"Write On NM!" with Letter-to- Editor List by State.
Michael Baron, Ph.D. with Letter-to-Editor List by State
No one can forget the image of Capitol Police Officer Daniel Hodges having his head crushed on January 6, 2021, one of 140 officers injured that day, subsequent to which over 1,500 who stormed the Capitol were convicted of serious violent crimes. Deaths related to that day were also reported.
Near the outset of 2025, just before Inauguration Day, talk of possible Presidential pardons emerged. Some might say it took “courage and grit” for a half-dozen members of the majority party to stand up and call out such injustice. I decided to write to each of them, as well as to the largest newspaper in their home states. The Portland Press Herald published my letter. I noted that Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) “drew a distinction between those who ‘got caught up in the crowd that day’ and those who ‘assaulted police officers with their fists, with flag poles, with pepper spray and destroyed property…. This week has been a terrible week for our justice system.’ Good on her to call this out.”
Maybe it’s “the Libran” in me, or maybe it’s the would-be-writer in me (my 1978 doctoral dissertation addressed the psychological aspects of diary writing), but as far back as age 18 I recall writing to legislators and newspapers about issues such as overpopulation and women’s reproductive healthcare, the Vietnam War, and the death penalty. This year, especially when there was talk of deporting not simply the most serious violent offenders, but “eleven million” of our never-violent neighbors, I felt compelled to contact legislators and media outlets, appealing to the higher angels within us, i.e., mercy. The Washington Post and other newspapers published my letters.
I extended my outreach: Not just to a half-dozen Senators, but to all 538 Congresspeople in both chambers, to the President, to all nine Justices on the Supreme Court, to the Director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), to 50 Governors...and to the press. Why the press?
In the last ten Presidential elections, the average margin of victory was 4% between the two leading candidates. Translation: If just 2% or 1-in-50 voters switched their minds, the other candidate would have won. In 2024, if on Election Day just 1-in-138 voters in solely Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin opted to change their vote, the other candidate would have prevailed, claiming the all-important Electoral College majority. The 2020 vote was even closer, much closer. With over 155 million total votes cast, an average of just 11,000 votes in each of four states determined the Electoral College winner. About 1-in-3,500 voters determined the winner.
The pen may be more powerful than the sword. It may change minds: whether 1-in-3,500, 1-in-138, or 1-in-50. While contacting a legislator or other politicos directly may lead to a boilerplate thank you note, if that, the court of public opinion may be more powerful. One letter can reach tens, even hundreds of thousands of readers and impact their own opinions, and perhaps their take on policy issues. Maybe their future votes as well. I tasked myself with finding about the 60 largest newspapers in the country, with the caveat of at least one in each state, providing the email address or direct link to their website by which one can submit their letter-to-the-editor (attached).
Now, I am seeking to do the same statewide, i.e., generate a directory of newspapers (print and online) within New Mexico which may accept letters-to-the-editor or opinion pieces. Just a few weeks ago, I had no idea we have in excess of 50 newspapers in New Mexico! I am fine-tuning that directory now. It is my “Write On NM!” project. The First Amendment is precious. My hope is that New Mexicans will feel inclined to take the time to express their heartfelt and reasoned opinions on those issues which truly matter to them.
During my career as a psychologist, my clients enjoyed an acronym I shared with them: QYB-TPA, which stands for Quit Your Bitching – Take Positive Action. “Getting it off your chest” or catharsis is fine, but better still is doing something constructive about the concerns you have. On a local, state, or national level, if you have a suggestion for even a minor “fix” to what ails us, let your fellow citizens and elected representatives know. Individually and together, we can make a big difference.
Michael Baron, Ph.D. recently retired after a 50-year-career as a psychologist, spent entirely in New Mexico. Since 2017 he has written a column, “Open Mike,” for the New Mexico Psychological Association. He met his wife at the National Scrabble Championship, and proposed to her on a Scrabble board. They live in Corrales, New Mexico. His wood mosaic artwork has been featured in a number of art shows. www.artofdowel.com You may contact him at michael@michaelbaronphd.com
LARGEST NEWSPAPERS BY STATE: LETTER-TO-EDITOR (word limit, if specified)
AL (250) https://www.al.com/opinion/page/letters_to_the_editor.html Alabama Media Group
AK (200) letters@adn.com Anchorage Daily News
AZ (200) https://gannett-nxuao.formstack.com/forms/letters_editor Arizona Republic
AK (300)https://www.arkansasonline.com/contact/voicesform/ The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
CA (150) letters@latimes.com LA Times
opinion@scng.com San Diego Union-Tribune
CO (250) https://www.denverpost.com/submit-letter/ Denver Post
CT letters@courant.com Hartford Courant
DE (225) Opinion@StarNewsOnline.com Wilmington News
FL (250) insight@orlandosentinel.com Orlando Sentinel
(250) https://www.tampabay.com/opinion/submit-letter/ Tampa Bay Times
letters@sun-sentinel.com Sentinel Sun
GA opinion@ajc.com Atlanta Journal-Constitution
HI (150) https://www.staradvertiser.com/editorial/submit-letter/ Star-Advertiser
ID (200) https://www.idahostatesman.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/submit-letter/ Idaho Statesman
IL (400) letters@chicagotribune.com Chicago Tribune
IN (200) https://static.indystar.com/en/submitletter/ Indy Star
IA (200) https://static.desmoinesregister.com/submit-a-letter/ Des Moines Register
KS (200) https://www.kansas.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/submit-letter/ Wichita Eagle
KY cjletter@courier-journal.com Courier-Journal
LA (300) https://www.theadvocate.com/site/forms/online_services/letter_editor/ The Advocate
ME (250) https://www.pressherald.com/reader-services/letters-editor/ Portland Press Herald
MD (400) talkback@baltimoresun.com Baltimore Sun
MA (200) letter@globe.com Boston Globe
MI (250) https://www.thegazette.com/submit-a-letter-or-commentary/Gazette
https://content-static.detroitnews.com/submissions/letters/submit.htm Detroit News
MN (250) opinion@startribune.com Minnesota Star Tribune
MS (250) letters@jackson.gannett.com Clarion-Ledger
MO (250) letters@post-dispatch.com St. Louis Dispatch
MT (250) https://billingsgazette.com/forms/contact/letter_to_the_editor Billings Gazette
NE https://omaha.com/site/forms/public_pulse/ Omaha World-Herald
NV https://www.reviewjournal.com/letter-to-editor/ Las Vegas Review-Journal
NH (250) letters@unionleader.com Manchester Union
NJ (200) oped@starledger.com Star-Ledger
NM (300) https://www.abqjournal.com/site/forms/online_services/letter_editor/ Albuquerque Journal
NY (<300) wsj.ltrs@wsj.com Wall Street Journal
letters@nytimes.com New York Times
maronson@nydailynews.com NY Daily News
letters@nypost.com NY Post
NC (150) https://www.charlotteobserver.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/submit-letter/ Charlotte Observer
ND Letters@gfherald.com Grand Forks Herald
OH (200) https://www.cleveland.com/opinion/2014/08/submit_a_letter_to_the_plain_d.html Plain Dealer
OK yourviews@oklahoman.com Oklahoman
OR (250) letters@oregonian.com Oregonian
PA (200) letters@inquirer.com Philadelphia Inquirer
(200) opinion@triblive.com Trib Live
RI (250) letters@providencejournal.com The Providence Journal
SC (250) https://www.postandcourier.com/site/forms/online_services/letter_editor/ Post & Courier
SD (450) alletters@argusleader.com Argus Leader
TN (250) https://static.tennessean.com/letter-editor/ Tennessean
TX (250) https://www.houstonchronicle.com/opinion/submit/ Houston Chronicle
(200) https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/2018/12/02/submit-a-letter-to-the-editor/ Dallas Morning News
UT (200) letters@deseretnews.com Deseret News
VT letters@bfp.burlingtonfreepress.com Burlington Free Press
VA (250) letters@pilotonline.com Virginian-Pilot
WA (200) letters@seattletimes.com Seattle Times
WV (300) https://www.herald-dispatch.com/site/forms/online_services/letter_editor/ Herald Dispatch
WI (200) https://static.jsonline.com/letter-to-the-editor/ Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
WY (250) https://trib.com/forms/contact/letter_to_the_editor/ Casper Star Tribune
Washington DC (400) letters@washpost.com Washington PostUSAT (200) letters@usatoday.com USA Today
Editor's Note: Above list by Michael Baron, October, 2025. Check individual newspaper guidelines before submitting. Also, look at the Op-Ed Project site, which has workshops for writing Op-eds and additional resources.
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