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An open letter is the opposite of a private letter. It is made available to the public in order to make a larger number of people aware of its content. Such a letter may be addressed to a large group of people — i.e., an open letter to a publication's readers — or it may have a single addressee, such as the President of the United States, whom the letter writer wishes to address in a public forum.
This type of communication may be used to address a single person whose identity the writer does not know, as in the Kids in the Hall sketch in which Bruce McCullough reads an open letter to "the guy who stole my bike wheel." In this case, the open letter is an ideal format because the wider audience gives the writer a chance to meet the intended recipient. Alternatively, it may have no explicit recipients at all, but may simply be used to explain the author's viewpoint or intentions to any who are interested.
An open letter may appear anywhere you would expect to see any public message. Some popular forums include blogs, web forums, magazines, and pamphlets. Many company websites feature open letters explaining corporate philosophy or policies. They may also be read aloud or extemporized on television or the radio, as well as on the stage — or in any public area, for that matter.
Many people find that an open letter can be the perfect way to inform a larger audience about their concerns or to open up dialogue on issues they are interested in. The more people such a letter can reach, the more influence it can have, so consider how many people will have access to the media you choose.
Some famous open letters throughout history include the Pauline Epistles of the New Testament, Emile Zola's J'Accuse!, and Bill Gates' Open Letter to Hobbyists.
Katika LanguageHumanities, tumejitolea kutoa habari sahihi, ya kuaminika. Maudhui yetu yaliyoandikwa na wataalamu ni ya kweli-kuchunguzwa kwa ukali na inatokana na mamlaka ya kuaminika. Gundua jinsi tunavyotegemeza viwango vya juu zaidi katika kukupa maarifa ya kuaminika. Barua iliyo wazi ni kinyume cha barua ya kibinafsi. Inapatikana kwa umma ili kufanya idadi kubwa ya watu kujua maudhui yake. Barua kama hiyo inaweza kuelekezwa kwa kikundi kikubwa cha watu - yaani, barua ya wazi kwa wasomaji wa chapisho - au inaweza kuwa na mpokeaji mmoja, kama vile Rais wa Marekani, ambaye mwandishi wa barua anataka kuwasiliana naye katika jukwaa la umma. "Hii ni aina ya mawasiliano ambayo huenda yakatumika kwa mtu mmoja ambaye mwandishi hajui ni nani, kama ilivyo katika picha ya ""Kids in the Hall"" ambapo Bruce McCullough anasoma barua ya wazi kwa ""mtu aliyeiba gurudumu langu la baiskeli.""" Katika kesi hii, barua ya wazi ni muundo bora kwa sababu watazamaji pana hutoa mwandishi nafasi ya kukutana na mpokeaji aliyokusudiwa. Vinginevyo, inaweza kuwa na hakuna wapokeaji wazi kabisa, lakini inaweza tu kutumika kueleza maoni ya mwandishi au nia kwa yeyote ambaye ni nia. Barua ya wazi inaweza kuonekana mahali popote unatarajia kuona ujumbe wowote wa umma. Baadhi ya vikao maarufu ni pamoja na blogu, vikao vya mtandao, magazeti, na vijitabu. Tovuti nyingi za kampuni zina barua zilizo wazi zinazoeleza falsafa au sera za kampuni. Zinaweza pia kusomwa kwa sauti kubwa au kwa njia ya kisasa kwenye televisheni au redio, na pia kwenye jukwaa <unk> au katika eneo lolote la umma, kwa habari hiyo. Watu wengi huona barua ya wazi kuwa njia bora ya kuwajulisha wasikilizaji wengi kuhusu wasiwasi wao au kuanzisha mazungumzo juu ya masuala wanayojali. Kadiri barua inavyofikia watu wengi, ndivyo inavyoweza kuwa na uvutano mkubwa zaidi, kwa hiyo fikiria ni watu wangapi watapata habari unazochagua. "Makumbusho ya barua ya wazi ya Bill Gates, ""J'accuse"" ya Emile Zola, na ""Letter to Hobbyists"" ya Pauline ni baadhi ya barua maarufu za wazi katika historia."