Why are letters written to the Editor of a

newspaper?
 A letter to the editor is not meant for the editor, really.
 The editor is just a medium between the person writing the
letter and the readers.
 Generally there are two kinds of readers – the public and the
concerned authorities
 Such letters are generally written to highlight certain current
affairs/ issues/ problems/ crisis that need immediate attention
and offer solutions to the problem at hand
 Letter to the Editor: General Guidelines
 Do not forget FCC – Facts, Causes, Consequences.
 Facts include all supporting information to convince your reader that there is
really an issue/problem/ crisis.
 Causes include all related causes of the issue so that the reader is further
convinced.
 Consequences include the results/ outcomes of the issue.
 Do not mix FCC. First enumerate facts and figures, then causes and finally the
consequences.
 If it’s a crisis or a problem that requires immediate attention, you must include/
offer a couple of suggestions to solve the problem
 Sender’s address

Date-Month( in words)-Year

Receiver’s Address

Subject( Purpose of writing the letter)

The Format
Salutation ***

Body of the letter ( Must contain a minimum of three paragraphs )

The complimentary close ( Yours sincerely)

Signature

*** the order of subject and salutation may be inter-changed

 Paragraph 1 – Introduction

 Begin with any of the following sentences:

 “Through the columns of your esteemed daily, I would like to draw attention to…”
is a clichéd one but you can use it. Or you may use the following:
 I am an avid reader of your news paper for the last several years. Having drawn
inspiration from the recent headlines/ articles on………….., I would like to write
this letter expressing my views on………….for all your readers.
 I would like to draw the immediate attention of the concerned authorities/the public..
 May I draw the public’s attention to a matter of utmost concern that deserves
immediate attention…
 This is an open response to the article on gender discrepancies in India…
 Paragraph 2 – Facts, Causes, Consequences

 Facts include stating what the issue/ problem/ crisis is, references
to recent studies or recent news reports regarding the issue.
 Causes include why the issue/ crisis is happening, how is it
happening and who is responsible (greed and irresponsibility of
authorities, dereliction of duty, poor enforcement of laws,
corruption, etc. could be some of the causes)
 Consequences could include increase in poverty, unemployment,
crime, accidents, health problems, diseases, an unhealthy society,
etc.
 Paragraph 3 – Solutions/Suggestions and closing lines

 Suggestions may include the following:

 How can the government get involved ?( By imposing fines, implementing the law, dismissing
corrupt officials, spreading awareness through radio, television, newspaper, etc.)
 How can the public get involved? (NGOs can intervene ,People can volunteer )
 Sample Closing lines:
- I hope this letter would help open the eyes of the authorities/ catch the attention of the
authorities and they would swing into action at the earliest.
-It is high time the government takes immediate measures to bring such incidents under
control.
-Authorities can no longer pretend to be asleep – they have to implement necessary
regulations in this matter.