Read these sample letters-to-the-editor
https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-last-safe-bigotry-on-american-tv-11652373316?mod=opinion_major_pos17&mod=article_inline
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/06/05/some-afghan-refugees-there-is-no-safety-net/
Consider how you can use them as models for your own writing
Identify two articles from opposing media bias perspectives:
Use the Ad Fontes Media Topic of the Week pages to find two articles from opposing media bias perspectives. Ad Fontes Media shows a “bias score” and a “reliability score” for each article, and it presents you with sets of articles to compare on the same topic.
https://adfontesmedia.com/topic-of-the-week-starter/
Select 2 articles about the same topic, published in the last month, to respond to in the form of letters to the editor. One article should be from a left-leaning (skews left) publication and one to a right-leaning (skews right) publication. Select articles that provoke a strong emotional response in you as you read them.
Confirm that your selections will work for this assignment by using SIFT to investigate how the topic could be discussed without bias. Ask as you read:
What context was stripped away from the biased presentation?
What does the recontextualization add to the discussion?
Conduct lateral reading to fact-check and find reference sources to better coverage that can be linked to your letters to the editor. **Please note: You should use at least one outside source per letter in this assignment
Finally, create a Works Cited page for the reference sources you used in your letters to the editor.
Use a Graphic Organizer to Plan Your Letters
One letter is a challenge to the editor of the left-leaning publication.
The other letter is a challenge to the editor of the right-leaning publication.
Once you choose your opposing-bias articles about the same topic, use this graphic organizer to plan and structure your ideas to help get started writing your letters. Be sure to provide a link to each of the outside source(s) you used in your preparation and research for each letter.
Complete the organizer twice: once for each letter you will write.
THE GRAPHIC ORGANIZER 👇👇
To help confirm you are ready to write each one of your letters to the editor, fill out the graphic organizer below with notes from your analysis of each of the articles you will write about. You should make two copies of this planner, and fill out one for each of the articles you will respond to.
You do not have to write in complete sentences for this. It is a planner to help you get the content and structure of your letters ready before you begin to write the letters.
Begin with an opening salutation to the editor(s) of the specific publication to which you are writing. (for example: Dear Editor)
State what the letter is about:
title of the article you are responding to (in quotation marks), the author’s full name, and date of publication:
Your Main Idea, a clear statement about the misleading coverage you have identified in the article:
What was the misleading coverage? Explain the main problem with the coverage:
Use quotes or paraphrase to showcase the misleading coverage/problematic aspect(s) of the article:
Explain how the information should be presented more accurately. Use your SIFT and lateral reading work to fill in this box. Use hyperlinks to document your evidence from more accurate sources:
Conclude with a statement about why this matters, and how important it is to provide public correction:
Sign your letter with a closing salutation, such as Sincerely, Yours Truly, Respectfully, etc. Then include your first and last name.
(My name is Valentine.)
and you can choose the topics on your own thanks 🙏
