How to Submit Community News

The Saline Reporter held a focus group today and staff handed out materials to participants encouraging a community collaboration in producing the newspaper. Below is one of the handouts. Please join us in reporting community news.

The Saline Reporter
Submitting Your News

Share Your Community News
The Saline Reporter welcomes news releases about upcoming events, articles profiling people of interest in the community, guest columns, community group activities and accomplishments, professional achievements, sports news, and student- and school-related stories. We also appreciate news tips. If you have information to share that you don’t feel comfortable writing yourself, e-mail a synopsis and contact information to editor@salinereporter.com so we can determine whether a reporter should be assigned to follow up.

How to Write A Press Release
Provide the who, what, where, when, why and how.
Who: The Saline Area Historical Society
What: will hold an open house
Where: at Rentschler Farm Museum
When: from 1 to 3 p.m. Dec. 22
Why: as a benefit for the museum to help pay for utilities and other costs associated with maintaining the building.
How: Volunteers will give tours of the museum and refreshments will be served. Admission is $2 for adults and $1 for students. For more information, call 429-7380.

How to Send Your Information
E-mail the press release in Word format or in the body of the e-mail to editor@salinereporter.com. Deadline is 1 p.m. Monday (or Friday if Monday is a holiday), but it’s recommended that you submit it two to three weeks in advance so it can be processed and has as many opportunities as possible for publication before the event.

Submitting Photographs
The Saline Reporter welcomes photographs. A digital format (jpg), high resolution is preferred sent as an attachment in e-mail. Everyone in the photograph must be identified by first and last name, from left. Provide information for a photo caption detailing the image captured, including the who, what, where, when, why and how. Keep in mind that space constraints could mean your photograph won’t be published for a few weeks. You also can share your photographs with readers by uploading them directly to our Web site in a photo gallery housed on Micentral.com, with a link to our site. Simply click on the “photo sharing” button in the right-hand corner of the Web site’s home page. Categories include community, events and festivals, nature scenes, kids, pets and animals, and sports and activities.

Space Limitations
Because of space constraints, there’s no guarantee a news item or photograph will be published, although the news staff will do its best to get in your submission. The only guarantee is an ad, as this space is reserved and paid for. The size of the newspaper is based on an advertising-news ratio. Keep in mind that the more advertising a newspaper has, the more space it creates for news as pages are added. Supporting the newspaper through advertising, whether it’s a 2x3 ad announcing your event or a business advertising its services through a larger ad, means there’s more space for local news.

Web Site Extras
Don’t forget our Web site, which reaches more readers than the newspaper. News updates and breaking news stories are posted several times throughout the week. Also, post your comments on our staff blog, “Inside the Newsroom,” which includes our observations after attending community events, local issues that we want to bring to your attention, news stories we’re working on and other information that we want to highlight, at http://heritageweststaffblog.blogspot.com. There’s a link in the left-hand corner of our home page. In addition, view local videos of community events, sporting events and general news at www.salinereporter.com. In addition, readers may upload their own videos directly to the site by clicking on the video sharing button.

The Milan News-Leader held a focus group Dec. 6 and video of it is on the Web site at www.milannews.com. Below is information on submitting news and photos:

The Milan News-Leader
Submitting Your News
Share Your Community News
The Milan News-Leader welcomes news releases about upcoming events, articles profiling people of interest in the community, guest columns, community group activities and accomplishments, professional achievements, sports news, and student- and school-related stories. We also appreciate news tips. If you have information to share that you don’t feel comfortable writing yourself, e-mail a synopsis and contact information to editor@milannews.com so we can determine whether a reporter should be assigned to follow up.

How to Write A Press Release
Provide the who, what, where, when, why and how.
Who: The Milan Area Historical Society
What: will hold an open house
Where: at the Milan Senior and Community Activities Center, 45 Neckel Court,
When: from 1 to 3 p.m. Dec. 22
Why: as a benefit for the organization to help pay for its community education efforts.
How: Members will talk about the organization, its efforts and how people can get involved. Admission is $2 for adults and $1 for students. For more information, call 429-7380.

How to Send Your Information
E-mail the press release in Word format or in the body of the e-mail to editor@milannews.com. Deadline is 1 p.m. Monday (or Friday if Monday is a holiday), but it’s recommended that you submit it two to three weeks in advance so it can be processed and has as many opportunities as possible for publication before the event.

Submitting Photographs
The Milan News-Leader welcomes photographs. A digital format (jpg), high resolution is preferred sent as an attachment in e-mail. Everyone in the photograph must be identified by first and last name, from left. Provide information for a photo caption detailing the image captured, including the who, what, where, when, why and how. Keep in mind that space constraints could mean your photograph won’t be published for a few weeks. You also can share your photographs with readers by uploading them directly to our Web site in a photo gallery housed on Micentral.com, with a link to our site. Simply click on the “photo sharing” button in the right-hand corner of the Web site’s home page. Categories include community, events and festivals, nature scenes, kids, pets and animals, and sports and activities.

Space Limitations
Because of space constraints, there’s no guarantee a news item or photograph will be published, although the news staff will do its best to get in your submission. The only guarantee is an ad, as this space is reserved and paid for. The size of the newspaper is based on an advertising-news ratio. Keep in mind that the more advertising a newspaper has, the more space it creates for news as pages are added. Supporting the newspaper through advertising, whether it’s a 2x3 ad announcing your event or a business advertising its services through a larger ad, means there’s more space for local news.

Web Site Extras
Don’t forget our Web site, which reaches more readers than the newspaper. News updates and breaking news stories are posted several times throughout the week. Also, post your comments on our staff blog, “Inside the Newsroom,” which includes our observations after attending community events, local issues that we want to bring to your attention, news stories we’re working on and other information that we want to highlight, at http://heritageweststaffblog.blogspot.com. There’s a link in the left-hand corner of our home page. In addition, view local videos of community events, sporting events and general news at www.milannews.com. In addition, readers may upload their own videos directly to the site by clicking on the video sharing button.