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Welcome to
Clipper Publishing
Company!!
Clipper Q & A
You can send your news items or ideas to:
info@clipperpubco.com
What's news at our newspapers, we feel news is what is new, different,
unusual and of widespread importance an impact to our communities. Ask
yourself who will be interested in your story. If the information is
of interest only to a small group, a mailing direct to those people
would better serve the purpose.
However, if you think the public would find the story interesting,
call or email us.
The Gibbon Reporter, Shelton Clipper and Wood River Sunbeam are
interested in stories about people and events in our communities. We
do not print national news. We leave that job for the daily papers.
The only time we may print a state, national or international news
story is if it has a local angle . Advertising and news is separated
in the paper. We donıt allow advertising in our news stories. Although
we regularly run stories about what events are coming in the area, we
don not include information on where tickets are being sold and how
much they cost, thatıs advertising.
We are always interested in stories about what area clubs are doing,
but we want more than just the date of the meeting, who attended and a
list of items discussed. If your club has a speaker tell us what
important things the speaker said. By giving some of the ³heart² of
the speakerıs comments, you will make your clubs story much more
interesting and more people will read it.
Don't give us just a list of club projects, provide details of what
your club has done or what it will do. New club officers are news when
they are elected, installation is generally not news.
Strong human interest items that tug at your heart strings are fun to
read and usually are news. If you run across a human interest item
either in your club activities or outside, let us know.
Items are news only when they are new. Bring us your news as soon as
it happens. We will not use items much more that a few weeks old.
If your are not sure if what you have in news, give us a call at (308)
647-5158, we can help you decide.
How to write a press release
1. Use a sheet of white paper about 8 1/2 inches by 11
inches. Use one side only.
2. If possible, type the release and email it to us at:
info@clipperpubco.com.
3. Include all names, but always double-check spellings. Give
first and last names of all people mentioned in your story.
We prefer to get "John and Mary Doe" instead of "Mr. and
Mrs. John Doe."
4. The article should always answer the ³five Wıs²: Who,
What, When, Where and Why.
Write the most important facts first, then write the remainder of the
facts in descending order of importance. That way, if there is room in
the paper for only a part of your story, the editor can pick up the
important facts in your story in the first few lines.
We reserve the right to edit any news item we receive. We try to
correct spelling, avoid duplication and stay away from soliciting our
readersı money. If it is critical that information appear exactly as
you write it, buying advertising space is the route for you to take.
6. Be brief and use simple direct sentences.
7. Always put the name and phone number of the person who
knows the most about the story so that we can call that
person if we need more information.
8. If you are in doubt as to how to write the story, read some
of the articles in a past issue to see how news articles are
constructed.
Letters to the Editor: Guidelines
We love to get Letter to the Editor.
Be pertinent to our readers. Letters for publication should originate
with someone in our area and deal with something of local interest.
Letters are not a substitute for advertising.
Include your name and address. We wonıt use unsigned letters.
We reserve the right to choose which letters to share with our
readers. You should specify, not for publication, if you prefer. Your
opinions are welcome (even critical ones).
Brief is better. We will edit for length if necessary.
No more than one letter per writer in 30 days.
Any letter ³attacking² a person, organization or business with
unsubstantiated claims will be disregarded.
Photographs
Good photographs make the newspaper interesting. Human interest items
make the best photos. People working on project generally make good
news pictures. We try not to take boring pictures, and usually look
for a different angle.
Be sure to discuss photo ideas with us in advance. Call or see us
during office hours. Do not expect to get a photographer by calling on
Saturday or Sunday or some evening unless the event is very unusual.
With time and space limits, we cannot run photographs of all
activities. We determine whether or not we will print a photo by three
criteria - space available, news worthiness of the event, and quality
of the photo.
When space allows, the Reporter, Clipper and Sunbeam will accept news
photos that you take, but there are few basic rules to follow when
taking a photo for us.
We prefer black and white photographs but we can use good contrast
color prints. They should not be too dark. They should be in sharp,
clear focus:
³soft touch² style pictures reproduce poorly in the paper.
Limit the number of people in the picture to as few as possible. Try
for no more that three, and try to have the people doing something.
Get as close as possible. Fill the frame of your viewfinder.
Identify the people as they appear, from left to right. Put full
names and explanatory information on a sheet of paper and turn it in
with the photo.
Photos will net be returned by mail unless you include a self
addressed, stamped envelope. The newspaper is not responsible for any
damage done while in transport. You may pick up your photo the day it
appears in the paper.
News items can carry over
Sometimes articles submitted for publication are held over for another
week.
This is because there isnıt room in that issue of the paper.
We would like to print all items when they come in, but arenıt able to
sometimes because of the lack of advertising. Each issue must have
enough revenue to cover the cost of printing it.
Obituary submissions welcome
This paper will print without charge obituaries of individuals with
local connections. You may have funeral directors email or fax the
information to us, or bring us a copy, and photo if possible, of an
obituary printed elsewhere.
Meeting records are of two types
Nearly every issue of your hometown news includes a section labeled
public notices. Items under this heading are required by law to be
printed publicly. Examples include notices of upcoming government
meetings, notices about selling estates or renewing liquor licenses,
formation of new corporations and proceeding of council or school
board meetings. In alternation years when Gibbon Reporter or Shelton
Clipper papers are designated a legal paper of Buffalo County, we
also get the proceedings of the Board of Supervisors.
To keep the public informed, the legislature mandates that certain
things be published ³in a newspaper of general circulation.² These
items are prepared by the board or attorneys involved and are run in
the paper as paid advertising. The rate charged is set by the Nebraska
legislature. News reports, usually prepared by newspaper staff, are
different items. News articles are often about meetings, but do not
attempt to cover everything that happens or to treat all actions
equally. Some actions are more important that others. A good article
shows the intent of a decision and what it means to people, as well
as telling that the decision was made. When club reporters submit
coverage of their organizations, these should be in the style of news
articles, telling who, what, when, why, where and how.
As advertising, we keep public notices separate from the news and
identified as such so there is no confusion. They are for the benefit
of all, as well-informed citizens.
Weekly deadlines
Deadline for news and advertising copy is 5:00 p.m. on Monday. (When
there is a Monday holiday, deadline is noon Friday.) Late copy
disrupts routine and space planning and can cause additional hours of
work in the mechanics of your newspaper. This, in turn, limits the
time we have to prepare feature stories, ads, photographs and other
elements of the paper.
The paper is printed in the early afternoon on Wednesday. In order to
label, bundle and bring it to the Post Office by mid-afternoon, we
encourage all items to be submitted prior to the deadline.
Copy received after the deadline is handled on a space-available
basis.
We want your news, but we need it soon enough that it may be printed
while is still is news.
- Contact Information
Telephone
- (308)647-5158 * (866)
966-6870
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- Fax
- (308) 647-6953
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Mailing address
- 113 C Street
- P. O. Box 640
Gibbon, NE 68840
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