Deadlines

NEWS: The deadline for submitted articles, such as organization and church news, social items, letters to the editor and press releases is 5 P.M. Monday.  All items are subject to being edited for content and style. Articles should be furnished typewritten or printed neatly.  The sender's name and telephone number should be included for verification or clarification.

PHOTOGRAPHS: are accepted, preferably sharp.  For return, please include a stamped, self-addressed envelope, and write name and address on the back of photograph.

ADVERTISING: The deadline for placing display and classified advertising is 5 P.M. Monday.  For information on Tuesday submission of legal notices, call the Thousand Islands Sun at 482-2581.

Submitting News To Our Weekly Paper

First, let us say that community newspapers are very happy to receive your press releases. We are pleased to publish your organization’s accomplishments, activities, goals, and objectives.

We would like to offer a few suggestions to make both of our jobs easier.

We have a small staff, so it is important that the material you give us contains the essential elements: Who, What, When, Where, and Why. We frequently receive articles that are missing at least one of these items, and we have to track down the contributor, or someone who we think might know the answer. We repeat, we just don’t always have the time to do this. Be sure to include a contact name and telephone number.

People like to have their names spelled correctly. You know that you do. Sometimes we have to try to decipher handwriting that looks more like hieroglyphics. Also, please be accurate in names of places and other information pertinent to the article. If we mess up because you mess up, we get the blame.

Photographs should be clear – we cannot improve on the quality of what you send us. And, please, please, please identify everyone in the photo left to right, and , if by rows, first row to back row, using first and last names. Please put this information on a separate piece of paper. DO NOT write on the back of a picture as this shows through and can be picked up in reproduction.

News stories should be written in paragraphs of descending importance. Please do not put any of five Ws in the last paragraph. That information should always be at the beginning of the story. Please use complete sentences.

Also, please be careful about the length of the story. We don’t count words, but sometimes people just ramble on, and we may have to cut a lot of the prose. Don’t pad the story, but don’t leave out essential information, either. And, things are not lovely, beautiful, delicious...that will be for the consumer to decide. And, please do not use “we” or “our” in the story – in other words, editorialize it.

If you type your articles, it should be typewritten double-spaced, if possible. PLEASE DO NOT USE ALL CAPITAL LETTERS – they’re hard for our staff to read. And, please use only one side of the paper. You wouldn’t believe the scrawled scraps of paper people give us, expecting us to create the proverbial silk purse out of a sow’s ear. And, little bits of paper can have a tendency to get lost.

Again, all items submitted for use in the newspaper must include a contact name and number for verification or clarification.

Most importantly, submit your story by the deadline. Better yet, get it in early (the staff will love you, and sprinkle rose petals at your feet).

We accept items in person, by mail, fax and e-mail. We will not use information contributed anonymously.

And, we’re always looking for feature story ideas. run something that you think is interesting by us. Who know? We have staff writers who could follow up on a lead.

We value you both as a reader and contributor, and we hope our little guidelines will help you get your message out.

Submitting Letters to the Editor

The Thousand Islands Sun encourages readers to submit responsible comments for inclusion in the Letters to the Editor forum.

However, letters thanking lists of supporters for anything or those promoting coming events will not be published.

All letters must have a written signature by the author with address and a telephone number included so that authorship could be verified or information clarified. This applies to faxed letters also, and e-mailed letters must bear a telephone number so authorship may be verified.

News releases must contain this same information.

Requests for anonymity on a Letter to the Editor may be granted through a written request, except for letters of a political nature, but the author must provide all of the information included above, as well as a written signature.

Generally, writers are limited to one letter within a 30-day period.  Letters complaining about a named individual who is not a public figure or a particular business will not be printed.

The Thousand Islands Sun discards letters that are unsigned and do not provide the requested information.

This newspaper reserves the right to edit any comments which it deems to be libelous or in bad taste. Letters should be no more than 400 words long.

The deadline for submissions of either letters or news is 5 p.m. on Monday of each week.

For more information, call 482-2581; our fax number is 482-6315.