Learn how to contribute

to The Oakland Press

How will this help you

Have you ever wondered how to get information in the newspaper? Are you a business owner, public relations professional or volunteer who wants to get events/business information featured in the newspaper? Do you regularly come across things you think are newsworthy and then, never see it in the paper? Do you have a son or daughter who has accomplished something in school, won an award or is in an organization, such as Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts, that you wish would be recognized in the paper? Do you ever passed by a car accident and wondered what happened? Are you looking to get into the journalism field and want experience?

This workshop will teach you what to do!

How this helps us

We need you to be the eyes and

ears of Michigan After a focus group, we learned that several readers wish there was more "happy news" in the paper. When you hear of story ideas in your community, tell us! We do not have enough staff here to give all local communities the coverage they deserve.

How to submit a calendar item

Who: Pontiac Kiwanis Club What: Chicken barbecue Where: Pontiac Lake Park When: 5 p.m. June 26 Why: Fundraiser Example: The Pontiac Kiwanis Club will hold a chicken barbecue fundraiser 5 p.m. June 26 at Pontiac Lake Park, 7800 Gale Road, in Waterford. Call 248-666-1020.

Online calendar submission

Visit http://events.heritage.com, http://events.theoaklandpress.c om, http://events.macombdaily.com , http://events.themorningsun.co m, http://events.dailytribune.com Add your event

Events home page

Event detail page

Print calendar submission

Email print submissions to asmith@heritage.com.com two weeks in advance of event. Items are not guaranteed to get printed due to space constraints, so make sure to submit online, as well.

How to submit a press release or story

If your press release is written like a newspaper article, it is more likely to be printed. Do not give your opinion in the press release. And do not say how "wonderful" your organization is...unless, of course, you are using a quote. Also NEVER send a press release in a pdf. Editors and reporters hate this. o With pdfs, we can't copy and paste a story. And, when we have other press releases ready to print as it is, we are more likely to use those. After sending a press release, call the editor or reporter to follow-up. o I have about 2,000 emails in my inbox. So, when I get a call about a press release, I won't overlook it. Send a photograph with your press release if possible. And MAKE SURE to include the names of the people who are in the picture

Examples of community contributed stories

Writing a lede
Lede = the first sentence of your story Lede should be direct, to the point Use short sentences in story and eliminate unnecessary words (no flowery language, this is not a novel).

Summary ledes
Who, what, where and why Tells or summarizes the facts of the story; the most
important information Used most often with stories written in inverted pyramid style Create interest and indicate importance of story Give information quickly Helpful to audience who skims

Why is the lede so important?

Readers have a short attention span. If your first sentence isn't interesting, they won't continue reading. Put MOST IMPORTANT early on. Readers should not have to hunt for the

What information is most important?

Police chief John Jones discussed the citys crime
problem with interested townspeople at a meeting Monday night. Jones agreed to meet with residents who have grown increasingly concerned about the safety of their neighborhoods. The chief said more serious crimes were reported here in the last 12 months than during any year in the citys history.

Try to write a summary lede

Utica Boosters Club gave annual awards at banquet Friday night Jose Flores, president of club, presided Charles Becker, former mayor, named Man of the Year For work with the clubs youth program Sam Smith, owner of Smiths Grocery at 1100 S. Main, received Best Booster award for attending all meetings of the year

Possible ledes

The Utica Boosters Club named former mayor Charles Becker its Man of the Year at its annual awards dinner on Friday. The Utica Boosters Club honored former Mayor Charles Becker as its Man of the Year for his work with the clubs youth during its awards dinner on Friday.

ALWAYS USE THIRD PERSON

NEVER EVER USE FIRST PERSON!
Incorrect:
Larry Norman, vice president for enrollment services, said enrollment at our school increased in 2005. Correct: Larry Norman, vice president for enrollment services, said enrollment at Rochester College increased in 2005.

Never put in your opinion

A journalist's job is to
give people all the facts and every side of the story, and let people decide for themselves!

Journalists needs to be
in the middle!

Use "said"

Use quotes whenever you want to use opinion ATTRIBUTE to someone within your organization "Said" is a neutral word use repeatedly Never write, "she exclaimed," "he cried," "she whispered" Can say "he said with tears in his eyes" Put quotes when writing word-for-word what someone said.

Who to contact

To get a press release in the paper or to submit a news tip, contact: o editor@a2journal.com o editor@salinereporter.com o editor@milannews.com o editor@chelseastandard.com o editor@dexterleader.com o editor@manchesterenterprise.com o editor@bellevilleview.com o editor@ypsilanticourier.com

Contributing commentary
We welcome letters to the editor and guest columns. Keep a letter under 250 words. Guest editorials should be under 650 words with an accompanying mug shot of the writer. Submit on http://www.heritagenews.com/lettertoeditor/

Letters and guest opinions should offer commentary on issues in the news whether they be local or national; an exception is when an organization reaches out to raise awareness of a cause or event that has a substantial impact on the community. Letters can be written from the heart while lengthier guest opinions are typically more fact-based.

To send breaking news

If you see an accident while driving, you pass by a fire, you hear about a theft, etc. call our news tip line at 734-429-7380 Add this phone number into your contacts

Examples of breaking news

Car accident Fire Theft (or anything police related) School evacuations Missing person Missing animal

Take a photo
Rule #1: Be safe. Don't take a photo while driving.

If you see an accident or fire and your phone is on you, snap a photo If there are people in the picture, make sure to include their names and the community where they reside Include your name so we can give you credit for the picture

Join us on Tout
15-second videos 120-character limit Youre your caption like a Tweet with @mentions and #hashtags (add @TheOaklandPress at end of each Tout) Film in landscape mode

Record in the field or from your desktop

Promote your event, share breaking news or slice of life Retout, share on Twitter, share on Facebook, via text or email.

http://www.tout.com/u/idealabheritage

Easy to get started

YouTube
Create a video, upload it to your YouTube channel and share the embed code or link with us. A video can complement your preview story of an event or complement your coverage or ours.

Example of another blog from YouTube

For example, you may have a celebrity gossip blog and you can visually enhance it with videos from YouTube.

Livestreaming video
Its easy to livestream video of a presentation, organizations meeting, government meeting, interview or event. All you need is an Internet connection and a webcam. On uStream, your video can be recorded after the livestream and archived on your channel. You can share the embed code or video URL with us.

Community Media Lab on uStream

Community Media Labs uStream channel: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/heritage-community-media-lab

Check us out on YouTube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAnETPm4XRM&feature=share&list=PLDFh EC8gy4bu5wfsvHTSJb5sTDaplP3xX

For more information

Contact Michelle Rogers
Director of Community Engagement and Editorial Training Twitter: @DigitalJRN Email: mrogers@heritage.com Phone: 267-229-6037

Contact Monica Drake

Oakland Press Community Engagement Editor Twitter: @monica_adele Email: monica.drake@oakpress.com Phone: 248-996-2824