WRITING LTTE

WHAT IS LTTE?
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
 It’s a reader’s chance to make his/ her voice heard,
giving response to an article read.
 It is a written way of talking to a newspaper,
magazine, or other regularly printed publication.
 It can take a position for or against an issue, or simply
inform, or both. It can convince readers by using
emotions, or facts, or emotions and facts combined.
 it is usually short and tight, containing only 200 or
150 words or less
 WHY SHOULD YOU WRITE
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
 You are angry about something, and want others to know it
 You think that an issue is so important that you have to speak out
 Part of your group's strategy is to persuade others to take a
specific action

Or you want to:

 Suggest an idea to others
 Influence public opinion
 Educate the general public on a specific matter
 Influence policy-makers or elected officials directly or indirectly
 Publicize the work of your group and attract volunteers or
program participants
HOW TO WRITE?
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
1) OPEN THE LETTER WITH A SIMPLE SALUTATION
Don't worry if you don't know the editor's name. A simple “To the
Editor:” is sufficient. If you have the editor's name, however, you should
use it to increase the possibilities of your letter being read.

2) GRAB THE READER'S ATTENTION

Your opening sentence is very important. It should tell readers what
you’re writing about, and make them want to read more.
HOW TO WRITE?
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
3) EXPLAIN WHAT THE LETTER IS ABOUT AT THE START
Throughout your letter, remember the rule:
 Be quick and concise
Don't make the editor or the general public wait to find out what you
want to say. Tell them your key point at the beginning.

4) GIVE EVIDENCE FOR ANY PRAISE OR CRITICISM

If you are writing a letter discussing a past or pending action, be
clear in showing why this will have good or bad results.
HOW TO WRITE?
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
5) STATE YOUR OPINION ABOUT WHAT SHOULD BE DONE
You can write a letter just to ''vent," or to support or criticize a certain
action or policy, but you may also have suggestions about what could
be done to improve the situation. If so, be sure to add these as well.
Be specific. And the more good reasons you can give to back up your
suggestions, the better.

6) KEEP IT BRIEF
Generally, shorter letters have a better chance of being published. So
go back over your letter and see if anything can be cut or
condensed.
HOW TO WRITE?
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
5) STATE YOUR OPINION ABOUT WHAT SHOULD BE DONE
You can write a letter just to ''vent," or to support or criticize a certain
action or policy, but you may also have suggestions about what could
be done to improve the situation. If so, be sure to add these as well.
Be specific. And the more good reasons you can give to back up your
suggestions, the better.

6) KEEP IT BRIEF
Generally, shorter letters have a better chance of being published. So
go back over your letter and see if anything can be cut or
condensed.
HOW TO WRITE?
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
7) CHECK YOUR LETTER TO MAKE SURE IT'S CLEAR AND TO THE
POINT
A newspaper may not print every letter it receives, but clear, well-
written letters are likely to be given more serious consideration.
 SAMPLE
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
TO THE EDITOR:

I would like to thank the author of the global warming article, Dr. Parker, for eliciting a call to
action among family physicians to address climate change. As a resident physician, it has
been disheartening to observe my mentors often dismiss this issue as too distant, too complex,
or too insurmountable to address in clinical practice. Although we would do well to implement
the patient counseling and advocacy Dr. Parker recommends, it is also important for
physicians to serve as role models by changing our own behaviors.
Physicians who adopt positive dietary and activity habits are more likely to encourage their
patients to adopt similar practices, are more likely be considered “believable,” and are,
ultimately, more successful at changing patients' behaviors.1–3 Physicians who lead healthy
lifestyles will also become more familiar with relevant resources in their communities, such as
safe bike routes or where to buy locally grown produce, and, in turn, better understand both
structural barriers and opportunities. It would behoove us to go beyond making changes to
our workplaces, and begin by transforming our own habits of consumption. To this end,
limiting live attendance at national and international meetings can significantly reduce our
carbon footprints via reduced air travel.4
Although the medical system's lack of financial sustainability has garnered recent attention, I
hope and anticipate that a new generation of family physicians will take the reins in
addressing what will likely be the most significant threat to public health in our lifetime.
 SAMPLE
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
TO THE EDITOR:

As a Residency Program Director, I am disappointed with the quality and

content of the article on global warming. I lead a residency that goes to great
efforts to teach high-quality, evidence-based practice patterns. We teach
residents to critically evaluate evidence and to avoid blindly adopting practice
patterns based purely on an emotional understanding of science and politics.
The politically-charged theory of “global warming” or “climate change” to
recommend various behavior changes is only theoretical and not grounded in
quality science.
Our specialty should pride itself on its ability to sift through the mass of
information to find elements of truth rather than opinions and theories. We are
then tasked with educating our patients on what treatments and behaviors are
proven to be beneficial. Perhaps this article was published in AFP to encourage
a heated debate, but I would be very disappointed if our journal becomes a
springboard for political debates rather than a purely scientific journal. This
article was a major setback.
CHALLENGE
The Letters Desk, responsible for
publishing all letters to the editor,
wants all Grade 9 to submit a letter in
response to a column article in the
Campus Journalism book. You are only
required to write 150-200 words.