How will I know?” These are some of the words I hear most often from readers looking to publish letters to the editor, opinion pieces and other articles.
The words, in many cases, sound like a refrain from How will I Know , recorded by Whitney Houston. The song is otherwise known as “There’s a boy I know, he’s the one I dream of”.
The would-be writers ask: “How will I know if the editor will publish my article? I say a prayer with every word I type. How will I know what he’s thinking? I try to phone but they redirect my call to you. I’m asking you what you know about these things.”
I operate independently and physically outside the newsroom at Nation Centre on Kimathi Street, Nairobi. But I do know that most of the questions would not arise if the would-be writers did their homework. I’m recommending the homework here.
Most of the questions they ask are elementary. Examples: “I have an article that I would like to be published online; what’s the criteria or way forward?”, “Do you tell the writer when the article is going to be published?”, “Please advise on how I can get my article published in your dailies”, “I understand all that is required and have been following that in my writing but none of my articles have been published; what’s going on?”
Some of the would-be writers come hauling emotional baggage. One of them claims he has been ignored: “I’ve emailed copies of three letters, which the opinion editor has ignored due to his selective habit. l complained to you through my letter of 4th October, 2019. Please find out and advise me on why he doesn’t want to publish my letters.”
The reader says one of his articles has been published in The Standard (as if that was proof positive of fine writing). “I hope you’ll probe the underlying reasons why your opinion editor can’t similarly publish my articles. Could it be due to bias, favouritism, arrogance or whatever that makes a restless editor to trash such articles?
“It’s worth noting that when some of us write, it’s because of burning issues which we want the authorities to address. It’s not because we want to see our names printed in the media. The media is the only means through which we can reach the authorities.
“For example, the Ethiopian dam concerns millions of people around the region. How, then, can a responsible editor shelve or trash an article on such a subject? We need seasoned and elderly editors who can review opinions from varied age groups. Alternatively, have the editors reshuffled from time to time to avoid a situation where an overstayed editor tries to personalise the post.”
Another reader says he wrote an opinion article more than a week ago and was advised to downsize it to 700 words. “I cut off content and sent it back. What could be the reason for it not being published yet? Maybe you can go through it and advise.”
Over the years, I’ve answered most, if not all, of these questions, including why editors reject articles. Anybody who has such questions can get a comprehensive answer by reading the following Public Editor’s Notebook articles: “How to get your article published in ‘Nation’ without breaking a sweat” (October 16, 2020); “This is what you should do to get the editor to consider your article” (September 1, 2016); “Opinion editor offers advice on how best to present your article” (February 22, 2018); “Why the editor has discretion to reject, shorten or rewrite letters” (January 24, 2019); “Follow these guidelines to ensure your articles see light of the day” (December 27, 2019); and “How contributors can go beyond the ‘unsolicited article’ category” (January 31, 2019).
However, I suspect most of those who asking “How Will I Know” will not take the trouble to read the articles because it’s work. It’s a pity. Because most of their questions can be answered by reading the articles.
The Public Editor is an independent news ombudsman who handles readers’ complaints on editorial matters including accuracy and journalistic standards. Email: [email protected] . Call or text 0721989264.
