Editorial: A new chapter for the opinion pages

Recently, we shared a change in our columnist lineup — stepping away from shrill partisan voices and doubling down on the kind of writing that clarifies rather than inflames. We kept David Shribman, whose work is steeped in history and context, and added Salena Zito, a reporter who listens more than she shouts.

Now, we take that shift one step further.

We’re launching an initiative to bring more state and local voices to our opinion pages. That includes inviting policy centers, think tanks, and elected leaders to contribute regular columns on the issues shaping life in the Granite State — housing, taxes, education, energy and the economy. These are the topics that affect how we live, where we live, and whether our children can afford to stay.

We’re also renewing our commitment to letters to the editor. Going forward, we will prioritize letters that focus on state and local issues. The goal is not to silence national concerns, but to create space for conversations we can actually do something about — where debate leads to ideas, not outrage.

This shift reflects a simple truth: the daily decisions that shape our communities are made not in Washington, but right here in New Hampshire. And yet, too often, our public debates are hijacked by national narratives that do more to divide than to inform.

We want this page to be a place for citizens, not slogans.

We’ve already begun publishing work from the Josiah Bartlett Center and the New Hampshire Fiscal Policy Institute — organizations that bring data, clarity, and substance to complicated issues. Their writing may challenge assumptions, but it does so with respect for the reader and a focus on solutions. We welcome more of that.

If you're sitting in elected office and have something to say, we want to hear it. If you’re working on the front lines of policy, we’d be glad to consider your insights. If you're a citizen with a thoughtful perspective, send us a letter.

Clear writing. Honest argument. Local relevance. That’s the new standard.

We hope you’ll help us meet it.

Send letters, columns or suggestions to news@laconiadailysun.com, or submit at laconiadailysun.com/writealetter. Let’s keep the conversation going — and keep it grounded in the place we all call home.