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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 100th
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 50th, 60th, or higher
anniversary (in increments of five). Example: We’re not publishing,
free-of-charge, a photo of a couple celebrating their 58th
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
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