Just make certain you pay them what they're worth. Hire an intern. Sometimes they may seem like more trouble than help, but the early investment in training often pays off later. Besides, you owe it to young journalists to show them the right way to do things. Cultivate local columnists.
Good sources are nearby colleges, political and professional organizations, and businesses.
Again, this may require a certain amount of hand-holding at first. After a while, however, you can develop a stable of local experts who can comment about a variety of subjects on a moment's notice. It's neither difficult nor expensive any more. Never let your publisher forget that the editorial page is the soul of the newspaper. Familiarize the honcho with NCEW's survey of opinion page readership .