To express concern about particular issues or highlight key issues in society, letters are sent to the editor. These letters are often addressed to editors of magazines or newspapers.
Send a letter to the editor
A letter to the editor should be written in formal format.
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.
Example of a Letter to the Editor
A short letter to the editor is best. Sticking to the subject of the letter is crucial. Here are some examples of letters to the editor you can look at to get a better understanding of how to write a letter to an 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
FAQs on Letter to Editor Format
What is a letter addressed to the editor?
A letter to editor is a formal correspondence written by an individual to the editor of a major newspaper. It is intended to highlight core issues facing a group for a time and to seek resolution.
How do you send a letter to an editor?
A letter to the editor should follow the format of a formal correspondence. It should begin with the sender’s full address followed by the date and the address of the recipient editor, as well as the subject, salutation and body of the letter.
Is the letter addressed to the editor formal?
A letter to the editor can be considered formal as it addresses serious issues. It's written to shed light on an issue that needs professional assistance and immediate action.