WORLD WANT’S A REAL DEAL
HOW TO WRITE A LETTER TO THE EDITOR  ‘OP-ED’

What is an Op-Ed?
An op-ed is a newspaper article that expresses an opinion about an issue in the news. The name comes from their usual location in the paper, opposite the editorial page. A letter to the editor is just that, a letter written to a newspaper by a reader to offer an opinion on a particular issue. They are usually short, less than 150 words and it’s best to keep them succinct. 

What do I write about? 
Whatever you like.   That said, writing what you know best, i.e. your opinion is what this is all about.  If you choose to write about your 12/12 event or climate negotiations more generally, below are a few talking points that may serve as a rough outline for a piece.  However, be sure not to simply replicate the below talking points remember this is your opinion, your story.

12/12 Day of action talking points.

	REAL DEAL EVENTS WORLDWIDE
•	Over 2, 000 Candlelight vigils will be held in over 130 countries as part of a worldwide coordinated day of action. Millions of citizens and hundreds of organizations are calling for a 3-point Real Deal to be reached at the United Nations Climate Change conference in Copenhagen.
•	The 3 point deal has been endorsed by every major global environmental group, including 350, Avaaz, Oxfam, Greenpeace, WWF and as well as hundreds of civil society organizations and religious and labour leaders across the planet. Over 10 million individual citizens have signed on to support the Real Deal in the last several weeks.

WHAT IS THE REAL DEAL: FAIR, AMBITIOUS AND BINDING
•	Fair - $200 Billion in climate financing for poorer countries.
•	Ambitious - a 2015 peak year for carbon emissions and a safe carbon level of 350 ppm.
•	Binding - legally enforceable. 

	ABOUT YOUR EVENT
•	Your event is important, no matter how small or large it is.  In your letter include details about your event, why you decided to do it, and what you personally hope to get out of the experience
	ABOUT THE TCKTCKTCK CAMPAIGN 
•	So far, almost 10 million people have signed a petition demanding world leaders sign a fair, ambitious and binding treaty at the Copenhagen climate summit, as part of the TckTckTck campaign. 
•	The TckTckTck campaign is an unprecedented alliance representing millions of people from all walks of life who are calling on world leaders to reach a fair, ambitious and binding climate change agreement. It comprises over 200 leading international, national and local organisations from the broad spectrum of civil society groups, including environment, development, health, poverty, human rights and humanitarian organizations that are pressuring politicians for moral leadership in Copenhagen this December. 

Tips on Submitting an Op-Ed: 
•	If possible, research whether or not the paper has published op-eds on a similar topic recently. If they have, and it’s very similar to what you intend to write, your odds of placement are probably slim. If, however, a piece took a divergent view, this is also an opportunity to present an alternative perspective. 
•	Call the local newspaper to find out who you should email or fax your letter (Op-Ed) to. 
•	Many regional newspapers receive pieces with a national angle from news syndicates, so it’s best to emphasize a local/regional angle with a piece you’d like to submit. 
•	When deciding who should ‘sign’ the piece — it might not always be the same person that wrote it. Consider regional figureheads that are supporters to your issue and determine if it might be more advantageous to ask them to sign, or cosign, the piece once written. 
•	Once submitted, if you don’t receive a response within 24-48 hours, it’s usually best to contact the newspaper and speak to whoever oversees op-eds. If you call to follow up, be sure to relay the timeliness of the piece by emphasizing the day of action on the 12th of December.