Jonathan's recommended procedure for Letters to the Editor
I understand the frustration some may have with trying to get a letter to the editor published in the Canton Repository. I have experienced some frustration myself. My recent letter took one whole month to appear in the newspaper from the time I submitted it, but it did eventually get published. I have not always experienced such difficulty in getting a letter in the newspaper, but here is what worked for me in this case to finally get it published.
1. When I submit a letter to the Repository and have not seen it published within a week or two, I call them and leave a message at (330) 580-8544. I tell them when I sent the letter and tell them that I am contacting them to find out if they received my letter and to find out if and when it will appear in the newspaper. If they have not returned my call by the next day then I will e-mail them at letters@cantonrep.com to say the same thing.
2. If you have facts that appear in your letter, be prepared ahead of time to provide credible web-addresses to back up your statements because they will likely ask for proof of statements that need to be proven (for example in my letter: the quotes from Obama). You won’t have to worry about this step if your entire letter is opinion. You will also need to confirm that the letter was written in your own words and was not just a copied form letter taken from the Internet.
3. If a letter has not appeared within 3 weeks or more, my next step is simply to "bug" them. Now I do this respectfully. But if they have not printed a letter by that time, the only way they will print it is if you are persistent. Parenthetically, I kept track of other letters that had been published after mine had been sent to them that were clearly written after mine and asked the Repository why those letters were printed before mine.
This may seem like a lot of work, and sometimes it is not that hard to get a letter published. But if you really want the letter published and you are having trouble, this is what has worked for me.
Canton Repository Letter Writing Guidelines
Letters must include your name, address and daytime phone number, but we publish only your name and city or township. Letters longer than 300 words will be edited or returned. Anyone who submits a letter that has been taken in part or entirely from another source, including an Internet site or e-mail, will be banned from the letters page for one year.
Here’s how to get your letters to us:
Mail: Letters to the Editor
The Repository, 500 Market Ave. S., Canton, Ohio 44702-2193
FAX: (330) 454-5745
For letters on the 2008 elections, letters need to arrive at the Repository by Wednesday, October 22, so that we have space to use as many as possible and time to verify and fact-check them.