If you have never written a letter to the editor before, don’t worry. It’s easy!
You don’t have to have any special knowledge of Ukraine or even of newspapers. It takes just a few minutes. It’s a very effective way to let your community and your elected representatives know you care about Ukraine.
Step 1 – Choose what newspaper you want to submit a letter to the editor to.
Step 2 – Check the submission instructions for that newspaper.
- What word count range does the newspaper accept? A good length to aim for is usually around 120-150 words.
- How does the newspaper receive letters to the editor? Most have a simple online form to fill out, while some take submissions via email.
- What personal information does the newspaper require for verification? Many newspapers require an address and telephone number. These aren’t published, but used to check that you are a real person from their area.
Step 3 – Write your letter. We have a template below you can use to get started. Simply copy & paste the text text below, personalize it with a few sentences of your own, add the names of your senators and representative, and submit it.
Sample LTE titles:
- Stop Russia’s War on Faith
- Christianity Is Under Attack in Ukraine
- Russia Is Jailing Priests. The West Is Silent
- Faith Is a Crime in Russian-Controlled Ukraine
- Russia Is Jailing Priests and Bombing Churches
- Occupied by Russia, Oppressed for Believing
- Putin’s Crackdown on Faith in Ukraine
- Russia Targets Churches, Not Just Soldiers
Topic ideas:
- Expose Russia’s persecution of Christians in Ukraine. Describe arrests of clergy, church closures, and desecration of sacred symbols.
- Call on faith communities to stand with persecuted Christians. Urge churches, pastors, or denominations in the U.S. to speak out.
- Highlight how Russia is violating religious freedom in occupied Ukraine. This is part of a broader pattern of human rights abuse.
- Russia’s persecution of faith is not incidental – it’s deliberate.
- Tell the story of a persecuted pastor or church in occupied Ukraine. Make it personal; name a known case and ask why we aren’t hearing more.
- Encourage coverage of this issue in local or national media.
- Write meta: why is this not front-page news?