A letter to the editor can be a powerful outlet for voicing opinion on health issues. The length of your letter should be 200-400 words in length. The objective of a letter to the editor is to increase understanding of an urgent public health problem, foster a dialogue around a specific issue involving the author and the community, and provide direction for future action on the issue. For this assignment, select a recent public health policy action at the local, state, or federal level. Prepare a response to the policy action in the form of a letter to the editor. Use the “Guidelines for Preparing a Letter to the Editor” resource and the following criteria to prepare your letter to the editor.Clearly state your position. Articulate whether you agree or disagree with the chosen policy action (or inaction). Highlight the uniqueness of your opinion so that it is not simply restating the position or opinion in the chosen policy action (or inaction).Critique the merits of the action. Describe the impact the action will have on health outcomes. Comment on what you would do differently (if you disagree with the action) or highlight why the course of action was appropriate (if you agree with the action). Critique whether the authors have used compelling data to support the action or challenge the action if you disagree. Describe whether the authors have identified criteria to measure the policy action or recommend what you would use as criteria.Provide recommendations. Propose specific steps that should be taken to strengthen efforts. Offer one or two suggestions, maximum. Avoid statements such as “more funding needed” or “more research needed.”Use appropriate tone. Use professional language that focuses on the merits of the positions. Do not include language that is disparaging or condescending or include content that is irrelevant to the argument.Cite references. Include a minimum of one reference and no more than five references.While APA style is not required for the body of this assignment, solid academic writing is expected, and documentation of sources should be presented using APA formatting guidelines.This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. Refer to the LopesWrite Technical Support articles for assistance.Guidelines for Preparing a Letter to the Editor
What is the purpose of a letter to the editor?
Letters to the editor has been used extensively in public health and in other areas to provide a
powerful outlet for voicing an opinion on policy actions or key issues. Letters to the editor are
among the most-read sections of newspapers, and members of congress often review letters to
the editor from newspapers from districts in their states (National Council on Aging, 2018).
Therefore, a letter to the editor serves a broader purpose than direct communications with
legislators. It is an effective advocacy tool for:
•
Engaging communities affected by organizational or legislative policy actions.
•
Responding to news articles on scientific advances.
•
Informing the public about important public health issues.
Providing guidance for future action on key issues
What should go into a letter to the editor?
A letter to the editor should contain several key items, including a clearly articulated position, a
critique of the merits of a policy action (or scientific study), and recommended action steps
directed to policymakers (or researchers) (Bhattacharya, 2013). Use at least one but no more than
five references in a letter to the editor. The format required for citation of sources will vary by
newspaper (although for this assignment, APA format is required). References may be
hyperlinked within the letter, included at the end of the published letter, or not included at all.
Nonetheless, it is important from an ethical perspective that you accurately convey information
and use sources to support opinions and recommendations.
How long should a letter to the editor be?
A typical letter to the editor should be 200 to 400 words, (Bhattacharya, 2013). In fact, many
online submission forms will not accept content that exceeds the maximum word limit. The short
length of a letter to the editor emphasizes the importance of being direct, concise, and complete.
What should a letter to the editor look like?
Review letters to the editor related to public health that have been accepted by the New York
Times (n.d.) to get an idea of the types of letters accepted by the publication. Note the short
length, clear and direct wording, and listed references at the end. The Public Health Institute
(n.d.) also offers Tips for Writing Letters to the Editor, including a template to help organize
your ideas.
References:
Bhattacharya, D. (2013). Public health policy: Issues, theories, and advocacy. San Francisco,
CA: Jossey-Bass.
© 2021. Grand Canyon University. All Rights Reserved.
National Council on Aging. (2018). Letter to the editor sample. Retrieved from
https://www.ncoa.org/public-policy-action/advocacy-toolkit/leveraging-media/sample-letter-toeditor/
The New York Times. (n.d.). Opinion: Letters to the editor. Retrieved from
https://www.nytimes.com/section/opinion/letters
Public Health Institute. (n.d.). Tips for writing letters to the editor. Retrieved from
http://www.phi.org/resources/?resource=tips-for-writing-effective-letters-to-the-editor
© 2021. Grand Canyon University. All Rights Reserved.
Course Code
PUB-650
Class Code
PUB-650-O500
Criteria
Content
Percentage
70.0%
Stated Position
25.0%
Critique of the Policy Action
20.0%
Recommendations (C. 4.3)
25.0%
Organization and Effectiveness
20.0%
Thesis Development and Purpose
7.0%
Argument Logic and Construction
8.0%
Mechanics of Writing (includes spelling,
punctuation, grammar, language use)
5.0%
Format
10.0%
Paper Format (use of appropriate style for the
major and assignment)
5.0%
Documentation of Sources (citations, footnotes,
references, bibliography, etc., as appropriate to
assignment and style)
5.0%
Total Weightage
100%
Assignment Title
Benchmark – Letter to the Editor
Unsatisfactory (0.00%)
A position on the chosen policy action is not presented.
The critique of the policy action is not presented.
The recommendation for improvement is not presented. A
description of steps that should be taken to strengthen
efforts is missing.
Paper lacks any discernible overall purpose or organizing
claim.
Statement of purpose is not justified by the conclusion. The
conclusion does not support the claim made. Argument is
incoherent and uses noncredible sources.
Surface errors are pervasive enough that they impede
communication of meaning. Inappropriate word choice or
sentence construction is used.
Template is not used appropriately or documentation format
is rarely followed correctly.
Sources are not documented.
Total Points
250.0
Less than Satisfactory (74.00%)
A position on the chosen policy action is included but is
incomplete. The uniqueness of the opinion is not clear or is
lacking support.
A general critique of the policy action is presented but is
incomplete. The critique lacks an analysis of the impact the
policy action will have on health outcomes. A discussion of
what one would do differently or why the course of action
was appropriate is not clear and needs more support.
Rationale as to whether the authors have used compelling
A general description of recommendations is included but is
incomplete. Steps that should be taken to strengthen efforts
are proposed, but are partially described or not aligned to the
recommendation.
Thesis is insufficiently developed or vague. Purpose is not
clear.
Sufficient justification of claims is lacking. Argument lacks
consistent unity. There are obvious flaws in the logic. Some
sources have questionable credibility.
Frequent and repetitive mechanical errors distract the
reader. Inconsistencies in language choice (register) or word
choice are present. Sentence structure is correct but not
varied.
Appropriate template is used, but some elements are missing
or mistaken. A lack of control with formatting is apparent.
Documentation of sources is inconsistent or incorrect, as
appropriate to assignment and style, with numerous
formatting errors.
Satisfactory (79.00%)
A position on the chosen policy action is included, but more
support or detail is needed. The uniqueness of the opinion is
described, but some information is missing.
A general critique of the policy action is presented, but more
support or detail is needed. The critique includes an analysis
of the impact the policy action will have on health outcomes,
but some information is missing. A discussion of what one
would do differently or why the course of action was
appropriate is vague and needs more detail. Rationale as to
A general description of one or two recommendations is
included with some information missing. Steps that should be
taken to strengthen efforts are proposed, but lack specificity
or clarity.
Thesis is apparent and appropriate to purpose.
Argument is orderly, but may have a few inconsistencies. The
argument presents minimal justification of claims. Argument
logically, but not thoroughly, supports the purpose. Sources
used are credible. Introduction and conclusion bracket the
thesis.
Some mechanical errors or typos are present, but they are
not overly distracting to the reader. Correct and varied
sentence structure and audience-appropriate language are
employed.
Appropriate template is used. Formatting is correct, although
some minor errors may be present.
Sources are documented, as appropriate to assignment and
style, although some formatting errors may be present.
Good (87.00%)
A position on the chosen policy action is articulated. The
uniqueness of the opinion is described, but minor detail
needed.
A critique of the policy action is presented, but minor detail is
needed. The critique includes an analysis of the impact the
policy action will have on health outcomes. A discussion of
what one would do differently or why the course of action
was appropriate is included. Rationale as to whether the
authors have used compelling data to support the action is
A description of one or two recommendations is evident, but
minor detail needed. Specific steps that should be taken to
strengthen efforts are proposed.
Thesis is clear and forecasts the development of the paper.
Thesis is descriptive and reflective of the arguments and
appropriate to the purpose.
Argument shows logical progressions. Techniques of
argumentation are evident. There is a smooth progression of
claims from introduction to conclusion. Most sources are
authoritative.
Prose is largely free of mechanical errors, although a few may
be present. The writer uses a variety of effective sentence
structures and figures of speech.
Appropriate template is fully used. There are virtually no
errors in formatting style.
Sources are documented, as appropriate to assignment and
style, and format is mostly correct.
Excellent (100.00%)
A clearly stated position on the chosen policy action is
articulated. The uniqueness of the opinion is described with
strong rationale.
A detailed critique of the policy action is presented. The
critique includes an analysis of the impact the policy action
will have on health outcomes. A thorough discussion of what
one would do differently or why the course of action was
appropriate is included. Strong rationale as to whether the
authors have used compelling data to support the action is
A detailed description of one or two recommendations is
evident. Specific steps that should be taken to strengthen
efforts are clearly proposed.
Thesis is comprehensive and contains the essence of the
paper. Thesis statement makes the purpose of the paper
clear.
Clear and convincing argument that presents a persuasive
claim in a distinctive and compelling manner. All sources are
authoritative.
Writer is clearly in command of standard, written, academic
English.
Comments
All format elements are correct.
Sources are completely and correctly documented, as
appropriate to assignment and style, and format is free of
error.
Points Earned
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