{UAH} Pojim/WBK: Why your letter to the editor was not used, and what you can do about it - Opinion - nation.co.ke

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Why your letter to the editor was not used, and what you can do about it - Opinion

By PETER MWAURA
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In the early 1980s, when I was the editor-in-chief of Nation Newspapers, I received a letter from Mary Kimani, who said she was a student at Tennessee Temple University in Chattanooga, in the United States.

The letter had a covering note that said: "Enclosed is a 'Special Tribute' to our Honourable President, Daniel arap Moi."

Neither the covering note nor the letter was signed. Both were copies. "I have sent the original copy of the tribute to the President," the covering letter said. I trashed the letter.

Three days later President Moi called, asking whether I had seen the letter. Truthfully, I said I had. "Chapa!" (publish), he told me with the finality that can only come from a Head of State. I counted myself lucky that my wastepaper basket had not been emptied.

I had trashed the letter because it was not signed. It was also singing the same old praises that we had been bombarded with by Kanu hawks and cheerleaders. This was at a time when President Moi was widely criticised for his authoritarian rule.

Today, Nation Media Group (NMG) editors do not take orders from State House on what letters to publish. The editors, though, are obliged to make an honest attempt to ensure that what is published presents a fair balance of views.

NMG editors are forbidden from suppressing the publication of a letter merely because they disagree with the message or argument.

What I want to underline by relating the Moi encounter is the importance of letters to the editor. The letters page provides ordinary — and not so ordinary — people a forum to express their views and promote their causes.

In the Saturday Nation this democratic space has been expanded to include a "Readers Corner", which caters for readers who want their voices heard on matters literary.

These pages provide an open, free forum for public discourse. The complaints I have received about letters to the editor show that readers value these pages. And oh, the agony of having your letter trashed, or go astray! This was the case, to mention just one, with Ashford Kimani, whose article was "hijacked".

One Monday evening last month he sent me a second reminder at 7.39pm. The first reminder was at 2.59pm the same day. "I read your piece about your role as public editor with a lot of enthusiasm.

"I, however, feel my happiness was misplaced. My complaint about the piece I sent to Readers Corner has not been given any priority. Calls are going unanswered."

Mr Kimani is an English teacher and author of KCPE Composition Workbook. He was aggrieved because, though his contribution was published, it was credited to Collins Odhiambo, who was even identified with his descriptor and email address: "I am very aggrieved," he told me. "Why do this to me?"

Benjamin Ouma, who edits the Readers Corner, explained what happened. It was a mix-up in copying and pasting. "The error is regretted," he said. "Since Mr Kimani is a regular contributor to the page, I will write to him and do a make-good for him."

Mistakes occur in newspapers the world over. What matters is that the mistakes are detected and corrected wherever possible and as soon as possible. If a letter is not used, that is, of course, a different kettle of fish.

However, there are certain steps you can take to maximise your chances of getting your letter published. Oduor Ouma, who edits theDaily Nation's letters page, says not all letters sent by readers are publishable.

"Letters are selected according to how the reader tackles a specific topical issue, the reader's grammar, and his sensitivity," he says.

Less than 10 per cent of the letters sent are published. The rest are discarded "for being insensitive, incoherent, or just due to plain lack of space."

My advice for increasing your chances of getting published is that if you are commenting on a topical subject, do so while the topic is still "hot". This way it is more likely to be published. And if you do not get published, do not give up. Keep trying. The worst that can happen is that you will improve your writing skills!

Send your concerns or comments to publiceditor@ke.nationmedia.com. You can also call or send text messages to mobile 0721989264, call 3288000, or visit the public editor at Nation Centre in Nairobi.

Why your letter to the editor was not used, and what you can do about it - Opinion - nation.co.ke
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