Letters to the editor (LTEs) are an easy way to get media coverage in one of the most widely read pages in the newspaper. Make sure you follow the newspapers policies for submitting LTEs, typically outlined in the Opinion section.
Below are draft LTEs that can easily be adapted for your community. They focus on the reopening of the MA economy; arts and education; and arts and the economy.
If you submitted an LTE using one of the templates below, please let us know! We'll look out for it and share it on social if it gets published.
TOPIC: Reopening the MA Economy
As we slowly emerge from the crisis created by COVID-19, we have the added responsibility of deciding how we're going to reopen businesses, schools, public venues, and everyday life. I applaud Gov. Baker's decision to appoint a Reopening Advisory Council to guide the reopening of the MA economy based on health and safety metrics. However, the 21-member group is small and missing representation from some key sectors including labor, childcare, K-12 education, and the arts and cultural community. As a [insert artistic affiliation here], I support a strong reopening strategy and know that the creative and cultural sector is a necessary component to bringing our economy back on line. As the Reopening Advisory Board seeks input from key stakeholders, they should consult leaders of the arts and cultural community for their talents and expertise.
Many of us have relied on arts and creativity to get us through weeks of stay-at-home orders with movies, books, and free online arts classes and cultural events. I'm just as eager to go back to my favorite museums, concert & performance venues, and studios as I am to my favorite restaurants and local stores. I know I'm not alone. Let's make sure we get this right by including businesses of all kinds, including the arts and cultural sector, in the reopening strategy.
NAME
City/Town
Phone number (for verification, not publication)
COVID-19 has upended our realities and exposed deeply imbedded inequities in our economy and systems of education from early education through college. It has been remarkable to watch districts across the state, including ours, distribute tools for technology and expand access to broadband Internet so that students can engage in learning from home. I hope that this commitment to equity remains in place long after our stay-at-home advisory is lifted. I also hope to see that same commitment applied to ensuring equitable access to art education.
A large body of research shows that access to sequential arts education results in higher achievement outcomes across all academic subjects and grade levels. And our experiences through this crisis shows that creativity, flexibility, and critical thinking—the habits of mind fostered through arts education—are critical to adapting to previously unthinkable ways of living and working.
All students need access to a quality arts education in addition to science, math, and technology. As we strategize about how to reshape our post-COVID-19 lives, I would like to hear from elected officials in state and local government about their ideas for making access to education, including arts education, more equitable.
NAME
City/Town
Phone number (for verification, not publication)
As we slowly emerge from the crisis created by COVID-19, we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reimagine and redesign our personal, work, and civic lives. Even as we continue to follow common sense public health guidelines that are slowing the spread of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, we need to think about what our communities will look like when we are able to re-open.
Before this crisis, the role that arts and cultural institutions play in the state’s economy was well understood. Arts nonprofits supported more than 73,000 full time jobs, generated over $2.3 billion in total spending, and brought in nearly $100 million in state tax revenues. The business of these theaters, museums, live concerts, and other creative endeavors are intertwined with the state’s tourism and restaurant industries.
The long-term impact of COVID-19 on these sectors is expected to be devastating. As we plan to reopen our economy, the fate of these organizations must be considered and arts leaders must be included.
NAME
City/Town
Phone number (for verification, not publication)
