Getting ready for Election Day
The e d i t o r s o f t h e Montgomery Media n e wsp a p e r s a r e c o mmitte d to providing fair, thorough and accurate coverage of election contests and t o making a v a i l a b l e s p a c e for the e x c h a n g e o f o p i n i o n s . We s t r i v e t o f o l l o w t h e g u i d e l i n e s p u b l i s h e d b e l o w i n a n a t t e mpt t o e n - c o u r a g e p u b l i c s t a t e ments b y c a n d i d a t e s a n d t o p r o mote f a i r n e s s . PURPOSE • 7KH SuUSRsH RI WKHsH JuLdHOLnHs IRU FDPSDLJn reporting is to ensure fair, accurate and thorough accounts of all election campaigns in our coverage area.
• :H DOsR LnWHnd WR EH DFWLvH Ln FDPSDLJn UHSRUWLnJ so that readers know more about the candidates and issues than merely what the candidates want them to know. NEWS • :H LnvLWH HDFK FDndLdDWH WR suEPLW D ELRJUDSKy, platform and subsequent campaign releases from candidates as a source of information for use in staff-written reports.
• GHnHUDOOy, wH wLOO JLvH PRUH DWWHnWLRn WR FRnWHsWHd races. We will attempt to interview all candidates in FRnWHsWHd HOHFWLRns Ln WKH GHnHUDO AssHPEOy IRU WKH Nov. 6 election. PHOTOS • RHTuHsWs IRU FDPSDLJn SuEOLFLWy SKRWRs Dnd SKRWRs submitted by candidates will be judged for newsworthiness.
• 3KRWRs RI LnFuPEHnWs Ln WKH FRuUsH RI WKHLU duWLHs will be considered campaign photographs if they invROvH SURPRWLRn RI WKH RIfiFH-KROdHU. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR • :H wLOO DSSOy nRUPDO SROLFy WR OHWWHUs DERuW FDndLdates and issues: We will publish them if they can be FRnfiUPHd Dnd dR nRW vLRODWH OHJDO Dnd WDsWH FRnsLdHUations.
• ,n WKH ODsW LssuH EHIRUH Dn HOHFWLRn, wH wLOO nRW SuElish an accusation against an individual in a letter to the editor.
• :H UHsHUvH WKH ULJKW WR sHOHFW UHSUHsHnWDWLvH vLHwpoints if we receive a large number of letters on one subject.
• :H sWURnJOy dLsFRuUDJH FDndLdDWHs Dnd WKHLU suSporters from organizing letter-writing campaigns, especially where one person prepares more than one letter for different signatures. R(3R,N7,NG • CDndLdDWHs DUH UHPLndHd WKDW nR PDWHULDO IURP the newspaper may be reprinted without permission.