Letter to the Editor

 What is a letter to the editor?

A letter to the editor is a formal letter written to the editor of a leading newspaper by an individual (representing a group) who wishes to highlight some core issues that a group of people are facing for a period of time in order to see some rectification of the addressed problem

How do you write a letter to the editor?

A letter to the editor follows the format of a formal letter, and so it should start with the sender’s complete address followed by the date, receiving editor’s address, subject, salutation, body of the letter, complimentary closing, signature, name and designation if any.

Is the letter to the editor a formal letter?

A letter to the editor is considered as a formal letter as it addresses issues that are to be taken into serious regard. It is written to throw light on something that requires professional support and immediate action.

How to write a Letter to the Editor?

Letter to the Editor for students of Class 10 and 12 – A Letter to Editor may be written to the editor of a newspaper or a magazine. It is written to highlight a social issue or problem. It can also be written in order to get it published in the said medium.

As it is a formal letter, the format has to be followed strictly. Only formal language can be used i.e. abbreviations and slang language should be avoided.

A letter to the editor is a formal letter and in the examination, students are asked to write a letter to the editor. Here, we have discussed  Letter to the Editor with Samples for the convenience of the students.

Letter to the Editor Format  

Let us discuss the Letter to the Editor Format.

The format of a letter to the editor of a Newspaper is as follows –

1. Sender’s address: The address and contact details of the sender are written here. Include an email and phone number, if required or if mentioned in the question.

2. Date: The date is written below the sender’s address after Leaving one space or line.

3. Receiving Editor’s address: The address of the recipient of the mail i.e. the editor is written here.

4. Subject of the letter: The main purpose of the letterforms the subject. It must be written in one line. It must convey the matter for which the letter is written.

5. Salutation (Sir / Respected sir / Madam)

6. Body: The matter of the letter is written here. It is divided into 3 paragraphs as follows –

Paragraph 1: Introduce yourself and the purpose of writing the letter in brief.

Paragraph 2: Give detail of the matter.

Paragraph 3: Conclude by mentioning what you expect from the editor. (For example, you may want him to highlight the issue in his newspaper/magazine).

7. Complimentary Closing

8. Sender’s name, signature, and designation (if any)

Letter to Editor Format with Samples

Letters are written to the editor in order to express concern over particular issues or to highlight core issues in society. These letters are usually written to the editors of newspapers or magazines.

Writing a Letter to the Editor

A letter to the editor is written in the format of a formal letter.

Sender’s address: Give the complete address of the sender.

Date: The date on which the letter is written comes next, immediately after the sender’s address.

Receiver’s address: The address of the recipient (the editor of the newspaper or magazine you intend to send your letter) should be written.

Subject line: The main purpose of the letter is mentioned in the subject line.

Salutation/Greeting: The salutation can be Sir, Ma’am, Respected Sir, Respected Ma’am, etc.

Body of the letter: The body of the letter should explain the purpose of the letter. Introduce yourself and provide all the details of the matter being discussed.

Complimentary closing: Thank you very much, Thank you or Thanking you can be the complimentary closing that you can use.

Ending the letter: End the letter with your signature, name in block letters and designation, if there is any.

Examples of Letter to the Editor

A letter to the editor should be short. It is important to stick to the subject matter of the letter. Below are a few sample letters to the editor that you can go through to gain a better insight of the format of writing a letter to the editor.

Sample Letter to the Editor to Highlight the Effects of Air Pollution

56 C, Uppal

East Hyderabad

Hyderabad – 500095

3rd, January, 2022

The Editor

The Indian Express

Secunderabad

Hyderabad – 500003

Subject: Increase of air pollution in East Hyderabad

Respected Sir/Ma’am,

I am Drishya, a member of NGO Prada. I am writing to you to bring to your notice the increasing effect of air pollution in our neighbourhood and in the surrounding area.

East Hyderabad has seen a rapid increase in the use of private transportation and the number of industrial sectors that have come up in recent years. This has increased the risks of serious health hazards, including breathing difficulties, chronic diseases, lung damage, nausea, fatigue, etc. The hospitals around the area have already seen an unexpected rise in the number of patients showing symptoms of chronic illness, and it is important that people and government authorities are made aware of this dangerous situation at the earliest.

Owing to the seriousness of this situation, I request you to kindly highlight the issue so that some action can be taken to curb the effect of air pollution and decrease the risk of people being affected by it.

Thanking you

Yours sincerely,

Signature

DRISHYA RAGUNATH

Member of NGO Prada

Sample Letter to the Editor of a Newspaper to Highlight the Issue of Open Manholes

25, VKL Avenue

R S Road

Anna Nagar

Chennai – 600089

07/01/2022

The Editor

The Times of India

Nungambakkam

Chennai – 600023

Subject: Open Manholes on R S Road

Respected Sir/Ma’am,

I am Rathina Sabapathy, a resident of VKL Avenue. I am writing to throw some light on the issue of open manholes in our area.

It has been more than a period of 6 months now since these manholes were opened, and there have been multiple accidents due to this. We have approached the local authorities and associations in this regard, but no action has been taken so far, and it is becoming a matter of great worry. There are children who walk to school every day, and there are a lot of working people taking this route as it is a road that connects the main road to the Electronic City area where most of the IT companies are located.

Kindly consider this issue and highlight it in your newspaper so that the authorities are alerted about the need to look into this situation as soon as possible in order to reduce the number of casualties.

Thanking you

Yours sincerely,

Signature

RATHINA SABAPATHY S

Resident of VKL Avenue

Letter to the Editor Example for Students on Conduction of Offline Examinations amidst the Increasing COVID Rates

23/89, Derby Lane

N G G O Colony

Haryana – 121002

10th January, 2022

The Editor

The Indian Express

Gurgaon

Haryana – 121065

Subject: Conduction of Offline Examinations amidst the Increasing COVID Rates

Respected Sir/Ma’am,

I am Dhivya Dharshini, a member of the Parent-Teacher Association. I am writing in order to emphasize the decision to conduct offline examinations in schools and colleges when there is a huge increase in the number of COVID cases.

It is a matter of great concern that the disease is spreading sooner than ever in the past two years of the pandemic, and it is not safe for us to let our children travel to their respective schools and colleges to take up examinations in this situation. We have tried to discuss the issue with the authorities of the academic institutions, but no action or decision has been taken so far. It is the need of the hour to take utmost care and abstain from making any sort of physical contact with anyone in order to keep ourselves safe and healthy.

I request you to kindly understand the seriousness of this issue and highlight it in your newspaper so that the academic institutions consider conducting online examinations so that everyone stays safe.

Thanking you

Yours sincerely,

Signature

DHIVYA DHARSHINI

Member of the Parent-Teacher Association

Sample Letter to the Editor Regarding Frequent Breakdown of Electricity

102 F, DMC Street

S G Palaya

Bangalore – 560029

January 2, 2022

The Editor

The Times of India

Indira Nagar

Bangalore – 560036

Subject: Frequent Breakdown of Electricity

Respected Sir/Ma’am,

I am Dakshith Bala, a resident of S G Palaya. I have been living along with my family in S G Palaya for more than ten years now, and we have not faced much problems with electric supply in our area. Recently, we have been experiencing frequent breakdown of electricity for more than eight to nine hours.

These frequent breakdowns of electricity are affecting the day-to-day activities to a great extent. The residents of the area have been undergoing a lot of inconveniences due to this. No work goes as planned because we are not aware when we would have power supply and when we would not. There are continuous fluctuations in voltage which is also causing trouble by ruining the working condition of the electronic devices that are of regular use. School going children, working individuals, women and old people are affected by this situation.

It is necessary that the authorities of the Electricity Board take some responsibility to install powerful transformers and streamline the power supply. It would be of great help and relief to all the residents if you could highlight the situation in a column of your esteemed newspaper. We believe that this will get the attention of the authorities and some action would be taken at the earliest to relieve us of the difficulties we are facing due to the frequent breakdown of electricity.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Yours sincerely,

Signature

DAKSHITH BALA

Resident of S G Palaya