The November 13 print edition of the New York Times ran an article on chronic fatigue syndrome: "A Big Splash from an Upstart Medical Center," by Denise Grady. (It first appeared online on 11/12.). It was a very positive article for the CFS patient community, citing a medical study that "pointed to a physical cause for an illness that the medical establishment had often snidely dismissed as psychosomatic." Truly, a breakthrough for the millions of people with this illness who have been told "it's all in your head." The fact that it was the New York Times, one of the world's most prestigious media outlets, also carries much weight in establishing the story's legitimacy and content itself.

But, the story itself is only a beginning.

One of the main things we'll be doing with "FibroPR 101" is learning how to work with the media and getting your patient stories published or on the air. But, what you say and do after the story has run can be just as important.

A Letter to the Editor is one of those powerful tools when working with the media. The benefits of writing a Letter to the Editor include:

• Letters to the Editor can bring further recognition for your cause and organization when your letter is published;
  
• Letters to the editor are great advocacy tools - you are showing the public, your community and members that you are well informed on the issues that affect their health and lives, especially if you are writing to correct information in the article.
  
• Editors and reporters love getting responses to their stories. Especially in this age of media cutbacks, they like knowning someone is actually reading their stuff!

Tips on writing Letters to the Editor:

Be sure to include your name, title and organization name.

• Fax the letter using your organization's letterhead, or email your letter from your organization's email and website address. By providing legitimate, accurate contact information, you are also offering yourself as a resource for future related stories.
  
• Make your letter short and to the point.
  
• Read the paper's submission guidelines, including word count and to whom the letter should be sent.
  
• Most important of all, submit your letter immediately after the article has been published - no later than a day or two. It's cold and old news to the editors after that. An exception might be the weekly publications.