Open letters are letters written to an individual, organization, corporation, or government agency that are published in a public forum, such as a newspaper, magazine, or Web site. Open letters often respond to an action taken or a decision made (or not made) by the recipient of the letter. Sometimes the letter writers are well-known authors or local (or national) figures; sometimes they’re representatives of an organization with a stake in an issue; and sometimes they are average citizens who want to voice their opinion on an issue that affects them.

When open letters are published in newspapers or magazines, they usually appear in the form of paid advertising or as public service announcements. They are also likely to reflect issues covered by the publication. Similarly, open letters published on the Web usually reflect the issues addressed by the Web site on which the letter appears, as is the case with “Our Letter to LEGO.”

The design of the letters is generally quite simple, usually consisting of a salutation (Dear …), one or more paragraphs of plain text, and the name of the writer or group (in place of a signature).

Letters are often brief, because of length limitations specified by the newspaper, magazine, journal, or Web site in which they appear, but many magazines and Web sites publish longer letters as well. Although brief letters typically provide little in the way of formal evidence to support an argument, longer letters might offer a thorough discussion that is carefully supported by evidence from personal experience, observation, interviews, and published sources.