either...

The Los Angeles Times is now owned by the Tribune (Chicago Tribune). I remember when visiting my relatives in Chicago (and reading the Chicago Tribune) how much I disliked their format too. NOW...that format is the same one that the LA Times is using!. I hate it.

I think it has to do with choice of type and striving for a uniform look on the editorial page. By being "uniform" (in their quest to be just like every other newspaper) they are embracing the concept of conforming to the mundane...which is so NOT California! It is just plain boring. It screams out to the reader, "...never mind...nothing interesting here...".

Good luck with your letter.

[Ready2Snap]

4. For what it's worth -

By insulting them right off the bat, you're gonna increase your chances of getting rejected before they get to the second sentence.
Oh, and don't threaten them with cancelling your subscription, for the same reason.
Start by telling them how, in the past, you trusted the Times editorials and columnists to inform and enlighten you.
Then express your concerns over the recent changes to the editorial section. One or two examples is all you need.
You need to cite at least one example of the "horrible writing" It shouldn't be hard to find.
Max Boot is my choice as a prime source of poor writing.

Michael Ramirez has been called every name in the book in LTTEs for years, but he's still there.
Save him for your last complaint and use it to skewer him with a good zinger like -

"And as for Michael Ramirez, his scribblings can only appeal to what Oscar Wilde called the 'intellectually unemployed.'"
Wilde, Mark Twain and Ambrose Bierce are great sources for quotes and zingers.

Try to use short, declarative sentences, in which every word does work.
Or as E.B. White said, "Avoid unnecessary words." Use just enough to say what you want.
Also, run-on sentences tend to confuse readers,
and, if they don't understand you, they'll lose interest and move on to something else. So, keep 'em short.

Also, nothing will get your letter tossed out faster than misspellings.
Use Word's Spelling and Grammar utility, and if you're not sure, go look it up or Google it.
Beware of the common mistakes like using "your" when you mean "you're" or there for their.
Have someone else read it. A fresh pair of eyes can discover things you may miss.

Personally, I find it easier to edit something if I print it out on paper,
work out the changes, and then correct the text on screen.
Don't to forget to SAVE after your changes, or you can do a SAVE AS before you do any editing
and save it as: letter2.doc, that way your original draft is safe to go back to if you want.
You should do at least three re-writes. The process will really help you define what it is you're trying to say.

As for the new layout, I agree it's awful. All the fat lines, negative (empty) space
and the reduction of text reminds me of someone who can't stand it when his peas get in his mashed potatoes.
All in all, kinda what you'd expect to find in a community college newspaper.

They have a 250 word limit, but try and keep it to 150 tops. You'll have a better chance of having it published.

If you have any questions, my e-mail is in my profile.

Have fun, good luck.