Communicating Health Risks Assignment Overview

The Session Long Project entails you going through the process of influencing policymakers. In your first three SLP assignments you wrote a letter to "raise a concern," "oppose a position," and "support a position." While these are direct ways of influencing policymakers by letter writing, there are additional indirect ways that can also achieve your objectives. Some ways are writing a letter to the editor or "Op-Eds." Policymakers read local newspapers opinion sections and letters to the editor as a way of tracking how the people feel about particular issues (Connecticut Health Policy, 2013b). This week's required reading from the Connecticut Health Policy toolbox covers both letters to the editor and "Op-Eds."

Note: This required Background Reading from the Connecticut Healthy Policy toolbox will take you to a different page than the previous three SLP assignments.

Your Task

Part 1:
For this SLP assignment, you are asked to write a one-page letter to the editor.
Choose any topic that is related to the category stated in SLP 1
Pick a local newspaper to write to (you can use your hometown paper if you desire). Provide the name of the newspaper and the city.

Part 2:
Write one page of text on tips for writing a letter to the editor.
What are some advantages of writing a letter to the editor compared to the letters from SLP 1-3 assignments?
Recap: Your assignment consists of: A one-page letter to the editor and one page on tips/advantages for writing a letter to the editor.