"What do I think of the postal service? Last month when I mailed a check to pay my phone bill, it arrived a week late. I got charged a late fee! Mail delivery these days is terrible!" - Kevin D., Cottonwood, CA

"I think the USPS is great! Look, for under fifty cents they’ll take this card and get it to my son who’s in college on the other side of the country. That’s a pretty good deal."

- Nancy W., Boston, MA

As these comments made in front of post offices in various parts of the country reveal, people have strong opinions about the United States Postal Service, commonly known as the USPS. However, despite the strength of people’s feelings, the truth is that Americans are using the USPS less and less and the agency has been losing money for years. When was the last time you mailed or received a letter written on stationery, tucked into a hand-addressed envelope, with a stamp stuck in the upper-right corner? If you’re like most Americans, it’s been a while. However, it probably hasn’t been that long since you sent or got a text, an e-mail, or a tweet. A decreasing volume of first-class mail, mostly personal correspondence, bills, and small packages, is at the root of many of the USPS’s problems.

What features show this is an example of pop culture writing?

1. The tone is objective, straightforward, and informative.

2. The author uses the third-person point of view in order to inform the reader.

3. It uses testimonies and anecdotes as evidence and speaks directly to the reader.

4. It references primary sources and references historic events for context.