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Want to submit? Find out how

Contact the Editor

410-278-1150 - adriane.c.foss.civ@mail.mil

The APG News is your community newspaper.

As such, we welcome your input. We are devoted to making this publication one of the most accurate, informative, and credible newspapers throughout the Department of Defense. As family members, civilians, contractors, and service members, you deserve the most complete coverage available.

In order to provide this coverage, we rely on you - our readers - to keep us informed about the activities of your organizations, units, schools, and neighborhoods.

We welcome story ideas, feedback, and submissions. I say submissions because despite our desire to publish what's most important to you, it is impossible for us to cover every event.

So, in order to help you to help us, we have provided the following simple guidelines:

Story ideas, feedback, and submissions can be submitted directly to the editor, Adriane Foss, at editor-apg@conus.army.mil or by calling 410-278-1150 / DSN 298-1150.

Please include contact information so that we can reach you with questions or to clarify information. If you are submitting a story idea, state why you think the topic is important to our readership.

Copy preparation

Items should be double-spaced, in upper and lowercase letters (not all capital letters), and submitted via e-mail in a Word, or comparable, document.

Use civilian-style dates, times, and street addresses. If a facility has no street name, use the abbreviation "Bldg." and the number.

Always include first names when identifying individuals. Don't use courtesy titles such as Mr., Miss., Mrs., or Ms. After using a person's full name, all references to that person thereafter should be by last name only, regardless of rank or position of authority.

Articles are due Thursdays - seven days before publication - by 5 p.m. It is distributed on Thursdays. The next issue will come out Dec. 2. That means submissions must be in by noon Thursday, Nov. 25. In order to fulfill our contractual obligations, we must meet the deadlines of our civilian enterprise publisher.

Community Notes are due Fridays - six days before publication - by noon. Community Notes are a listing of just some of the many events and activities going on in the surrounding community.

Post Shorts are due Fridays - six days before publication - by noon. Post Shorts are briefs that inform readers of what's happening on the installation. The Shorts include everything from traffic and construction updates to facility hours and offerings by on-post agencies. In addition, the Family and MWR section lists MWR events and specials.

Standalone Photos - Fridays - six days before publication - by noon. Standalone photos are a great way for us to capture or publicize an event when we are unable to write an article. Photos are attention grabbers, and sometimes a more effective way to get your message out. When submitting photos, please include caption information. This includes identification (full name, title and unit or organization). To run a submitted photo of a child, we must have written consent from a parent or guardian. Caption info for children should include identification, age and name them as the son or daughter of [service member or civilian parent's name here]. For all photos, include the name of the photographer so we can give them photo credit.

Fliers: We generally do not run fliers. Please send the information you wish to have published in full-sentence format so we can include it in the Community Notes or Post Shorts sections. Whether or not we publish announcements is based on available space and priority (Does one event take place before another? Can an announcement be held one weekly and still remain timely? Has the announcement run several weeks in a row?). However, do not hesitate to e-mail the editor to find out why an announcement has not been published.

Types of stories needed

If you want to write a story, e-mail or call the editor prior to writing it. The editor will discuss the idea with you and may suggest an angle more suited to the paper's needs.

The APG News is interested in stories about people - how they do their jobs, their hobbies, their families, their traditions, their plans - any aspects that readers would find interesting. Testing, Training and Transformation are important to Aberdeen Proving Ground, but the people who develop training and live the transformation are more interesting to our readers.

If you want the APG News to cover a story, let us know. The APG News boasts an experienced and award-winning staff that is always interested in good ideas.

Several organizations at Aberdeen Proving Ground have their own public affairs personnel, who can be contacted directly before calling the APG News. They include:

Even when the APG News staff cannot cover an event, write-ups and photos of the event from outside sources are welcome. Be sure to attach the name and phone number of someone who'll serve as a source of information.

The APG News does not send reporters to cover most parties, dinners, dances, teas, clubs or organization elections, most award presentations, promotions, or check presentations. Army Regulation 360-81, which governs the operation of DA newspapers, points out that covering such events is not the function of the command information newspaper or the Public Affairs Office. The staff is interested in doing stories not on the award ceremony or check presentation, but why a person earned an award, or why a check is being presented. The paper will print the results of elections, or lists of award winners, when submitted.

Please realize that submission does not guarantee printing. Some stories may be more suitable for the APG News homepage or one of the installation's social media sites.

Letters to the Editor

Letters to the editor are welcome and will be published, as possible, along with a response from the appropriate agency.

We can publish anonymous letters, but name and contact info must be provided to the editor to confirm it is a valid letter to the editor. The contact info will not be printed or provided to anyone other than the newspaper staff.

Photos

The APG News staff uses jpg digital format photos for all its photo requirements, and prefers all submissions to be in this form.

If you don't have a digital image, submit a hard copy. The editor will look it over.

If you need advice on shooting photos for the paper, contact us.

Upon request, photos used by the APG News will be returned. Write your contact information on the back of the photograph, and allow one week for the return of the items from the printer.

Editing and style

All written submissions to the APG News become the property of the APG News.

The APG News reserves the right to edit items submitted to the paper for printing.

The APG News uses Associated Press style, the same as all major U.S. and international civilian newspapers. It's also the style used by TRADOC News Service, Army News Service, and DoD's American Forces Press Service.

The APG News adheres to AP style for military rank.

Stringers

These are volunteer representatives who want to write about the goings-on in the various post units, organizations, schools, housing areas, and directorates. We provide the byline, and the volunteer earns instant recognition. If registered with the Army Volunteer Corps, the stringer earns volunteer hours.

Unit commanders and directorate heads who want information on setting up stringers for their units, or individuals who want to volunteer, should call 410-278-1150 / DSN 298-1150.

Corrections

Verified errors will be corrected, along with a brief explanation of why they were made, in the next edition of the APG News.

Corrections will generally run in the Post Shorts section of the paper.

Complaints or comments

If you have complaints, comments, or questions about something that appeared in the APG News, or about the paper in general, contact the editor at 410-278-1150 / DSN 298-1150.

APG News Web site

The Web site address for the APG News is www.apgnews.apg.army.mil.

Web site design and maintenance is performed by Homestead Publishing contractor Nick Pentz. For site concerns, contact the editor at 410-278-1146, or e-mail npentz@apgnews.com



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