Your third letter will be an opinion-type letter, such as an open letter or a letter to an editor.
Letters to the editor, opinion pieces, and open letters can be powerful advocacy tools. The editorial section of a newspaper is widely read by the public and is monitored by elected officials. In a letter to the editor or opinion piece, you can bring up information not addressed in a news article, and can create the impression of widespread support or opposition to an issue. An open letter, while similar to a letter to the editor, is often addressed to a particular person or group of people about a situation or problem. Similar to a letter to the editor, an open letter can be in response to another communication, story or situation. When you write any of these kinds of letters, here are some possible guidelines or considerations.
- A social or political commentary.
- Personal musings on a topic, idea, or event.
- A humor or satirical piece addressed to a celebrity or person in the news.
- A piece of constructive criticism (or praise) of a politician, organization, or company, either international or local.
- A letter to a thing — the state of politics in general, the new road construction, one of your fears, a habit you’d like to break, etc.
- A response to an article, video, etc.
- A response to another letter or action.
Whatever approach you take, remember that trusting your unique point of view (and allowing yourself to be vulnerable) can encourage meaningful engagement from your readers. As this is a letter, treat it as a conversation between you and someone or something else.
Adhere to word count requirements. This information can usually be found, online and in print, on the same page as the letters that are published. Generally, 250-500 words can be set as the limit. For this assignment, keep your letter to no more than 500 words.
Open with a strong statement, and be sure to place the most important information at the beginning. Often, letters and pieces are edited to fit the space available in that issue of the newspaper or online page — most often they are cut from the bottom up, so placing the important information anywhere but at the top could result in its being omitted.
Use a personal story or illustration to make your point in plain language. If at all possible, tie your letter to a recent piece of news, editorial, or a prior letter, and, if you do so, reference the title and date of the article in your letter. If you are referring to a newspaper article, send your letter as soon as possible after the article has been published in the paper.
In your signature line include your name or how you want it signed. Keep in mind that when submitting to a publication, either print or online, follow the requirements of that publication. Generally, they will require additional contact information for verification purposes but will not print that contact information.
This letter will be typed and submitted online through Canvas. It is NOT required to submit this letter openly or on a published site unless you want it published. You can submit it either as a post from your site or as a shared Google doc.
Submit by the start of class, November 8 in Canvas.
