Since last fall, our opinion section has been in receipt of many more letters and op-eds than a small staff can get around to. It’s a privilege to have a readership, and a contributor base, that is so engaged. In 2025, not every publication is so fortunate.

Pronounced political change brought about by a new presidential administration has resulted in an outpouring of public concern, praise, scorn, hope, noticing and querying. While we’re engaged in all of that, too, we’re going to new lengths to ensure that our focus remains where it belongs: on what’s going on in and around Maine.

Our guidelines for opinion submissions now note that writing about local matters will be given first priority. I believe it’s valuable for us to take that tack and I’ve been encouraged to see it working in our favor.

When I joined the opinion desk in 2022, I expressed my personal desire to read more about how people in Maine are feeling about their neighbors, schools, businesses, beaches, roads and local representatives … and much less about frothy national scandals and whatever’s leading MSNBC or Fox News. For several months now, the Maine Trust for Local News opinion section has not carried any syndicated or “wire” copy — columns and op-eds from places like the LA Times, Bloomberg or the Star Tribune. For me, that’s a relief. It’s not that those opinion pieces weren’t good enough to read; it’s that they weren’t immediately relevant or original to our readership. They did not let us in on the ideas and perspectives that we couldn’t encounter elsewhere.

This isn’t to say we aren’t going to devote deserved space to the analysis of proposals or any major developments that stand to help or harm our communities. It’s through a particular lens and in a community-focused spirit that we’re working to fill these pages with sharp points of view from informed and passionate sources across the state and region and, in time, more local and regional editorial cartoons that complement this effort.

There’s the goal. We want you to share with us your ideas, your indignation and your ideals. Our shingle is out (it reads “MAINE!”) and our door is open for business.

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