Letter-writers may be unrepresentative of the broader public

Evidence

First, unlike surveys, which randomly sample people to represent the broader population, letters to the editor are not random. Two factors may skew letters to the editor: who writes them and who edits them. To begin with, writing a letter to a newspaper requires time, talent, and passion, which many people lack. Letter writers as a whole might be exceptional within the population and therefore may have exceptional opinions. — Joseph E. Uscinski and Joseph M. Parent, American Conspiracy Theories, 409

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Readers’ letters reveal public opinion forming outside conscious awareness

Broader Connections

• Readers’ letters reveal public opinion forming outside conscious awareness #complicates (0.80)