Assignment:
Identify a problem and solution in a local community
The Reader Paper
The Assignment
The reader paper is a letter to the editor of a local newspaper identifying a problem in your local community and proposing a solution to it. The problem has to be local, not national or international (because your solution might actually make a difference in a local context, and because the reader may already be familiar with the problem). And the solution needs to be rational.
Special Features
There are two special features of this paper. Letters to the editor canâ??t go on forever. Second, (and this is why I call it a reader paper) I want you to write for people with a high school education only, not college graduates, much less professors. That means you will have to watch the length and complexity of your sentences and the level of vocabulary you use.
The Format
Merely start with the salutation, that is, â??Dear Editor, Victoria Advocate:â? (Of course, you may be writing to a different newspaper.) And end with â??Sincerely,â? and your name on the next line, Single space within paragraphs and double space between them. No other formatting is needed.
The Formula
I expect you to follow a formula in organizing this paper. I call it the problem-solution formula. The formula looks like this, in its complete form:
1. Problem
a. Definition of the problem
b. Causes
c. Effects
d. Current statusâ?"that is, what state is the problem in today?
2. Solution
a. Definition of the solution
b. Implementationâ?"that is, how would the solution work, within what timeline?
c. Advantages
d. Possible disadvantages addressed
e. Call to action
You may not need all of these elements in your letter. For instance, you may not need to give details of how the solution will be implemented, because it may be obvious.
I want you to think of possible disadvantages of your solution (such as that it will cost money) so that it seems as if you are being rational in your thinking. Dealing with, or at least admitting, disadvantages to your solution makes you seem to be fair-minded.