Jim Pumarlo, consultant at Community Newspaper Success Strategies, spoke about how to handle election-related letters to the editor at RJI's "Down-home Democracy: Empowering Citizens With Outstanding Coverage of Local Elections" on Friday, Jan. 31, 2014.

1. Outstanding Election
Coverage
Handling letters to the editor
Jim Pumarlo

2. Element: Letters to the editor



Lifeblood of editorial page
Be wary of orchestrated
campaigns
Decide criteria



Ads vs. letters
Stories vs. letters
Address 11th-hour
exchanges

3. Explain: Nice try, but …
‘Letter-writing campaigns are very much part of
campaign strategies today. Candidates see it as a
way to supplement paid advertising.’

4. Community Newsroom Success Strategies
“Bad News and Good Judgment:
A Guide to Reporting on Sensitive Issues in a SmallTown Newspaper"
"Votes and Quotes:
A Guide to Outstanding Election Campaign Coverage"
"Journalism Primer:
A Guide to Community News Coverage for Beginning
and Veteran Journalists in the Age of New Media"
Jim Pumarlo
Newspaper Consultant
Red Wing MN
(651) 380-4295
jim@pumarlo.com
www.pumarlo.com