QUERY LETTER
March 20, 2003
__________,Editor
USA Today
7950 Jones Branch Drive
McLean, VA 22108-0605
Dear Editor,
I'd like to write a piece on “A Day in the Life of a DEA Agent.” It would have a positive angle while personalizing a law enforcement agent that we rarely hear about – the agent that participates in keeping drugs off America's streets. Here is how I would approach the article:
“Tommy is entertaining his two year-old daughter at the Philadelphia Zoo when his phone pages him with a 911-text message. He finishes taking a photo of the lions, sets his daughter on the bench and sits with her to return the call. He is needed back in Manhattan, where he lives, because one of his guarded informants has escaped. This informant was trusted to cooperate with the Drug Enforcement Administration in arresting a Cuban drug lord; he has now created a diversion that will severely interrupt the case and Tommy's weekend with his daughter.”
The article would then go on to cover a day in the life of Tommy, the DEA Agent, detailing the balancing act that is required to be a successful agent, a participating, single father and a 33 year-old man.
The article is unusual in that it is a behind the scenes look into a DEA agent's life; it is dramatic because of the element of danger that is involved; and it contributes to the trend of heroic Americans that have been focused on the past couple years from events such as:
-September 11th
-Washington 's sniper case
-The Columbia space shuttle explosion
-The war in Iraq
Additionally, the DEA deals with a very important issue in America that is not often featured: drug traffic and the money involved in its operations. The article can remind the readers that our officer, Tommy, indirectly has a part in their lives.
As a freelance writer, my goal is to write news materials, which generally have a negative connotation, with a positive slant. Typically, articles relating to law enforcement issues tend to focus on the actual crime. However, the intention of my writing style, as it relates to this article, is to personalize the story with a favorable outcome. This article could be appropriate for the Nation or Life section of USA Today, either print or online.
I appreciate your consideration and look forward to your response.
Regards,
Wendy C. Wikstrom
