Find your regional paper below and click the link to submit your letter!

(Note: this list doesn’t include all of California’s newspapers. A full list of California’s newspapers is here — there are more than 1,300!)

Bay Area

• San Francisco Chronicle
• East Bay Times

Northern California

• Santa Cruz Sentinel
• Good Times (Santa Cruz)
• Look Out Santa Cruz
• City on a Hill Press (UC Santa Cruz)
• The Sacramento Bee
• The Mercury News (San Jose)

Central California

• The Fresno Bee
• San Luis Obispo Tribune
• New Times (San Luis Obispo)

Southern California

• Los Angeles Times
• La Opinión
• The San Diego Union-Tribune
• Orange County Register
• The Press-Enterprise (Riverside)

Sample Letter to the Editor

Note: this letter is just under 150 words — papers typically require letters to be 150-200 words. Keep it brief!

To the Editor:

I’m writing to make our community aware of a deceptive signature-gathering campaign run by Big Oil.

A paid signature gatherer may soon approach you with a lie, asking you to sign a petition to “lower gas prices” or “stop the energy shutdown.” Don’t be fooled and do not sign: this is the oil industry’s attempt to undo a public health law — SB 1137 — that creates a half mile buffer zone between dangerous oil and gas drilling and our homes, schools and daycares. The law will protect vulnerable Californians from toxic pollution that can cause asthma, lung disease, and high-risk pregnancies.

Just days after SB 1137 was signed into law, oil industry insiders filed a referendum to undo this long-awaited public health measure. The fossil fuel industry is trying to protect their bottom line at the expense of our community’s health. If you see this campaign, do not sign.

Sincerely,

Your Name, Your Community

Want to do more to protect setbacks? Here’s additional guidance from our allies at VISIÓN:

1. Catch Petitioners Lying? Report It!

Misrepresenting the truth to collect signatures is a criminal violation. CA’s Secretary of State is already investigating Big Oil’s sneaky tactics and is following up on all credible reports.

• Take a video of a petitioner lying and/or photo of any signage and petitions onsite. (There’s no need to get confrontational with petitioners as we are trying to expose industry’s widespread fraud, not go after individuals.)
• Submit your complaint online or by mail.
• An official from the Secretary of State’s Office will contact you to learn more about your experience.

2. Did You Sign? Don’t Worry — Remove Your Signature!

If you did sign, there is still time to withdraw your signature​ by sending your local elections official a letter containing the following:

• Petition title
• Date
• Name
• Address
• Signature
• A sentence saying you want to be removed

3. Share Your Story

• If you’ve been lied to by petitioners, media outlets want to hear your story. Email letters@latimes.com with the most outrageous story you’ve heard from someone gathering signatures.
• Write an op-ed in your local paper and use VISIÓN’s toolkit as a guide.
• Email Andra at andra@greencal.org or Kobi at kobi@vision-ca.org if you’re interested in being interviewed by reporters.