The Houston Chronicle editorial staff receives
hundreds of requests for stories and event
announcements every day. Because space in
the newspaper is limited, our editors must prioritize
which items to include. Although we can never
guarantee the inclusion of any item, we try to dedicate
as much space as possible to newsworthy events in the
community, in our printed product and on the Web at
chron.com. Chron.com is also a portal through which
members of the community can post information and
photographs on various neighborhood and specificinterest
pages, as well as read and participate in blogs
with other readers and with Chronicle reporters.
These are just some of the ways we can be a truly
useful information source for Houstonians every day
of the week.
The timeliness of information and its potential
interest to the Chronicle’s broad readership are our
editors’ major criteria in determining what to publish.
Unusually interesting or significant news presented
to the appropriate editor in a concise, complete
format has the best chance of being included in the
newspaper and on chron.com.
This guide can assist you in telling us about your
news, event or story. It contains tips on how to
present your information and where to send it.
Working together, the Houston Chronicle and its
readers can continue to serve the Houston community
by providing the most complete, relevant and accurate
news coverage available.
Getting Your Story into the
Houston Chronicle
In the following pages, you'll find a list of topics and the editors who oversee them. Once you have scanned the topics and have determined the editor most appropriate for your news, address your information directly to that editor. Phone calls are accepted when time is a factor, but information received by fax, mail or e-mail is preferred.
Address:
Attn: ________________________ Editor
Houston Chronicle
P.O. Box 4260
Houston, Texas 77210-4260 |
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Written news releases are the basic tools used to communicate to
newspaper professionals. Timely releases that are newsworthy,
accurate, clear, brief and direct have the best chance of being
adapted for publication. We cannot promise that submissions will
be published — some issues are more newsworthy or timely than
others. However, if you don’t succeed with one news tip or story
idea, try us again.
A news release should include all the major facts about your story,
written in descending order of importance — the major facts at the
top. Above all, make sure you have included the “five Ws and an
H” — WHO is involved, WHAT is going on, WHEN (time and
day) and WHERE it will happen, WHY it’s happening and HOW
it will take place.
Your release should also contain the following elements:
Identification
The name and address of the sending organization should be
plainly identified.
Contact
Give the name of the person who can supply more information if
needed, and phone numbers where that person can be reached,
both day and evening. Phone numbers are the most commonly
missing element from press releases, which means the material
cannot be listed in ZEST, Preview or the Saturday Star section.
Release date
Let the editor know if your information can be released as soon
as it’s received, or if it should be held for a later date. The more
flexible you are with release dates, the greater the likelihood it can
be published.
Photos
Mailing or e-mailing a visually interesting photo with your news
release is acceptable. All photos should include your name and
contact information.
Photos can be either black-and-white or color — glossy finishes are
preferred. Photos sent by e-mail should be at least 200 dpi in JPEG
format.
A complete caption identifying the action and participants — from
left to right, including first and last names, as well as business titles
if relevant to the story — should be taped to the back of the photo
or included in the e-mail. Photos are not returnable. Please include
your name and contact information.
To report breaking news to the Photo department, please call
713-362-7445.
Note
If you plan to send your release to more than one Houston Chronicle editor, it is a good idea to let each one know where the other copies are being sent.
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