Submit an opinion piece

We welcome perspectives from Santa Ana residents, community members, public officials, advocates, and others who want to share their views on issues affecting our city. Whether you're addressing a government decision, a neighborhood concern, or a community issue, we want to hear from you.

You don't have to be a professional writer or public figure to contribute.

What to know before writing

Have a clear opinion and be ready to explain it. Support factual claims with credible sources, remain respectful, and make sure your work is original.

All submissions must follow our Community Contributions Policy, Section 8.

Submission requirements

All submissions must include your first and last name, a valid email address, a preferred headline, the complete article, a brief author biography, and disclosure of relevant affiliations or interests.

Your email address will be used for verification and editorial correspondence prior to publishing. The Santanero will not publish your email with your piece without expressed permission. Headlines may be changed before publication.

Additional information

Depending on your submission, we may request your city of residence, Santa Ana City Council ward, occupation, elected office, campaign status, or relevant affiliations.

We may also request sources, citations, links, or supporting documentation to verify factual claims. Relevant information about your background or interests may be published to provide readers with context.

Editorial standards

We welcome different perspectives and constructive criticism, but submissions must be respectful, original, free of plagiarism, and based on accurate information.

Opinion pieces must not contain personal attacks, knowingly false information, or content primarily intended as commercial advertising. All submissions must comply with our Artificial Intelligence & Authenticity Policy.

Opinions are not exempt from fact-checking. We may request evidence, clarification, or corrections before publication.

Review and publication

All submissions are subject to editorial review. The Santanero reserves the right to accept, decline, edit, or request revisions to any submission. We may also verify an author's identity, affiliations, and factual claims.

Submitting an opinion does not guarantee publication. The Santanero does not pay or otherwise compensate contributors for opinion submissions.

If your piece is approved for publishing, you will receive a confirmation email with a time and date.

Deadlines

Opinion pieces are reviewed every Monday and if approved, may appear as early as Thursday of the same week. You will receive a follow-up email if your piece is selected for publishing.

Deadlines for website, e-newspaper and social media publication do not necessarily apply to our monthly print edition, which follows a separate schedule.

Opinion pieces for our monthly print edition will appear if published on our website before the 2nd to last Saturday of every month.

Ready to submit?

Make sure your article is complete and all required information is included before submitting. We do not accept opinion submissions via direct message through our social pages.

The easiest and fastest way to submit your op-ed is to use our online submission form.

However you may also send your op-ed by mail at P.O. Box 3163, Santa Ana, CA 92703. Mailbox is checked every other Wednesday.

Questions? Email submissions@santanero.org.