Our sister paper, The Hartwell Sun, recently ran an editorial informing readers that news submissions from the public are desired. The Sun offered their readers tips on what to send and how to send it.
We, too, rely on articles and news leads from our readers. We want your photos and press releases, as well as your ideas for feature stories.
We have a small staff and try as we might, we can't be everywhere. Breaking news happens in the wee hours of the night, during holidays and on the weekends. In spite of our best efforts we need more eyes on the ground. That's where you, dear readers, come in.
What is newsworthy?
If your organization is having a fundraiser, awarded scholarships, elected officers, has scheduled a prominent guest speaker or recognized individuals for their contributions we want to know.
If your historic church is celebrating a milestone anniversary or welcoming a new religious leader, that's worth mentioning.
We list free events, charitable events or events by nonprofits in our community calendar. These items are run on a space available basis.
We want to spotlight our children and youth. They are our community's future, so we want to give them center stage whenever possible. If a young person has attained Eagle Scout, or advanced in some other positive way, let us know.
You can always call or email the managing editor if you're not sure. The office phone is 706-865-4718 and the email is editor@whitecountynews.net. When you email or call us for any reason – be it news, ads or for a subscription – please leave your name and a return phone number. Letters to the editor, whether emailed or hand delivered, must also include the letter writer's town of residence, such as Cleveland, Helen or Sautee Nacoochee.
Include photos
The old adage “A picture is worth a thousand words,” is true. Photos with a caption can sometimes tell as much or more about a person or place than can a lengthy paragraph without an image.
Please send photos in jpg format to editor@whitecountynews.net. If a photo is too dark or out of focus, we will not be able to run it. Identify the person or people in the photo. Provide first and last names, from left to right if there are several individuals, and include a brief sentence about what is happening.
Be aware of deadlines
If you want an event to go in the calendar or want to share time-sensitive news, be aware that we are a weekly newspaper. Deadlines keep us on track with our company's press schedule, and ensure we can get the paper out on time. The White County News publishes on Thursday.
Our deadlines are:
- 5 p.m. Monday for community and faith calendars, letters to the editor and news items.
- 10 a.m. Tuesday for classified ads.
- Noon Tuesday for obituaries.
- 5 p.m. Friday for legal ads.
We look forward to hearing from you!