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What Is an Editor's Letter?

If your idea of a great breakfast is sitting down with a coffee and your favorite newspaper, you might come across an article that ruins your whole day, causing you to slam your fists on the kitchen table and throw your paper against the wall. Wait a minute, there's a better way to show the editor that you disagree.
  1. Editor's Letter

    • A letter to the editor is a letter sent to any type of publication by concerned readers, discussing and questioning various issues they may have. Most of the time, these letters are sent. either electronically or through the mail, to be published in a publication's op-ed or readers' submission pages.

    Mediums

    • Letters to the editor usually appear in various newspapers and newsmagazines, but are not unheard of in other publications such as entertainment, sport and technology magazines. It's also possible for these letters to be sent to radio or television stations, where the letter is likely to be read aloud on the air.

    Topics for Letters

    • Although the subject of an editor's letter varies widely and often wildly, there are a number of topics that appear most frequently. These might include supporting or opposing an editor's stance on a certain issue, commenting on news material that might have appeared in a previous issue or correcting an error or a misunderstanding.

    Competition for Publication

    • Most letter forums in newspapers and magazines contain a group of around six to 12 letters (or fragments of letters). The letters chosen for publication often represent a fraction of the amount of letters submitted.

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