Tips for Editorials Tips on Content of Letter: · If a publication receives multiple letters on the same subject, the editor will choose one that says something in a new way or takes a unique angle. · Focus your letter on one point on one subject. If you are commenting on a specific story in the paper, mention the headline and date. Cite the specific reference and sum it up in a sentence to refresh readers’ memories. Then point out facts that were left out, or refute or support facts that were stated. · Be clear and concise. Shorter is better. Most papers want letters of 250 words or less. Magazines such as Time want even less. · State your point early in the letter and support your point with facts. · Know the audience of the publication. Technical information and long, multi-syllable words are often inappropriate for a general audience. · If appropriate, mention your motivation or expertise in writing. For example, “As an Ohio State University student, I believe… and therefore x,” or “I am a director of a non-profit agency that serves families in poverty. Here is what my experience has been….That is why I believe y.” General Logistical Tips: Know and follow the policies and specifications of the publication to which you are submitting your letter. Except as noted, it is OK to send the same or similar letters to more than one publication. But don’t submit the same or similar letters to multiple papers in the same media market. Always include your name, address, and daytime telephone number. Don’t send specifically local letters to other localities. General Tips: Avoid clichés, name-calling, slang, and repetition. Check your letter for grammar and fluidity, read it out loud to make sure the thoughts flow well. Give it a catchy title. How do you write a letter to the editor? 1. Begin the letter with a simple salutation. Don’t worry if you don’t know the editor’s name. A simple, “To the Editor of the Lantern” is sufficient. If you have the editor’s name, however, you should use it to increase the possibility of your letter being read. 2. Grab the reader’s attention. Get attention right away; your opening sentence is very important. It should make the reader want to read more. 3. Explain what the letter is about at the start. Throughout your letter, remember the rule: Be quick, Be concise, and then Be quiet. Don’t make the editor or the general public wait to find out what you want to say. Tell them your key point at the beginning. 4. Explain why the issue is important. If you are motivated enough to write a letter to a newspaper or magazine, the importance of your topic may seem clear to you. Remember, though, that the general public probably doesn’t share your background or the interest. Explain the issue and its importance simply. Use plain language that most people will understand. 5. Give evidence for any praise or criticism. If you are writing a letter discussing a past or pending action, be clear in showing why ...

1. Tips for Editorials
Tips on Content of Letter:
· If a publication receives multiple letters on the same subject,
the editor will choose one that says something in a new way or
takes a unique angle.
· Focus your letter on one point on one subject. If you are
commenting on a specific story in the paper, mention the
headline and date. Cite the specific reference and sum it up in a
sentence to refresh readers’ memories. Then point out facts that
were left out, or refute or support facts that were stated.
· Be clear and concise. Shorter is better. Most papers want
letters of 250 words or less. Magazines such as Time want even
less.
· State your point early in the letter and support your point with
facts.
· Know the audience of the publication. Technical information
and long, multi-syllable words are often inappropriate for a
general audience.
· If appropriate, mention your motivation or expertise in
writing. For example, “As an Ohio State University student, I
believe… and therefore x,” or “I am a director of a non-profit
agency that serves families in poverty. Here is what my
experience has been….That is why I believe y.”
General Logistical Tips:
Know and follow the policies and specifications of the
publication to which you are submitting your letter. Except as
noted, it is OK to send the same or similar letters to more than
one publication. But don’t submit the same or similar letters to
multiple papers in the same media market.

2. Always include your name, address, and daytime telephone
number.
Don’t send specifically local letters to other localities.
General Tips:
Avoid clichés, name-calling, slang, and repetition.
Check your letter for grammar and fluidity, read it out loud to
make sure the thoughts flow well.
Give it a catchy title.
How do you write a letter to the editor?
1. Begin the letter with a simple salutation.
Don’t worry if you don’t know the editor’s name. A simple,
“To the Editor of the Lantern” is sufficient. If you have the
editor’s name, however, you should use it to increase the
possibility of your letter being read.
2. Grab the reader’s attention.
Get attention right away; your opening sentence is very
important. It should make the reader want to read more.
3. Explain what the letter is about at the start.
Throughout your letter, remember the rule:
Be quick,
Be concise, and then
Be quiet.
Don’t make the editor or the general public wait to find out
what you want to say. Tell them your key point at the
beginning.
4. Explain why the issue is important.
If you are motivated enough to write a letter to a newspaper or
magazine, the importance of your topic may seem clear to you.
Remember, though, that the general public probably doesn’t
share your background or the interest. Explain the issue and its
importance simply. Use plain language that most people will
understand.
5. Give evidence for any praise or criticism.
If you are writing a letter discussing a past or pending action,
be clear in showing why this will have good or bad results.
6. State your opinion about what should be done.

3. Some letters support or criticize a certain action or policy. But
you may have suggestions on what could be done to improve the
situation. If so, be sure to add these as well. Be specific. And
the more good reasons you can give to back up your
suggestions, the better.
7. Keep it brief.
Generally, shorter letters have a better chance of being
published. So go back over your letter and see if anything can
be cut or condensed. If you have a lot to say and it can’t be
easily made short, you may want to check with the editor to see
if you could write a longer opinion feature or guest column.
8. Sign the letter.
Be sure to write your full name (and title, if relevant) and to
include your address, phone number, and e-mail address.
Newspapers won’t print anonymous letters, although in some
cases they may withhold your name on request. They may also
call you to confirm that you wrote the letter before you publish
it.
9. Check your letter to make sure it’s clear and to the point.
A newspaper may not print every letter it receives, but clear,
well-written letters are likely to be given more serious
consideration.
Look for examples in the Lantern, Columbus Dispatch, and
other newspapers and magazines that you read.
1
Rural Sociology 1500 - Exam #2 Review
Thursday, March 10
Lectures from February 16 through March 8 (since last exam)
From Witt Book: Chapter 5 (social structure and interaction);
Chapter 6 (social control, crime, and deviance); Chapter 7
(families)
Terminology (know the definitions, examples, and how they are
different from related terms):

4. Conformity
Crime
Crime triangle
Deviance
Differential justice
Family and household (Census definitions)
Family types (nuclear, extended, blended, single parent,
polygamous)
Gemeinschaft and Gesellschaft
Groups (In and out groups, primary and secondary groups,
reference)
Kinship and created kinship
Law
Mechanical solidarity
Organic solidarity
Obedience
Roles (role conflict, role strain, role exit)
Selective arrest
Social control (formal and informal)
Social interaction
Social institutions
Social networks
Social structure
Social stigma
Solidarity (organic and mechanical)
Subculture
Status (Achieved, ascribed, master)
FBI Uniform Crime Report
Concepts:
Different models/types of societies (according to Toennies,
Lenski, and Durkheim) – what are characteristics of each?
Deviance vs. crime
Obedience vs. conformity
Urban vs. rural crime rates – what types of crimes are higher
and where
Trends in crime rates

5. 5 theories of why deviance and crime occur – Durkheim and
Merton’s theories, cultural transmission, social disorganization,
labelling
Structural vs. functional definitions of the family
Patterns of descent (patrilineal, matrilineal, bilateral) – how
kinship is traced
Patterns of decision-making power in societies and families
(patriarchy, matriarchy, egalitarian families)
Functions of the family
Current trends in family life (age of first marriage, childbearing
increasing or decreasing, cohabitation, diversity of families,
having children outside of marriage) Note: you do not need to
know statistics, just trends
Who are the Saints and Roughnecks?
Review guest lecture on rural crime/Amish/subculture; Why are
the Amish a subculture? What are some distinctive
characteristics of the Amish (review guest lecture slides posted
on Carmen)
What are some possible explanations for rural crime?
Review Obedience film/Milgram experiments
3
Rural Sociology 1500 - Exam #1 Review
Exam will be on Thursday, February 11
Lectures from January 12 through February 9; Chapters 1-4,
Information on Rural Society covered in class; any readings
posted on Carmen; main concepts from films shown in class
Terminology:
Anticipatory socialization
Conflict/competition theory
Content analysis
Culture (what it is, elements of)
Counterculture
Cultural lag
Cultural relativism

6. Cultural universal
Culture shock
Diffusion
Dominant ideology
Ecological fallacy
Ethnocentrism
Folkways
Framing
Functionalism
Generalized others
Hawthorne effect
Hypothesis
I and Me
Language
Material culture
Micro vs. macro levels
Migration
Mores
Non-material culture
Norms (formal and informal)
Peer review
Qualitative and quantitative research
Push-pull factors
Reliability
Research design
Resocialization
Rural-urban turnaround
Sanctions
Secondary data
Significant others
Social construct
Social interaction
Socialization
Society
Sociological imagination
Subculture

7. Symbol
Symbolic interaction
Theory
Triangle and the hourglass
Validity
Variable (independent and dependent)
Values
Vested interest
Concepts:
3 functions of community
2 definitions of rural
3 approaches to studying rural communities, populations, or
cultures
4 types of metro/non-metro counties (central city metropolitan,
metropolitan suburban, micropolitan, non-core); how they are
defined
Breakdown of counties in U.S. (how many are metropolitan,
nonmetropolitan, micropolitan, non-core)
Percentage of population classified as rural or nonmetropolitan
in the U.S.
Why it’s important to study and be concerned about rural areas
(rural-urban linkages)
What is meant by the rural-urban turnaround?
3 sociological theories/perspectives of society; know main
points, critiques, main people associated with each, applications
(see chart on Carmen)
Differences between quantitative, qualitative, and mixed
methods research
Steps in the research process
Ways to collect data
Identify independent and dependent variables in a research
study
Difference between causality and correlation. Is it easy to
prove causality?
Qualities of good research

8. Elements of culture
Sociological and psychological theories of socialization
(Cooley, Mead, Goffman, Piaget, Bronfenbrenner)
Agents/sources of socialization
Examples of rites of passage across the life span
Other:
Review the pop quiz at the end of each chapter
Review readings on rural America and cultural lag posted on
Carmen
Review 3 videos on material culture in American households
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmUyTauQBQ4
How Mean Girls film relates to culture and socialization (will
watch on Tuesday)
Note: Terms in the chapters not covered in class will not be on
the exam nor will “Today in History” facts and dates.
Historical dates related to the development of rural America
will not be on the exam.
Assignment #3
Letter to the Editor or Elected or Other Official
(20 points)
Due Thursday, April 21, 2016 (last day of class)
After a semester of learning about key issues affecting society,
it is time to express your opinion about what could and should
be changed! Your assignment is to write a letter to the editor of
a newspaper or an elected or other official on some topic
covered in class that you feel strongly about. Think about all
the topics covered in class, readings, lectures, films, guest

9. speakers, and assignments. Although you are not required to
actually submit your article or letter, you are encouraged to do
so.
Option 1: A letter to the editor is a briefly stated opinion
generally written in response to a current issue or previously
published article. It is typically very short—250-300 words.
The purpose is to raise awareness of an issue, persuade people
to think differently and/or take action, or criticize or support
some kind of legislation, action, or behavior. Give the editorial
a catchy title, state your position, and then give concise
arguments to support your case. Indicate what newspaper you
would consider sending your editorial to. Be sure your letter is
in agreement with what the newspaper’s requirements are.
Option 2: A letter to an elected or other official (local, state, or
national representative, or university administrator) is a
concise, one-page letter addressed to one’s own representative
or the official responsible for some type of legislation or policy.
You can state your support or opposition to a particular piece of
legislation/policy or ask him or her to support or introduce
legislation/policy on some topic. Be sure to address the letter
correctly to the official (names of Congresspeople and other
elected officials and their addresses are found online).
You will be graded on overall readability and the strength of
your arguments. Arguments should be based on current
knowledge, not merely personal opinion without grounding in
research or fact. Furthermore, do not merely vent or complain
about something.
While you are encouraged to look at other editorials or letters
for examples, it is expected that the writing will be your own
work. Any copying of previously published editorials or letter
will result in 0 points and be in violation of class and university
policies on academic integrity.
Tips for completing this assignment will be posted on Carmen.