WRITE YOUR LOCAL NEWSPAPER

Writing a letter to the editor is one of the most effective ways a person with only a small amount of time can contribute to the visibility of, and debate on, any public issue. Such letters reach thousands of people, are read by elected officials and their staffs, and influence which subjects are covered in the news by reporters.  Many newspapers will print up to twelve letters from a person in a year. A few letters to the editor are more effective than a few letters to a congressperson or senator.

For ideas on writing letters, we highly recommend: Thousands of Hearts and Minds, Ed Kinane.

For more tips on writing effective letters to the editor, adopted from Eric Lindblom.

Look in the opinion section of your local newspaper for the appropriate mailing address. For those of you who live in Northern New Mexico, here are some useful links:

The Albuquerque Journal

The Santa Fe New Mexican

Los Alamos Reporter (email Maire O'Neill, publisher)