What is the format of writing a letter to the editor?
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4State if you want your letter published anonymously. It’s usually a good idea to attach your name to your letter, and some newspapers won’t publish letters anonymously anyway. But sometimes, there may be a circumstance where you want to state your opinion but you don’t want people to know who you are. Add a note to the editor that your letter needs to be published anonymously.1.Include your return address and contact information. Make sure to include your full contact information at the top of your letter. This will include not only your address, but also your email address, and daytime phone number.
2.Include the date. After your contact information, leave a blank line and then add the date. Write it formally, as you would in a business letter, such as: “Feb 25, 2016.”
3.
Include the recipient’s name and address. If you are writing an email or sending in a physical letter, address the letter as you would a business letter.[5] Include the recipient’s name, position, company, and address. If you don’t know the editor’s name, you can either find it in the newspaper, or you can just write “Editor.”
4.State if you want your letter published anonymously. It’s usually a good idea to attach your name to your letter, and some newspapers won’t publish letters anonymously anyway. But sometimes, there may be a circumstance where you want to state your opinion but you don’t want people to know who you are. Add a note to the editor that your letter needs to be published anonymously.
5.
Write a simple salutation. There's no need to be fancy here. Just write "To the editor,” "To the editor of The Herald," or “Dear Editor.” Follow this salutation with a comma or a colon.
6.State the article you're responding to. Orient your readers as quickly as possibly by stating the name and date of the article that you're responding to. Also, include the article’s argument. You can do this in just one or two sentences.
7.State your position. After you've stated the argument you're responding to, you should clearly state the position you're taking on the issue and why you feel a certain way. If your authority relates to the issue in some way, then state your occupation as well. Take this time to show why the issue is relevant and important, but remember to be brief.
8.Focus on one major point. Your letter is too short to cover much ground. Give your letter more force by focusing on one issue and providing evidence for that issue.
9.Make your most important point up front. This helps your reader identify exactly what you’re arguing from the get-go. If your letter is edited, it will be cut from the bottom up. If your most important point is at the beginning, it won’t get lost in the editing.
10.Provide evidence. Now that you've stated your position on an issue, you need to back it up with some facts. If you want your letter to be chosen, then you need to show that you've put some thought and research into formulating your letter. Though you don't have a lot of space, just providing a few key facts can make a big difference. Here are some great ways to provide evidence:
11.Use a personal example. To make your point relevant, use a personal story. Readers can more easily recognize the impact that news can have on a person when that person shares a personal story.
12.Say what should be done. Once you've provided evidence for your point of view, end the letter by saying what can be done to address the issue. Perhaps just raising awareness of the issue in the community is enough, but there may be other things that people can do to address the issue and get involved.
13.Name names in your letter. If your letter is intended to influence a legislator or a corporation to take a specific action, name that person or corporation. The staff working for the legislator is collecting news mentions of the legislator. Corporations are doing the same. These people will be more likely to read your letter if you name them specifically.
14.
Have a simple closing. Have one sentence that summarizes your point of view on the issue so your readers have a clear reminder of your main message.
15.
Include a closing phrase along with your name and city. At the very end of your letter, include a simple “Sincerely,” or “Best regards,” to finish your letter. Then include your name and city. Include your state if the newspaper is not your local publication.
16.Include your affiliation if you are writing in your professional capacity. If your professional expertise is relevant to your article, then include this information between your name and residence. If you are attaching your company’s name to your letter, you are implicitly stating that you are speaking on behalf of the organization. If you are writing on your own, then omit your company name. You can still use your professional title if it is relevant to the issue addressed in your letter. The following is an example that uses an organizational affiliation.
2.Include the date. After your contact information, leave a blank line and then add the date. Write it formally, as you would in a business letter, such as: “Feb 25, 2016.”
3.
Include the recipient’s name and address. If you are writing an email or sending in a physical letter, address the letter as you would a business letter.[5] Include the recipient’s name, position, company, and address. If you don’t know the editor’s name, you can either find it in the newspaper, or you can just write “Editor.”
4.State if you want your letter published anonymously. It’s usually a good idea to attach your name to your letter, and some newspapers won’t publish letters anonymously anyway. But sometimes, there may be a circumstance where you want to state your opinion but you don’t want people to know who you are. Add a note to the editor that your letter needs to be published anonymously.
5.
Write a simple salutation. There's no need to be fancy here. Just write "To the editor,” "To the editor of The Herald," or “Dear Editor.” Follow this salutation with a comma or a colon.
6.State the article you're responding to. Orient your readers as quickly as possibly by stating the name and date of the article that you're responding to. Also, include the article’s argument. You can do this in just one or two sentences.
7.State your position. After you've stated the argument you're responding to, you should clearly state the position you're taking on the issue and why you feel a certain way. If your authority relates to the issue in some way, then state your occupation as well. Take this time to show why the issue is relevant and important, but remember to be brief.
8.Focus on one major point. Your letter is too short to cover much ground. Give your letter more force by focusing on one issue and providing evidence for that issue.
9.Make your most important point up front. This helps your reader identify exactly what you’re arguing from the get-go. If your letter is edited, it will be cut from the bottom up. If your most important point is at the beginning, it won’t get lost in the editing.
10.Provide evidence. Now that you've stated your position on an issue, you need to back it up with some facts. If you want your letter to be chosen, then you need to show that you've put some thought and research into formulating your letter. Though you don't have a lot of space, just providing a few key facts can make a big difference. Here are some great ways to provide evidence:
11.Use a personal example. To make your point relevant, use a personal story. Readers can more easily recognize the impact that news can have on a person when that person shares a personal story.
12.Say what should be done. Once you've provided evidence for your point of view, end the letter by saying what can be done to address the issue. Perhaps just raising awareness of the issue in the community is enough, but there may be other things that people can do to address the issue and get involved.
13.Name names in your letter. If your letter is intended to influence a legislator or a corporation to take a specific action, name that person or corporation. The staff working for the legislator is collecting news mentions of the legislator. Corporations are doing the same. These people will be more likely to read your letter if you name them specifically.
14.
Have a simple closing. Have one sentence that summarizes your point of view on the issue so your readers have a clear reminder of your main message.
15.
Include a closing phrase along with your name and city. At the very end of your letter, include a simple “Sincerely,” or “Best regards,” to finish your letter. Then include your name and city. Include your state if the newspaper is not your local publication.
16.Include your affiliation if you are writing in your professional capacity. If your professional expertise is relevant to your article, then include this information between your name and residence. If you are attaching your company’s name to your letter, you are implicitly stating that you are speaking on behalf of the organization. If you are writing on your own, then omit your company name. You can still use your professional title if it is relevant to the issue addressed in your letter. The following is an example that uses an organizational affiliation.
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