Submission Information

Use the links below to make the following submissions online: Birth Announcement Obituary Submission Wedding Announcement Engagement Announcement PHOTO POLICY Daily Union reporter-photographers are available for photos on a first-come, first-served basis. Whenever possible, please call at least several days to a week ahead of time to schedule a photo, preferably for the afternoon. Have a press release with pertinent information about the photo topic (who, what, where, when and why and contact person's name and phone number) prepared to give the photographer. If a photographer is not available, you may submit for publication a high-quality photograph (set digital cameras on highest resolution possible so, for instance, a horizontal, 3-column photo is 6.5 inches wide at 200 pixels per inch). Include caption information and a contact person's name and telephone number. Photographs for special day/week/month observances and proclamation signings will be printed for non-profit organizations only. (We suggest an action photo rather than "grip-and-grin" picture of, say, sitting at a desk.) BUSINESS The Daily Union publishes a "Business Buzz" page each Tuesday that is devoted to news such as promotions, groundbreakings and ribbon cuttings of new businesses and industries, major anniversaries for existing businesses, awards, retirements, in-house recognitions, new products, etc. Articles might be placed elsewhere in the paper depending on timeliness, news value and space. New businesses may submit a photo and news release for publication on the business page. When available, Union staff will take a "First Dollar of Clear Profit" or new member photo when a business joins the local chamber of commerce. Photos of in-house/in-store promotions such as grand-opening drawing winners or holiday open houses are paid advertisements. A brief news item listing the winners may be submitted for publication free of charge. However, newsworthy promotions carrying very broad reader interest might be covered as a news event at the discretion of the editor. Announcements about entertainers, classes or special events and promotions being offered by a private business also are paid advertisements, as are news articles accompanied by specific instructions regarding style, border, placement or date of publication. CONTRIBUTIONS The Daily Union will print photos of business contributions of $500 or more given to nonprofit or charitable organizations and government institutions. Donations of a lower monetary amount or value will be reported as a news item without a photo. The exception is for non-profit/civic organizations and youth organizations/school groups donating to a charitable cause. Then, the minimum donation amounts eligible for a photo are $250 and $50, respectively. Charitable, non-profit, youth and civic organizations may have a publicity photo taken prior to a fund-raising event. SOCIETY The Social Calendar pages welcome announcements and photographs of engagements, weddings, milestone anniversaries of 25 years or more, organization news and community happenings. Include a daytime phone number contact on photo information. After publication, photos may be picked up at the office or can be mailed if a name and address are included on the back of the photo. The Union itself will snap a photo marking milestone birthdays for centenarians (100 years) and above, as staff availability allows. Persons may submit a photo for an 80-year or older birthday. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR The Daily Union considers its letters to the editor column to be a very important public forum. We make every effort to publish all letters, with those from persons in our readership area taking precedence. However, letters must conform to some guidelines. The Daily Union does not publish letters that contain personal attacks or inappropriate/questionable language or content. We strongly encourage writers who do have a personal complaint about a business, individual or organization to relay their concerns to the source instead of - or at least prior to - voicing them in a letter to the editor. In most cases, it is more appropriate to air those type of issues privately instead of publicly so that the subject may respond and the concerns may be addressed. We also, as a rule, do not publish unsigned letters. There is one exception: The writer must show an extremely compelling reason for needing to remain anonymous. The written request to have your "name withheld" must accompany the letter. All letters to the editor must be limited to a maximum two pages double spaced and contain a signature, address and telephone number so the editor may contact the writer if there is a question or concern. While we try to print as many letters to the editor as possible, writers must be aware that their publication is at the editor's discretion. Timeliness, space constraints and the number of letters a particular writer submits in a month are three of the factors considered.