You make an attempt to verify. I bet a lot of these papers made no such attempt.
I don’t run a paper, but I’ve had letters printed. I’ve also had editors call me to see if I’m the person who wrote the letter, so I know some papers check.
It takes much, MUCH less time to verify names, addresses, etc., than via email exchanges to a yahoo account, which resulted in bogus (unverified) data anyway.
I am reminded of the Raleigh News and Observer (who also printed an “Ellie” letter) and their coverage of the Duke lacrosse frame. The NO’s initial report provided little research. Had they bothered to run the name Crystal Gayle Mangum through their own news archives they would have discovered her disturbing past.
MSM serves to advance the preconceived ideological agenda ... facts and verification be damned.