HOURS OF OPERATION: Mondays through Fridays, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

ADVERTISING DEADLINE: Mondays at 5:00 p.m. However, ad deadlines are earlier during Thanksgiving, Christmas, Independence Day, Labor Day, Memorial Day, and other holidays. When in doubt, call 292-3019 or email: ads@courier-record.com 

DEADLINE TO SUBMIT public service announcements: Fridays, 5:00 p.m. Always remember, submitting a news item before deadline ensures ONLY that the item will be CONSIDERED for publication–it does NOT guarantee publication. The shorter, and more local, a news item, the better its chances of being published. If you’re promoting an upcoming event where admission will be charged or items will be sold, you will need to purchase an ad to ensure publication.

Effective January 1, 2008, we moved our Public Service Announcement deadline to 5 p.m. Fridays. We did so because we wanted to devote more time on Mondays to breaking news, main news, and feature stories. Due to increased volume of email, we simply were becoming flooded with submitted items on Mondays and did not have time to consider, or even look at, all items that were submitted.

MORE ON PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS:  In most cases, Public Service Announcements (PSA's) promoting upcoming events are published one-time, free-of-charge, for local churches, civic clubs, and other local NON-PROFIT organizations. To enhance chances of publication, such announcements must be submitted AT LEAST TWO WEEKS PRIOR  to the event. The earlier your announcement is submitted, the better its chances of being published in the Courier-Record. Due to the increased volume of requests, there is no “guarantee” that all submitted Public Service Announcements will be published–particularly those submitted less than two weeks prior to the event. The weekly deadline is Friday, 5:00 p.m. To “guarantee” publication, ask about our PAID Community Calendar, which will make sure your event is listed for just $10 (40 words or less). Remember: events where admission is charged, or where goods/services/products will be sold/promoted, shall be handled as paid advertising. The Courier-Record each week receives hundreds of phone calls, faxes, emails and visits. If your upcoming event has “gotta be in the paper,” contact our advertising department at (434) 292-3019. We accept credit cards over the phone.

EMAIL: Whenever you email us ANYTHING, you MUST include your first and last names (no initials unless they are commonly used as a nickname) and ALL daytime contact phone numbers. Yes, that includes your cell phone number, too. We also REQUIRE your complete street address, town, and zip code. We won’t share your phone number or house street number with anyone.

PREFERRED FORMAT: When sending us camera ready ads, we require PDF format. Send ads to: ads@courier-record.com. When sending us a photograph, it must be in JPEG (.jpg) format, of good quality, and somewhere between 1-3 megabytes (MB) in size.

SO-CALLED BUSINESS “NEWS:” If your firm wishes to announce a new employee or promotion of an existing employee, the best way to do so is in the form of PAID ADVERTISING. We are NOT in the “Free Publicity” business.

CHECK PRESENTATIONS: Photos of for-profit businesses or organizations, and/or elected officials or candidates for political office, presenting checks to various organizations will be handled as paid advertising. (If you or your business really want to make a donation SOLELY out of the goodness of your heart and NOT for free publicity, there’s really no need to call the newspaper, right?) However, we do proudly publish--free-of-charge when space allows--photos of NON-PROFIT organizations like civic groups making check presentations (example: Rotary Club giving money to the fire department). Occasionally, exceptions are made, but they are up the decision of the news staff alone. Exceptions to this policy are POSSIBLE when the dollar value of a donation is exceptional (More than $5,000). Again, the decision is up to the editor.

SUBMITTING PHOTOS: The days of scanning prints are behind us. We PREFER emailed photos, but they must be of good quality (sharply-focused and properly-lighted) and preferably 1 to 3 megabytes (MB) in size. Subjects must be up close and not far away. We prefer candid photos of only one person or a few (no more than five individuals). Also, all persons in a photo must be properly identified, with first and last names spelled correctly. Photos of marginal or inferior quality (those that are too dark or too light, or out-of-focus or too far away) will NOT be published free-of-charge. When emailing us photos, please send only ONE or TWO of your best shots. We shy away from group photos, especially those that are out of focus, improperly lighted, or taken too far away. In most cases, Polaroid photos will be rejected due to poor reproduction quality. The Courier-Record’s tough photo criteria is not to be hard on anyone, it is simply to ensure that our loyal readers get to see the best, most compelling photos each week. The Courier-Record over the years has become known for its hard-hitting news photos and candid, captivating photos of children and other area residents enjoying life in this wonderful region.

DON’T FEEL BAD: EACH WEEK, we receive numerous photos that simply do not meet our standards, or are not what is generally considered news. We like making people happy, and that also includes our loyal readers.

BUYING COURIER-RECORD PHOTOS: The photos you see each week in the award-winning Courier-Record represent only a fraction of those that are taken. ALL are available for sale at the Courier-Record. High-quality digital prints (8×10 or 5×7 or 4x6) are available for $10 each, plus 5% Virginia sales tax. All orders must be paid in advance. Please allow two weeks for processing. Place your order by mail by describing the photo you want, and sending payment to: Courier-Record, Photo Orders, P. O. Box 460, Blackstone VA 23824. All Courier-Record photos are copyright protected. That means: you cannot legally scan, email, copy, reproduce, or duplicate in any manner, any photo purchased or obtained by the Courier-Record, without first receiving the expressed, written consent of the Courier-Record. Yes, you also can place your order over the phone with a credit card.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Here's how to get your letter to the editor published in the Courier-Record. 1. Don't “thank” anybody. 2. Don't take cheap shots at private citizens or private businesses. Public officials and government agencies–and employees thereof–are fair game. 3. Re-read Rule #1. "Thank Yous” must be PAID and appear in the Classified Section under “Cards Of Thanks.” 4. We can't read scribble. We prefer typewritten letters that are emailed to us. 5. All letters must include the writer's name, complete address and all contact phone numbers for verification purposes. Don't panic–only your name, street, and town/county will be published. We will NOT publish your phone number or complete address. 6. Be brief and to the point. No more than 150 words. The shorter, the better–more folks will read it. Did we mention no more than 150 words?! 7. Your letter must focus on an issue of general interest. Letters on LOCAL issues take top priority. Letters received on Thursdays and Fridays will receive top consideration, especially if they are brief. The OPINION page is often the first page made-up each week, so the sooner we get your letter, the better. 8. All letters are subject to editing for reasons of legality, taste, grammar, and space. 9. Email us your letter at: news@courier-record.com  Your letter must include ALL contact phone numbers where you can be reached. 10. Get it off your chest! On most weeks, the deadline for letters to the editor is Mondays, 5:00 p.m.

ONLY ONE LETTER PER MONTH: That’s right, we will publish only one letter per writer, per calendar month. Exceptions are made for: 1) Rebuttal and/or 2) When there is enough space on a given week, on Page 4, to allow an additional letter that month from the same writer. The Courier-Record reserves the right to reject or edit any letter.

BIRTHDAYS: We are glad to publish photos of area residents when they reach their 100^th birthday or higher. For everyone else, such announcements must be paid. The cost is based on size. Can you imagine what our paper would look like if we published everyone’s photo on their birthday, without charge? There’s simply not enough newsprint.

THANK YOUs: We don’t publish “thank yous” in our letters to the editor. They must be PAID in our Card of Thanks section in the Classifieds.

WEDDING ANNIVERSARIES: We are glad to publish free-of-charge, RECENT photos (not more than 1-year-old) of couples celebrating their 50^th, 60^th, or higher anniversary (in increments of five). Example: We’re not publishing, free-of-charge, a photo of a couple celebrating their 58^th anniversary or their 61st. You can still make the paper, but there will have to be a charge; the price is based on length.

OBITUARIES: The Courier-Record does not charge for Obituaries, so long as they conform to this newspaper's policies. Free obituaries contain names of the deceased, immediate survivors, when and where services were/will be held, and place of burial. Such notices will also include church membership, military service, and club affiliations. Families that would like to include the names of grandchildren, spouses of brothers and sisters (“in-laws”), and other information or comments about the deceased, may do so by informing your funeral home, which will be billed at the rate of 25 cents per word for the entire obituary. Paid obituaries cannot be charged to individuals unless they have an established account with this newspaper. We will not bill anyone other than an established funeral home, unless they are willing to let us charge their credit card. If the obituary also includes a 1 column (“headshot”) photo (2 inches wide), there will be an additional charge of $15.

GRADUATIONS: The Courier-Record each year publishes photos of graduates of Nottoway High School and Kenston Forest School in a special graduation section.

COLLEGE GRADS: We are also glad to publish, free-of-charge, photos of your child when he or she graduates  college, earns a Master’s degree, or Ph. D. degree.

DEAN’S LIST: Due to space limitations, we do not publish, free-of-charge, photos of college students who make Dean’s List. We will gladly run the announcement (excluding photo) without charge. If you want the photo included with the write-up, it can be done in most cases for approximately $25.

WEDDINGS AND ENGAGEMENTS: The Courier-Record is happy to publish—free-of-charge--engagements and wedding accounts, provided they meet this newspaper’s long-standing requirements. Engagements must be submitted for publication at least 60 days prior to the wedding.  Wedding write-ups must be presented for publication no later than two weeks following the ceremony. Weekly deadlines are Fridays at 5:00 p.m. Both engagement and wedding write-ups are subject to editing. Both engagement and wedding photos will be cropped/enlarged/reduced according to this newspaper's policies.

Paid write-ups are published as the bride wishes. The price is based on length. Paid wedding photos will be cropped as the bride wishes. The price is based on size. A charge will be made for wedding and engagement announcements that do not meet our free requirements. That includes any write-up or announcement that has appeared previously in any other newspaper. We also do not list, in our free announcements, the names of any for-profit firms or individuals such as wedding photographers, caterers, DJs, etc. If you have any questions, the Courier-Record urges all who have such announcements to call 292-NEWS well in advance of your special day or email us at: news@courier-record.com  The Courier-Record looks forward to working with you.

RULES ON RECENT BIRTHS: For local married couples, there is no charge for “Recent Birth” announcements that are published no more than two weeks after the baby's arrival. (We do not charge for birth announcements, unless you wish to include a photo). Our weekly deadline is Friday at 5:00 p.m. If you'd like to include your baby's first photo in such an announcement, such announcements can be published for as inexpensive as $25.00. Paid announcements shall be published as the family wishes. The price is based on length. Call 292-NEWS for more information, or email: news@courier-record.com.

BIG GAME KILLS and FISH: We are flooded each week in the Fall and Spring hunting seasons with pictures of hunters (especially children) with big game they have harvested. We are glad to recognize this important tradition; however, we simply do not have room for all photos submitted. You are welcomed to pay to have such a photo placed. Otherwise, we base our decisions on the size of the deer/turkey/fish, but also the quality of the photo. We cannot say this enough: submitted photos must be properly exposed (not too light or too dark), the subject must be in focus and up close (not too far away). And we prefer that such photos be emailed to us. Hint: We do NOT like polaroids photos and other prints that we have to scan!

ARCHIVE POLICY: Our old editions of the Courier-Record are bound in hardback books and are available for public inspection, dating back to July 1928. However, appointments (made several days in advance) are required, and admission is $25 per one-half day (four hours). Copies of news articles are difficult to make, but in most cases are available for $1 per copy. It is important to emphasize that appointments are required. Having someone in our archive room is a distraction, and we have a small staff. We are happy to offer this archive service but respectfully, it must be on our terms because we are always busy working on the next edition and future editions.

06/06/08