Working Together
TO SHARE OUR COMMUNITY STORIES AND EVENTS
To help you take advantage of the various sharing opportunities we provide, we’ve developed some notes on how to submit news releases, notices, community calendar events and letters to the editor in the shorter, snappier style that encourages readership of your message. We appreciate the connection Islanders have with our newspaper and we welcome your submissions.
PLAN AHEAD!
Calling well in advance gives you the best chance of having your event covered. As soon as your event is confirmed, phone the assignment editor to request coverage. It is best to give at least one week’s notice. The Guardian will not be able to attend all events but we will try our best to accommodate you. Request coverage of your event by phoning the newsroom at (902) 629-6038 or toll-free at 1-800-267-NEWS (6397). You can also email us at newsroom@theguardian.pe.ca
COMMUNITY CALENDAR:
The Community Calendar is a free public service, which runs daily in The Guardian. Information should be submitted one week in advance of the event and include a daytime contact name and phone number for information or clarification. The Guardian reserves the right to edit for content or length. Notices may be emailed to lifestyles@theguardian.pe.ca or left at the newsroom, 165 Prince St., Charlottetown.
SUBMITTING PHOTOS:
The Guardian receives daily requests to take photos of events and happenings. While we make every effort to accommodate within our guidelines, it is sometimes impossible for us to attend. In such cases, we will consider printing submitted photos. If you wish to submit a photo, here are some guidelines to keep in mind:
• Try to have the people in the photo ‘doing’ something, as opposed to standing against a wall looking at the camera.
• A photo of one-to-three people performing some action is always preferable to a large group photo where faces are difficult to see.
• The Guardian will not publish photos with more than five people in the photo unless it is a team photo.
• Fill the camera frame with the subjects to avoid distracting backgrounds and to make the subjects the focus of the photo.
• Take several shots so the editor can choose the best one for the paper .
• Clearly and accurately identify everyone in the photo, ensuring that all names are spelled correctly, listing them left to right. Make sure the event, its date and the activity are clearly explained. High-resolution jpg images should be sent to newsroom@theguardian.pe.ca .
SUBMITTING COMMUNITY NEWS :
Unfortunately, we will not always be able to attend your organization’s event or activity. As with photos, we will consider printing community news and submitted news releases provided they are clearly and concisely written and accurate.
Here are some tips to follow:
• Do not use the first person. ‘I’, ‘We’, and ‘Our’, for example, will always be replaced with the third person pronoun. The only time you may write in the first person is when submitting a letter to the editor.
• Always include the first and last names of everyone mentioned, along with their proper titles. In all other references, use the person’s last name.
• Avoid the use of personal opinion. Comments such as ‘A wonderful time was had by all’ or ‘A delicious lunch was served’ will be deleted by the editor.
• The first couple of paragraphs should tell WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN and WHY and the following paragraphs should tell HOW.
• Submitted items should be no more than 250 words.
• Include your name and daytime phone number, in case the editor has any questions. Community news can be emailed to newsroom@theguardian.pe.ca
SUBMITTING LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Letters to the editor and guest opinions must bear the signature, address and contact telephone number of the author. The author’s name will be published. Letters to the Editor must be 250 words or less, Guest Opinions must be 500 words or less. Letters and guest opinions can be sent to letters@theguardian.pe.ca