An open letter is a special type of public appeal to representatives of power structures, politicians, businessmen, etc. It touches upon any actual problem. Citizens who signed the appeal express their point of view and seek to draw public attention to the action or inaction of the responsible persons. Most often, an open letter is viewed by authors as the last opportunity to influence the situation. So that the letter does not go unanswered, you must follow several rules when preparing it.
Instructions
Step 1
Formulate the main problem (topic). It should be important to many people. More often than not, open letters draw attention to negative facts in health care, education, utilities, etc.
Step 2
Define the addressee of the letter, i.e. that official, civil servant, manager, to whose attention you want to bring information on a controversial issue. You can contact the President of the Russian Federation, the governor, the deputy, the general director, the class teacher, etc. It is important that the addressee is empowered to solve the problem or is directly related to it.
Step 3
Think over the structure of the letter. If you are writing a collective appeal, consider the opinion of each author. Discuss what goal you want to achieve with an open letter, what facts you need to bring to prove your innocence, what solutions you see and can offer.
Step 4
Draft your letter. State your claims reasonably, and thoughts and facts consistently. Start by describing the situation that prompted you to take up the open letter. List the actions you have taken and their results or lack thereof. Since this format assumes generalization, tie specific facts together, highlighting common features. So, when publicly criticizing the reform of housing and communal services in the region, cite several cases of violation of the rights of apartment owners, refer to the available documents and expert opinion.
Step 5
You can also write an open letter in the form of reasoning, reflection. This form is more suitable for moral and ethical issues. A letter of reasoning is usually addressed not to an individual person, but to the public, social group, population of the region, etc. For example, you are worried about the clutter of city streets. You believe that one of the reasons for this is the low level of culture of the townspeople. Therefore, in an open letter, you reflect on the responsibility of a citizen, on upbringing by personal example and appeal to your fellow countrymen to take care of your hometown.
Step 6
Reread your draft letter. Eliminate incorrect and rude statements. Correct the mistakes. Be sure to specify the positions, surnames, names and patronymics of all people mentioned in the letter.
Step 7
Type the letter or write in legible handwriting. Use white A4 paper. Write on only one side of the paper, observing the margins. If you plan to send the letter by email, save it in a text format that can be read on any computer.
Step 8
Authors must personally sign the last page of the letter. Anonymous messages are not credible and may not be accepted for consideration. You can attach a file with scanned signatures to the electronic version of an open letter.
Step 9
Decide how you want the open letter to go public. The most popular are the following options: publication in the press (federal, regional, corporate), reading a TV or radio program on the air, posting on the official website of the organization. To post an open letter in the media, you must first contact the editorial office and discuss the necessary details. When publishing an open letter on the Internet, do it on special pages of the official websites. Such an opportunity is provided by most of the Internet portals of state and municipal authorities, as well as public organizations, control and supervisory bodies.
