Archive | 2019
Regular Letters-Writers: Meanings and Perceptions of Public Debate
Abstract
Letters to the editor and online comments constitute two of the most recognized public forums where readers work out current events and issues of common concern. But unlike the correspondence section, online comments are attached to the original story and may also imply a different audience—posting is simple, quick and easy, while submitting a letter requires extra effort and time. Even in the context of newer forms of engagement, letters to the editor thus remain an important vehicle of readers’ opinions in mainstream media publications around the world (Perrin, A. J., Since this is the editorial section I intend to express my opinion: Inequality and expressivity in letters to the editor, The Communication Review, 19: 55–76, 2016; Silva, M. T., As cartas dos leitores na imprensa portuguesa: uma forma de comunicacao e debate do publico. Covilha: Livros LabCom, 2014).