<Table> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> The examples and perspective in this section may not represent a worldwide view of the subject . You may improve this article, discuss the issue on the talk page, or create a new article, as appropriate . (December 2010) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) </Td> </Tr> </Table> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> The examples and perspective in this section may not represent a worldwide view of the subject . You may improve this article, discuss the issue on the talk page, or create a new article, as appropriate . (December 2010) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) </Td> </Tr> <P> LTEs always have been a feature of American newspapers . Much of the earliest news reports and commentaries published by early - American newspapers were delivered in the form of letters, and by the mid-18th century, LTEs were a dominant carrier of political and social discourse . Many influential essays about the role of government in matters such as personal freedoms and economic development took the form of letters--consider Cato's Letters or Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania, which were widely reprinted in early American newspapers . Through the 19th century, LTEs were increasingly centralized near the editorials of newspapers, so that by the turn of the 20th century LTEs had become permanent fixtures of the opinion pages . </P> <P> Modern LTE forums differ little from those earlier counterparts . A typical forum will include a half - dozen to a dozen letters (or excerpts from letters). The letters chosen for publication usually are only a sample of the total letters submitted, with larger - circulation publications running a much smaller percentage of submissions and small - circulation publications running nearly all of the relatively few letters they receive . Editors generally read all submissions, but in general most will automatically reject letters that include profanity, libelous statements, personal attacks against individuals or specific organizations, that are unreasonably long (most publications suggest length limits ranging from 200 to 500 words) or that are submitted anonymously . </P>

Writing a letter to the editor of a newspaper on a current issue