An open letter is a letter that is intended to be read by a wide audience. They can either be a letter to an individual, that is also sent to newspapers and other media. In general the purpose of this form of letter is communicating with the wide audience rather than the individual it is addressed to. Especially common are open letters to a political leader that are critical of them. Letters patent are another form of open letter in which a legal document is both mailed to a person by the government, and publicized so that all are made aware of it. Open letters can also be addressed directly to a group rather than any individual.
Notable open letters
- Many of the epistles of hte Bible are open letters
- J'accuse by Émile Zola over the Dreyfus Affair
- Martin Luther King's Letter from Birmingham Jail
- Bill Gates' Open Letter to Hobbyists attacking software piracy