Get News Published - Capital Gazette Guide

Capital Gazette
Guide
How to get
your news published
Capital Gazette Communications
2000 Capital Drive, Annapolis, MD 21401
(410) 268-5000
www.capitalgazette.com
facebook.com/capitalgazette
twitter.com/capgaznews
The Capital, published for more than 100 years, and the Maryland Gazette for
more than 250 years, brings the news to readers in Anne Arundel County and parts
of Queen Anne’s County. We are still working to improve our coverage of what’s
happening in the area.
To do a thorough job, we need your help. As members of local clubs, organizations,
agencies and businesses, you are the real “newsmakers” and our best sources of
information.
We print your news and feature it on our website for several reasons – in inform
our readers, so they can attend your events, donate to your causes or even join in
working with you; and to support and assist in your activities, which are a vital
park of life in our community.
Only through publicity can you and the public reach one another. Our job is to
accomplish this with timely, accurate and interesting stories.
This booklet is designed to help you to understand the news-gathering process and
your role in it. We hope this information will make your job easier. We know if will
help us if it helps you.
Pat Richardson is publisher of Capital Gazette Communications.
Pat can be reached at prichardson@capgaznews.com or 410-280-5951.
Steve Gunn is editor of Capital Gazette Communications. Steve can be reached at
sgunn@capgaznews.com or 410-280-5951.
Marty Padden is advertising director of Capital Gazette Communications. Marty can be
reached at mpadden@capgaznews.com or 443-482-3154.
The Capital
America’s Oldest Newspaper Publishers Capital-Gazette Communications
Founded 1727 2000 Capital Drive, Annapolis, MD 21401 410-268-5000
www.capitalgazette.com
Maryland Gazette Crofton-West County Gazette Bowie Blade-News Capital Style Magazine
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Table of Contents
Business
5
Community News
6
Community Correspondent Bios
9
Entertainment
12
History of the Paper
21
Home of the Week
15
Breaking News
4
Lifestyle
14
Photo
16
Sports
20
Teen of the Week
11
18th Century Screw Press
3
See breaking news?
Sometimes you might see a breaking news story, such as a major traffic
incident. Let us know about by emailing us at tips@capgaznews.com. Tell us
everything you know about what you saw.
If you shoot a news or feature photo in a breaking news situation -- say, a
photo involving weather -- we'd love to see it. Send it
to photos@capgaznews.com.
Note: We do not pay for photos or tips submitted by our readers. We will
include your name in the paper to credit for your photos.
And, it should go without saying, do not ever put yourself in an unsafe
situation to get a photo or news tip.
Link to the Submit News
http://www.capitalgazette.com/forms/cg-submit-news-to-capital-gazette20140714,0,7253899.htmlstory
Key News Contacts
David Marsters, Online Editor, has been with Capital Gazette since 2008, first as a news
copy editor/page designer and then moving to online in 2013
David can be reached at 443-482-3146 or dmarsters@capgaznews.com
Jimmy DeButts is City Editor. He joined The Capital in March 2012.
Jimmy can be reached at 410-280-5915 or jdebutts@capgaznews.com Twitter - @jd3217
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Getting your news into the Business Section
Each week, the business section appears on Sundays and Tuesdays. There are several ways to get into the
business section - the calendar, the Marketplace column, Newsmakers/People and Inside Business. (Pictures
are especially important to us!)
The Business Calendar - This is a series of business-related events going on in the region. It runs in the
Sunday section and announces events for the upcoming week. You can submit your event online via
www.capitalgazette.com/calendar and click on Business Calendar. Questions can be directed to
calendar@capgaznews.com. Please submit the items you’d like to appear in that Sunday’s paper by 9 a.m.
on Thursday mornings.
Marketplace - This is a column that also appears on Sundays announcing the openings/closings and various
happenings in the business community. If your business is expanding, opening an additional location,
offering a unique service, we’d like to know about it. Please call or send me an email about it and emailed
photos* would be greatly appreciated.
Newsmakers, People - On Sundays, the section has a People column that lists new hires and promotions. On
Tuesdays, there is a Newsmakers column that details awards, certifications and training. Please shoot me an
email about these items and attach a photo* - headshots are fine - if you can.
Inside Business - On Tuesdays, we run our Inside Business column. This is set up in a question and answer
format with a local business owner. The goal is to feature business owners who can tell their stories about
how they got to where they are and have advice to share with other entrepreneurs. If you think you are a
candidate - or know of one - please contact me.
Outside of these opportunities, I’m always interested in hearing about what you think would make a good
business story for our readers. Please call me, Tweet me, or email me and I’ll see what I can do. Thanks!
*On photos: The photo department asks that you submit photos as an attachment with a resolution
minimum of 180 dpi (dots per inch or pixels per inch) at at least 1MB, minimum size of 5” x 7” in .JPEG
file format. Please include a brief caption identifying the subjects in the picture and the photographer.
Shanteé Woodards, Business reporter/editor has been with The Capital since 2005 and
now handles the newspaper's business coverage. She can be reached via phone (410-2805933), email (swoodards@capgaznews.com) or Twitter (@woo_sha).
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Sharing your Community News
Capital Gazette Newspapers are community-focused papers. We write about local news and the
names and faces behind the events and achievements of Anne Arundel County. We have both
staff members & freelance community correspondents who do this for us.
WHO COVERS YOUR AREA
Each community in the county has its own history. For that reason, we are proud to have
correspondents for 14 different communities.
These are the people who write our community news.
Wendi Winters, “Around Broadneck”
Marguerite Bowling “Around Crofton”
Sharon Lee Tegler, “Around the Park”
Jerri Anne Hopkins, “Around South County”
Debra Shafer “Around West County” (Odenton and Gambrills)
The community correspondents in the Maryland Gazette are:
Christopher Tyler, “Brooklyn Park”
Amy Laque, “Glen Burnie East”
Kathleen Shatt, “Glen Burnie West”
Phil Turner, “Linthicum”
Kelley Lemons, “Pasadena”
Susan Downey, “Olde Mill/Millersville”
Atalie Day Brown, “West County” (Hanover, Harmans, Jessup and Severn)
Debra Shafer’s column also appears in the Maryland Gazette and the Crofton West County
Gazette as “Odenton/Gambrills”. Jennifer Ginn’s column also appears in the Crofton West
County Gazette.
“Fort Meade” is written by the Fort George G. Meade Public Affairs Office and is published in
all three publications.
People can submit news for each of these communities by contacting the correspondent directly.
The contact information for each is included in this packet.
If in doubt, just email communitynews@capgaznews.com.
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WHERE COMMUNITY NEWS RUNS IN THE PAPER
Each publication also offers other features for announcing news or to promote a nonprofit event.
The Capital
“Senior Announcements” Runs on Sundays.
“Health Announcements” Runs on Sundays.
“Entertainment Announcements” runs on Wednesdays.
“Family Announcements” runs on Thursdays, often under “School Digest”
“Calendar” runs daily.
“Club Notes” includes club meetings or events held Saturday to the following Saturday. Some
may run Friday and some on either Saturday or Sunday, and at times all of the Club Notes may
run on only one of those days.
“Announcements” (general in nature), “School Notes” and “Military Notes” are “run of paper,”
meaning we run them when space allows. These also can include Senior Announcements,
Health Announcements, Entertainment Announcements and Family Announcements. They
typically run only once prior to an event. Special church services or church programs run on
Saturdays on our "Religion News" page. They include these special services and programs that
are held that Saturday to the following Saturday. They do not include regular weekly church
services. All submissions must be by email.
My Time and Capital Camera photos feature community events appear in print as well as online.
The Maryland Gazette
The Maryland Gazette is published Wednesdays and Saturdays. We tend to publish most
announcements for events through our community correspondents’ columns. But we do have
features that run on a regular basis to meet needs the columns can’t.
“Community Digest” runs Wednesdays and Saturdays in the Neighbors pages. These are
typically events and announcements just outside the Maryland Gazette’s delivery area or have a
message that is of interest to all the readers but is not able to be geographically pinned down to
one of the correspondents’ coverage areas.
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Crofton-West County Gazette
CWCG is published on Thursdays. It includes “Calendar”, “Announcements” and “School Notes.”
SUBMITTING YOUR NEWS
All community news and photos must be submitted by email.
Before we start explaining how to submit news, we want you to know there are people who are ready
to help you - Elyzabeth Marcussen, our community news editor, and Cheryl Michi, our community
news editorial assistant. You can reach Elyzabeth at emarcussen@capgaznews.com or 410-2805964 or Cheryl at cmichi@capgaznews.com or 443-482-3133
Submitting your news and events is easy. You only need this email address to submit almost
everything - communitynews@capgaznews.com. We just want you to answer the same questions
reporters seek to have answered: Who, What, Where, When and Why. Who is sponsoring this event
or who is the person being celebrated? What is this we’re telling people about? Where and when is it
taking place or where and when did it happen? Why is this event taking place or why is this person
so special?
But we also need “How?” answered. How do we get tickets? How can we find more information?
And you must include your daytime phone number in case we need to verify the submission.
Type that up in a text document or in the text of an email and send it to us
at communitynews@capgaznews.com. We need to see it at least two weeks before the event takes
place or two weeks before any deadlines occur that are attached to the event. Please do not send a
notice the day before or even a few days prior to an event and expect it to get in the paper. When
submitting to correspondents, you may want to inquire if their deadlines are different.
If it is “good news” that already happened, please don’t wait until it’s “old” and no longer “news”.
Shoot us an email saying something like “My mother just won a prestigious award” or what have you
and then we’ll ask the questions and figure out how to share the news for you.
Elyzabeth Marcussen, the community news editor for Capital Gazette Newspapers, started with
the company as the Maryland Gazette's Pasadena correspondent in 2005. A married mom of two
who has lived in the county since 2002. You can reach her at emarcussen@capgaznews.com or 410280-5964.
Cheryl Michi has worked for seven years as an editorial assistant in Community News at The
Capital. She is the mother of a college student, has been a resident of Calvert County since 2001,
and prior to The Capital worked in advertising, publishing, public and commercial television and
even the dental industry . You can reach her at cmichi@capgaznews.com or 443-482-3133.
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Community Correspondent Bios
Marguerite Bowling- Crofton, The Capital
Marquerite can be reached at aroundcrofton@gmail.com.
Marquerite Bowling – Marguerite is a Crofton resident with a journalism and PR background as
well as a keen interest in the growing business world around Crofton.
Jerri Anne Hopkins - South County, The Capital
Email South County community news to Jerri at wordspix@comcast.net.
Jerri Anne Hopkins - Born in Annapolis, raised in Edgewater, she is single and resides with two
cats.
Debra Shafer – Odenton/Gambrills - Maryland Gazette, Crofton West County Gazette; and
Around West County, The Capital
Send your news to Debra Shafer at westcountynews@gmail.com. Follow her on Twitter
@Debra_Shafer.
Debra Shafer is an Odenton resident since 2002 who has been writing for the paper four years.
Sharon Lee Tegler - Severna Park, The Capital
Email her your Severna Park news at wingsorb@aol.com or follow her on Twitter
at www.twitter.com/SharonLeeSays.
Sharon Lee Tegler – Originally a publicist for aviation and broadcast enterprises, Sharon Lee
Tegler gradually transitioned to photography and writing.
Wendi Winters - Arnold, ZIP code 21409 and Broadneck Peninsula, The Capital plus Teen of
the Week, Home of the Week and Community News
Wendi can be contacted at 443-482-3149 or wwinters@capgaznews.com. Follow her on Twitter at
@wendiwinters, or on Facebook or LinkedIn.
Wendi Winters is a Capital staff writer, and writes the Around Broadneck column.
Atalie Day Brown – West County, Maryland Gazette
To submit news items for Severn, Hanover, Jessup and Harmans, and for schools on Fort George
G. Meade, contact Atalie Day Brown at adbrownmdgazette@gmail.com or 301-697-1307.
She is a photojournalist and writer with a passion for documenting and photographing the people
of West County for their many accomplishments.
Susan Downey – Olde Mill/Millersville, Maryland Gazette
To submit news for Millersville and Crownsville for contact Susan Downey at 410-9756869 orsuedowney7@gmail.com.
She is the mother of five and is active in local sports and school activities.
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Amy Laque – Glen Burnie East, Maryland Gazette
Clubs and organizations in the 21060 ZIP code can contact Amy Laque at 443-9246440 orMDGazetteAmy@gmail.com. Follow her on Twitter @GlenBurnieEast.
She is a 30-something mother of four with a penchant for reading, writing and photography.
Kelley Lemons - Pasadena, Maryland Gazette
Contact Kelley Lemons at 410-439-4241 or kelleylemons@verizon.net. Follow her on Twitter
@KelleyLemons
Kelley Lemons and her husband are raising three children in Pasadena - she chronicles their life
through photographs and hopes to complete a scrapbook for each child.
Kathleen Shatt - Glen Burnie West, Maryland Gazette
Clubs and organizations in the 21061 ZIP code area can call Kathleen Shatt at 410-766-8547, fax her
at 410-766-1520 or email kasmgfern@hotmail.com.
Friends and neighbors have watched Kathy Shatt’s family grow up in the years she has written the
Ferndale and now Glen Burnie West columns.
Phil Turner - Linthicum, Maryland Gazette
Contact Phil Turner at turner595@gmail.com or 410-599-8568.
Phil Turner is an English teacher, cross country and track coach at Mount St. Joseph High School.
Christopher Tyler – Brooklyn Park, Maryland Gazette
To submit news items for Brooklyn Park or Pumphrey, contact Christopher Tyler
at Christyler723@aol.com or 410-761-8560.
He is an innovative professional with 15-plus years of writing experience, including work with the
National Archives, as both an editor and writer.
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Community Calendar Submissions for online
Go to www.capitalgazette.com/calendar. Click on the blue button that says “Post your
event” and follow the directions.
TIP – We find this works best in a browser such as Chrome or Firefox.
How to nominate a “Teen of the Week” in The Capital
To nominate a “teen of the week”, send the teen’s cell phone, home phone and email address to
Wendi Winters at wwinters@capgaznews.com. Please include a paragraph or two describing why
you think this teen should be a Teen of the Week. Include your relationship to the teen: teacher,
coach, parent, sibling, friend, etc.
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ENTERTAINMENT AND LIFESTYLE SUBMISSIONS
Entertainment guide in Thursday’s The Capital
For more than 35 years, The Capital has published its Entertainment guide, a tabloid that is inserted
in the Thursday paper. The content includes a cover story, a dining out review, Top Billing, the Music
Box and the Out & About columns, Coming up, What’s Happening, a movie review or two and
movie listings, and listings for art, music, theater and bands performing at local venues.
Here is a brief overview of each:
Cover story: A number of cover stories run year after year as they provide readers with the latest
information on key events or details on an upcoming performing arts season. Events include the
Fourth of July, New Year’s Eve, Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day and Eastport A Rockin’ among
others. We also provide annual guides to indoor concerts, outdoor concerts and free summertime
concerts, along with guides to the musical performing arts season and the theatrical arts season. In
alternating springs, we offer the latest on where to find the best brunch and the best breakfast.
Generally, cover stories are chosen for their appeal to a majority of our readers or an event that
typically draws 1,000 or more people.
Dining out reviews: We have three dining critics, Terra Walters, Rick Wade and Janice Gary. We
strive to review restaurants every two years, but in recent years it sometimes has been taking longer
than that due to the tremendous growth in the restaurant industry here. Non-chain restaurants get
greater priority, and we generally only review restaurants where you can order, sit down and dine
using real knives, forks and spoons (as opposed to plastic plates and utensils). Restaurants
are not notified a critic will be visiting, but our critics can ask the chef, manager or staff questions
upon completion of the meal or by phone after they have left.
Top Billing: Like the cover story, we are looking for events that have a broad appeal. These are
selected by the Entertainment editor.
Music Box column: Written by freelancer Michael Buckley, this column previews concerts in the
metro area within the next week, along with occasional tips on buying tickets to popular concerts.
Contact Michael at: voicesofthebay@aol.com.
Out and About: Written by freelancer Jessica Pachler, this column previews performances by
musicians in local venues, along with an array of things to do in the area this weekend and the week
ahead. Contact Jessica at: outandabout@pachler.us.
Coming up: This appears on the inside back page of the Entertainment guide and is basically a
condensed calendar of interesting things to do this week and in the weeks ahead. The content is
chosen by the Entertainment editor.
What’s happening: This listing provides day-tripping details on events in the metro area as well as
the Eastern Shore and the resort beaches.
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Movie review and movie listings: Most of the reviews are provided by The Associated Press, while
the listings are compiled by our staff.
Art listings: Visual arts for galleries in our circulation area are listed in three categories: Those that
are Opening, Ongoing within the next month or so and those shows that are Ending (in case you’d
still like to see the exhibit).
Music listings: Solo performances and concerts here and in the greater metro area.
Theater listings: Performances here and in the metro area.
Barbands: Otherwise known as Behind the Microphones, these list musicians and bands on stage at
only local bars and restaurants.
Who to contact: Here’s where to send items:
For Music Listings and Behind the Microphones: Susan Zdura: szdura@capgaznews.com.
For Art, Theater and What’s Happening: Entertainment editor Brian
Henley:bhenley@capgaznews.com.
You also can email Brian requests for reviews of a particular restaurant and listings in What’s
Happening. Requests for consideration as a cover story or for Top Billing or Coming Up also can be
addressed to Brian. He also welcomes your entertainment story ideas.
So, what does the Entertainment guide not include? Previews of plays (those are published in the
main part of the paper) and announcements of somewhat limited appeal (auditions, for example).
Another option always available to you is our user-generated online calendar. We want our online
calendar to be the best source for finding out what's going on in Annapolis and Anne Arundel County.
Go to www.capitalgazette.com/calendar to post your entertainment event.
Brian Henley is a news editor and entertainment editor for The Capital. In his 35 years at the
newspaper, he has held a variety of positions. For the last 10+ years, he has been editor of
the Entertainment guide, which is inserted in The Capital on Thursdays. Brian can be reached
at bhenley@capgaznews.com or 410-280-5909.
Teri Winslow is a feature writer who covers a wide range of topics. She also fill in as an
editor, and handles all the features department business. Features encompasses the Family and
Lifestyle pages, as well as front page stories. Teri can be reached at
twinslow@capgaznews.com or 410-280-5943.
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About entertainment news in The Capital
The Capital publishes a half-page of entertainment announcements every Wednesday (often on top of the
Television Listings). These briefs can include just about anything related to entertainment in our circulation
area -- auditions, professional and school plays, benefit concerts, concerts at churches, arts group galas and
the like.
These announcements or briefs should be just that -- brief and to the point, listing the time, the date, the
location, admission cost (if any), a short summary of the event’s highlights, and a phone number readers can
call and/or a website readers can visit for more information.
It’s always best to send these announcements by email, which then can be copied and pasted into our frontend publishing system without having to retype them. Send entertainment announcements
to: communitynews@capgaznews.com.
In the subject line of your email, provide a brief summary of the announcement, such as:
Colonial Players’ auditions May 9.
Deadline: We strive to publish as many entertainment briefs as space will allow. But we have to have them
well in advance of your event. Please email your announcement no later than two weeks prior to the event (or
two weeks prior to any reservation deadline) to ensure it runs in time to give readers adequate notice to make
plans to attend.
For questions about entertainment announcements in The Capital on Wednesdays, please email
communitynews@capgaznews.com
In addition to submitting your events for print publication, we encourage you to enter them into our usergenerated online calendar. Go to www.capitalgazette.com/calendar to post your event.
Other entertainment items published in the main part of the paper include play reviews by freelance writers,
along with stories published in our Sunday Lifestyle section (Please see the Lifestyle handout for details.).
About the Lifestyle section in The Sunday Capital
Teri Winslow is our lifestyle-features writer and she welcomes your story ideas by email or phone:
twinslow@capgaznews.com or 410-280-5943.
For features, we are looking for something most readers would find fairly interesting. Fundraisers,
typically, are not covered, unless there’s a unique spin.
Generally, we’re looking for stories to entertain and inform readers. This is could be anything from a hobby
to a club, any kind of art, or an interesting job or activity.
We don’t review school productions. However, if there’s a performer or member of the cast and crew with a
captivating backstory, a feature might come of it. When in doubt, contact Teri.
Deadlines: At least two weeks notice is helpful if you're contacting us about an event you’d like previewed.
Calls on the day of an event, or after an event, are unlikely to result in a story. All events can’t be covered,
but if there’s an interesting twist, noteworthy speaker, or unique subject, there’s a better chance a story
could result.
Those who’d like us to write about their books should have a copy sent to Teri Winslow,
The Capital, 2000 Capital Drive, Annapolis MD 21401. We can’t write about a book we haven’t seen and
we can’t write about every book -- too many come in each week to make that possible. Once we receive a
copy of the book, we’ll be in touch. We focus on local authors.
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Could your home be the next Home of the Week?
Here’s how!
All types of residences have been featured in The Capital newspaper’s Home of the Week column. This
feature has been published for over four decades and is one of the most popular, most read columns in the
paper - in print and online.
In the past, we’ve featured:
Historic Manors, Mansions and Townhomes
Farmhouses
Regular community homes
Condominiums
Apartments
Cottages
Live Aboard Cabin Cruisers and Sailboats
Thomas Point Lighthouse
A Habitat for Humanity home
A Treehouse
Dormitory Rooms at St. John’s College and The Naval Academy
The Light House and Willow House
A Plymouth Voyager inhabited by a USA Summer Olympics ‘12 team member
No home is too big, too small, too old, too new, too weird or too cozy for us to consider. We don’t “judge”
a home - and we’ve yet to see one that we didn’t enjoy touring and sharing with our readers.
To be considered for Home of the Week:
The residence must be located in the readership area of The Capital or Maryland Gazette.Homes can be
located as far East as Grasonville and Centreville, or as far south as Chesapeake Beach and North Beach.
This is very important: The home cannot be for sale or being readied for sale. Selling your residence is
not the purpose of this column - we are telling stories about homes and those who live there
The one-hour photography/interview session usually takes place on a Tuesday at 10 a.m., or Wednesday or
Thursday at 11 a.m. The photos will be taken by an award-winning member of the staff.
The Capital staff must have access to the full residence.
The homeowner or resident must be available for the interview and a photograph.
We take all of the photos that we publish.
Questions or want to be in Home of the Week? Email Wendi at wwinters@capgaznews.com .
Wendi Winters - Arnold, ZIP code 21409 and Broadneck Peninsula, The Capital plus Teen
of the Week, Home of the Week and Community News
Wendi can be contacted at 443-482-3149 or wwinters@capgaznews.com. Follow her on
Twitter at @wendiwinters, or on Facebook or LinkedIn.
Wendi Winters is a Capital staff writer, and writes the Around Broadneck column.
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Guidelines for Photo Submissions
Photos should be properly exposed, nicely composed and tightly cropped to adequately show the subject
matter. Photos containing excessive motion, or that are “soft” (blurry and out of focus), cannot be used.
Please avoid backs of heads, photos from far away and poorly composed pictures. Do not try to crowd
too many people into one photograph, no more than four or five at the very most.
Limit your submissions to one or two of your best photographs of the subject, unless absolutely
necessary. You may submit more photos of a particular event if different people are in each photo.
Photos must be submitted in the following size and format. Do not embed a photo within a document.
It must be included as an attachment:
Resolution: Minimum of 180 dpi (dots per inch or pixels per inch) or at least 1MB
.jpg (.JPEG) file format
Please send the “Original” or largest image available from a smartphone or cellphone camera.
All captions should begin with the date the photo was taken.
Then include:
1. Where the photo was taken
2. What is going on in the photo
3. Identify the people in the photo with full names, from left to right.
(Photos with more than 3 or 4 people are not as effective in print, but should include IDs.)
4. Put the age of the people if under 16.
Here's an example
6/2/2014: From left, Jim Smith, 15 (Annapolis), Joe Thomas, 12 (Severna Park) and
Kate Jones, 13 (Severna Park) enjoy the warm spring day at a picnic table in
Quiet Waters Park in Hillsmere. By Joe Smith, Correspondent
Each photo submission should include a caption like the above example. Please try to include as much
relevant information as possible.
Also, please note who at Capital Gazette requested the photograph, or to whom the picture should be
directed.
Photos that do not include complete caption information or do not meet the size and resolution
requirements may not be used.
Please submit your photos to:
photos@capgaznews.com
Thank you,
Photo Department
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Tips for Better Photographs
Each time you spot a subject, snap a shot and then move in closer for a better shot. Having your subject
almost fill the frame helps your viewer understand and appreciate your photo. Also, details are often more
interesting than an overall view. Keep moving in closer until you are sure the photo will successfully
represent your subject.
On one level or another, everyone responds better to a picture that has all elements in balance. Strive to
lead the eye along an interesting path through the photo, with the use of strong lines or patterns.
• Keep the horizon level;
• Crop out extra elements that you are not interested in.
• If possible, consciously place your subject where you think it most belongs rather than just accepting it
wherever it happens to land in the photo;
• Play with perspective so that all lines show a pattern or lead the eye to your main subject;
• Be conscious of glossy surfaces. Position the subject, or move yourself so that the light from the flash
does not bounce back to the camera. Remember, light always travels in a straight line!
In General:
1. Hold It Steady
A problem with many photographs is that they're blurry. Avoid 'camera shake' by holding the camera
steady. Use both hands, resting your elbows on your chest, or use a wall for support. Relax: don't tense up.
2. Put The Sun Behind You
A photograph is all about light so always think of how the light is striking your subject. The best bet is to
move around so that the sun is behind you and to one side. This front lighting brings out color and shades,
and the slight angle (side lighting) produces some shadow to indicate texture and form.
3. Get Close:
The best shots are simple, so move closer and remove any clutter from the picture. If you look at most
'people' shots they don't show the whole body so you don't need to either. Move close, fill the frame with
just the face, or even overflow it. Give your shot some impact. Use a zoom to crop the image tighter.
4. Choose A Format
Which way you hold the camera affects what is emphasized in your shot. For tall things a vertical format
emphasizes height. Use a horizontal format to show the dramatic sweep of the mountains.
5. Include People
Photographs solely of landscape and rocks, and things are enjoyable to take but often dull to look at.
Include some of your subject, companions, or their family, or even people passing by, to add human
interest. Your eye needs some reference point to judge scale. Add a person, car, or something of known size
to indicate the magnitude of the scenery.
6. Consider Variety
You may take the greatest shots but if they're all the same type or style, they may be dull to look at. Spice
up your collection by adding variety. Include close ups and wide angles, front light and side lighting. Take
shots that remember the 'being there‘.
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7. Add Depth
Depth is an important quality of good photographs. You want the viewer to think that they're not
looking at a flat picture, but through a window, into a three-dimensional world. Add pointers to assist
the eye. If your subject is a distant mountain, add a person or a tree in the foreground. A wide angle
lens can exaggerate this perspective.
8. Use Proportion
The beauty of an image is often in its proportions. A popular technique with artists is called the Rule
of Thirds. (See above). Imagine the frame divided into thirds, both horizontally and vertically, like a
Tic-Tac-Toe board. Now place your subject on one of the lines or intersections. Always centering your
subject can get dull. Use the Rule of Thirds to add variety and interest.
• The Rule of Thirds and Photography
One rule in particular is really essential: the Rule of Thirds. The Rule of Thirds actually goes way
back. Painters have been benefiting from this rule since the days when Greek artists discovered it. So
let's take a look at the Rule of Thirds as it relates to photography. Although most beginning artists
resist following "rules" - fearing they will hurt their creativity, there are indeed many rules and
guidelines that help.
Photos should be properly exposed, nicely composed and tightly cropped to adequately show the
subject matter. Photos containing excessive motion, or that are “soft” (blurry and out of focus), cannot
be used. Please avoid backs of heads, photos from far away and poorly composed pictures. Do not
try to crowd too many people into one photograph, no more than four or five at the very most
9. Search For Details
It's always tempting to use a wide-angle lens and 'get everything in'. However, this can be too much
and you may lose the impact. Instead, zoom in with a longer lens and find some representative detail.
A shot of an entire tree just looks like a tree. But a shot of just the tree's wide base, with a person for
scale, is more powerful.
10. Position The Horizon
Where you place the horizon in your shot affects what is emphasized. To show the land, use a high
horizon. To show the sky, use a low horizon. Be creative. Remember the Rule of Thirds.
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Photographing People
1. Location
The first thing to do is find your location. Choose a spot with a simple, medium-toned background. Tree
foliage, grass or water works well. For darker skin, look for a similarly dark background to keep the highlight
(and thus the camera's exposure) on the face.
Minimize patterns, shapes and colors.
2. Lighting
Get the sun behind you and to one side. If it's bright, put people in the shade (harsh, direct sunlight washes out
the face). If it's dark in the shade, use the fill-flash feature to brighten up the face.
The best time is the late afternoon as it gives a nice, warm, golden glow.
A popular technique is to put your subject in the shade, then use fill-flash to lighten up the face. Bring a small
reflector or white card reflect sunlight into the harsh shadow areas.
Occasionally, having the sun shine from behind the subject (backlighting) looks good as it creates a halo
through the hair, showing form and drawing the face out of the background.
If you're shooting indoors with an SLR, 'bounce' the flash off a wall or ceiling for more natural lighting. A
separate hand-held flash is best and can be positioned far enough away from the lens to avoid red eye.
3. Lens
If you are using a digital SLR, use a 135mm or similar lens for the most pleasing perspective. Use the widest
aperture (lowest f-number) to blur the background and highlight the face for a movie-like look. If the
background is important, use a small aperture (high f-number) to get everything in focus.
4. Positioning
Get close. Don't include their full body but zoom straight in to the face. For close ups, crop out the top of the
head and overfill the frame. Being at eye level usually works best, so for children, kneel down.
5. Proportion
Generally try to keep the eyes, not necessarily the head, in the center of the frame. If the person is looking
slightly to one side, add extra space to that side.
If your subject is to one side and there's a lot of contrast in the shot, you might need to control the exposure.
To do this, zoom or close in on your subject (perhaps a person's face) then press the exposure lock button.
Keep this button pressed down while you recompose and take your shot.
6. Relax Your Subject
Get your subject relaxed and happy. For friends or family, remind them of a silly event. With children, give
them something to play with. For local people, ask them about the location, their job or skill, or complement
their clothes. People hate waiting while you adjust your camera so always plan the shot and adjust your
camera first, before asking people to pose.
For additional tips and basic “how-to’s” check out this link:
http://www.kodak.com/global/en/corp/top10tips/index.jhtml
Jay Henson has worked as a photojournalist and photo editor for The Capital and Gazette for 30 years.
Contact him at jhenson@capgaznews.com
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Sports News
Need to let the families in your community know when your organization is holding a youth sports
registration or a fundraiser for your team? Email recreation news and notices
to sports@capgaznews.com by Tuesdays at noon. Include all the details (especially location, date and time
of event) and include an email address and phone number of the person submitting the notice in case our
staff needs to contact you for more information.
Capital-Gazette also accepts write-ups on recreation and youth sports teams that have won a
championship or tournament title. Submit a brief summary of the event, with first and last names of all
team members to sports@capgaznews.com. You can also submit a digital photo of the competition. If you
have a coach or a unique athlete who might deserve a profile, contact David Broughton, 410-2805940 or dbroughton@capgaznews.com, or Gerry Jackson, 410-280-5926 orgjackson@capgaznews.com.
High school varsity sports results are accepted from each team’s head coach or their designated
representative. Coaches should call 410-263-8576 or emailsports@capgaznews.com as soon as possible
after the conclusion of their event. A team of prep sports writers is on staff from 6 p.m. to midnight most
evenings to compile summaries of the day’s events. Coaches are asked to provide a complete summary of
the event with first and last names for both teams. Weekly statistical leaders and players of the week
nominations should be submitted by 10 a.m. on Mondays. If you have a coach, athlete or event with a
unique storyline that might deserve special attention, contact Bob Hough, 410-280-5923 or
bhough@capgaznews.com or Gerry Jackson, 410-280-5926 orgjackson@capgaznews.com.
General Sports: 410-263-8576; sports@capgaznews.com
Prep Sports: Bob Hough, high school sports editor. 410-280-5923; bhough@capgaznews.com
Gerry Jackson has been the Sports Editor of The Capital for the past decade and has worked in the
sports department since 1981, also serving stints as sports editor at the Bowie Blade News and
Maryland Gazette. He is a graduate of Towson University, where he played lacrosse. He has been
married to his wife, Nancy, a former Maryland Gazette reporter for 28 years. His daughters Lizzy,
and Madeline, are in masters degree programs at Towson University and Elizabethtown College.
Bob Hough, is high school sports editor. He is a 1992 graduate of Glen Burnie High School where he
played varsity tennis for four years and junior varsity basketball for two. He has been with The Capital
as a part-time sports writer since 1996 and took over as the high school sports editor in Dec., 2013.
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The history of Capital Gazette
Capital Gazette History begins with the Gazette in 1727
The newspapers under the Capital Gazette Communications umbrella are descendants of a long legacy of journalism.
The Maryland Gazette was first published in 1727 by its founder, British journalist William Parks. It was an adjunct to his main
business as Maryland’s public printer. The newspaper was cranked out on a small hand press. Since that date, it has been a
valued source of local news. It is the oldest continuously published newspaper in the United States.
By 1738, Jonas Green, who had lived in Philadelphia and served as an apprentice to Benjamin Franklin, had taken over as
publisher of the Maryland Gazette and Maryland’s public printer. He was assisted by his wife, Anne Catharine Hoof Green.
She was also the mother of his 14 children, six of whom survived infancy. Five outlived her.
When Jonas Green died in 1767, he left his wife deeply in debt, struggling to raise their children. She immediately took over
both businesses and proved to be more savvy in industry and real estate. Within three years, she’d paid off his debts. She
purchased the building on Charles Street that did double-duty as a residence and print shop, and, by the time of her death in
1775, owned several parcels of downtown Annapolis real estate.
Despite the harsh obstacles afforded her gender, Anna Catharine Green was a success in her generation. She was the first
woman to be both editor and publisher of a newspaper in the American colonies. Her example and business acumen remain an
inspiration for women more than two hundred years later.
The newspaper would not have another female publisher until 1993, when Eleanor Merrill assumed the publisher’s
responsibilities while her husband, Philip Merrill, then the company’s owner-publisher, served overseas for several years at the
NATO headquarters in Brussels.
In 2013, Pat Richardson became the third female publisher.
The Maryland Gazette opposed many British policies of the pre-Revolutionary era, and survived the stamp act of 1765, which
imposed a tax on every piece of printed paper used by Britain’s subjects in the 13 American colonies, and Britain’s subsequent
attacks on a free press.
The Civil War a century later was another journalistic challenge: in a region whose sympathies lay with the Confederacy, the
paper supported the Union. Anti-Union sentiment was so strong, Abraham Lincoln received only one vote in the City of
Annapolis in the 1860 election.
Through the personal intervention of Lincoln during the war, the paper survived. By the late-20th Century, the Maryland
Gazette was joined by the Evening Capital and several other locally published newspapers.
First Publisher was First Columnist
The company’s first publisher, William Parks, made a major journalistic contribution when his newspaper began to print
reports from correspondents in London, Paris, Moscow, Vienna, Stockholm and other European capitals.
These reports were brought from Europe by ships to the then-bustling seaport of Annapolis. Benjamin Franklin and other
Colonial editors copied Gazette items weeks later in their newspapers.
The idea eventually evolved into the world-wide press services that, today, provide a majority of our national and international
news. Mr. Parks, an innovative journalist, also wrote a report on local events, thus becoming the country’s first newspaper
columnist.
John Peter Zenger Learned His Trade Here
Most history buffs know that it was the famous 1735 trial of a New York newspaper editor named John Peter Zenger that
established the principle in American law that printing the truth is not libel or sedition.
This, in turn, laid the basis for the First amendment to the Constitution and the concept of freedom of the press in this country.
But, where was Mr. Zenger before he went to New York and got into all that trouble with the British? You guessed it. He
learned his trade in Annapolis as an indentured servant and apprentice printer for the Gazette.
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Early Publisher Was Franklin Protege
We may have lost John Peter Zenger to New York, but we gained an important early publisher from Philadelphia. Jonas Green,
this newspaper’s second publisher, learned the trade of printing and his commitment to the ideals of journalism from the master
himself, Benjamin Franklin.
The Gazette’s early masthead read: “Annapolis, Printed by Jonas Green at his Printing Office on Charles Street, where all
persons may be supplied with this Gazette at twelve shillings, six pence a year, and Advertisements of moderate length are
inserted for 5 shillings the First Week and 1 shilling for each time thereafter; and long ones in proportion.
Money, however, was sometimes hard to come by, and Mr. Green was not above trading an ad or a subscription for supplies.
(portraits of the two Greens)
Newspaper Fights The King
Jonas Green was a born troublemaker who hated the Stamp Act, which, among other things, directly taxed his newspaper.
Refusing to pay, he published the Gazette with what was then a blaring headline: “The Maryland Gazette Expiring: In Uncertain
Hopes of a Resurrection to Life Again.” Mr. Green went on to explain that because of the Stamp Act, the newspaper “will not
any longer be published.” In the bottom right-hand corner of the page, where the tax stamp should have been placed, there
appeared instead a skull and crossbones.
Fortunately, calmer heads prevailed. They convinced Jonas Green of the value of a courageous press in a struggle against
tyranny, and he later resumed publication under the banner headline: “An Apparition of the late Maryland Gazette, which is not
dead, but only sleepeth.”
Defenders of this newspaper’s claim as being the oldest in the nation say this brief interruption of publication was not a business
decision as much as a deliberate political statement by a determined and courageous printer.
(skull and crossbones)
How We Reported ‘Annapolis Tea Party’
Annapolitans enjoy telling the story of our own counterpart to the Boston Tea Party. The Annapolis version involves the burning
of the brig Peggy Stewart in 1774. Discovering a shipment of tea was aboard, local patriots forced Annapolis merchant Anthony
Stewart to set fire to his own vessel, named for his daughter. It and its cargo of tea burned to the waterline in Annapolis Harbor.
The history books tend to play up the earlier Boston Tea Party and ignore ours, even though Annapolitans put themselves and
their families publicly on the firing lines. Those who dumped the tea in Boston Harbor concealed their identities from the press
and the public at large beneath the costumes and warpaint of Native Americans. Here, on the other hand, the Gazette not only
published full accounts of the event but also printed the names of the patriots involved, with their full knowledge and approval.
Maryland patriots were determined to stand up publicly for their rights, and the Gazette helped them create the political
atmosphere in which independence became possible.
Haley Uses Gazette To Find His ‘Roots’
The old Maryland Gazettes are like the pages of a giant American
history book. These papers, and early editions of The Evening
Capital, are continually searched for details of the past by
researchers, historians and readers.
Much of the archives are available at the Maryland State Archives,
now on Rowe Boulevard in Annapolis. Since 1991, most articles
have been archived online.
The late Alex Haley, author of the best-selling epic “Roots,” traced
his family history all the way back to Africa in the early 1700s.
Haley would have been left at a dead end in his research, however,
had he not come across a September 29,
1767, Gazette advertisement announcing the arrival in Annapolis of
a ship called the Lord Ligonier that included a “cargo” of slaves.
With that crucial lead, Haley found that this ship carried his
ancestor, Kunte Kinte, from Africa to America.
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The Birth of The Capital - Annapolis’ Daily Newspaper
On May 12, 1884, the first edition of Annapolis’ daily newspaper - The Evening Capital - came off the presses owned by
the Maryland Gazette. Thus was born a relationship that continues to this day: publications that preserve a link to the past and
today serve the 21st century needs and interests of thousands of readers.
The Evening Capital was founded by William Abbott, a visionary man who felt the state capital needed a daily newspaper even
though the population of Annapolis at the time was only 7,200 and Anne Arundel County’s population was only 32,000 - less
than 6 percent of what it is today.
Shortly before World War I, Abbott bought the Maryland Gazette and joined it with The Evening Capital under one publishing
company.
Until 1955, the Gazette was a weekly covering all of Anne Arundel County, with The Evening Capitalserving as Annapolis’
daily newspaper. Since 1955, the Maryland Gazette has covered northern Anne Arundel County. It became a twice-weekly
publication in 1969.
The Evening Capital became The Capital in 1981 because the newspaper publishes in the morning on weekends and federal
holidays. The Capital covers the City of Annapolis and central, western and southern Anne Arundel County. Included in its
delivery territory is Kent Island, Grasonville and Centerville in Queen Anne’s County; and in Calvert County - Chesapeake
Beach and North Beach, Owings and Dunkirk.
Publishing in Annapolis For Nearly Three Centuries
Jonas Green’s house, where the Gazette was published for many years, still stands on Charles Street in downtown Annapolis,
marked by a small historical plaque.
The Capital, The Maryland Gazette, and their sister publications have been composed and printed in numerous locations, all in
the Annapolis area, for more than 285 years. In March 2009, the company moved the papers’ printing operations to Comprint,
located 15 minutes away in the Prince George’s County portion of Laurel.
Today’s massive print operations, and the speed of printing, are a far cry from the small printing room and hand press used in
Jonas Green’s home.
And, with the internet, our top news stories and feature articles can be uploaded and read moments later anyplace worldwide
where there is online access..
Award-Winning Publications
Capital Gazette Communications publishes four newspapers and Capital Style magazine.
The Capital, a daily newspaper serving the Annapolis area with a print circulation exceeding
34,000.
Maryland Gazette, published twice weekly, serving northern and central Anne Arundel County
areas with a circulation of 18,500.
The Bowie Blade-News, published weekly and delivered free to the residents of Bowie, Glenn
Dale, and Mitchellville. It has a circulation of 25,000. Crofton-West County Gazette, is published
weekly and given free to residents in its coverage area of Crofton, Odenton and Gambrills with a
circulation of 25,000.
Capital Style Magazine is inserted into the home delivery Sunday editions of The Capital eight
times each year.
In addition, these publications, plus our special sections like our annual Guidebook, Medical
Directory,Retirement Living, Holiday Gift Guide, and biannual Home & Garden magazine can
be accessed online at www.capitalgazette.com . The site is updated instantly with breaking news,
and several times daily with all the news and sports stories. The online archive contains articles
dating back to 1991.
A readership regionally and worldwide
The company's main website, www.capitalgazette.com, reaches more than 20,000 unique visitors
a day. Updated constantly, the site is the main source of Anne Arundel County news and
information online. In addition to all the content in the printed newspapers, the website contains
additional news, special features, videos, plus many more photographs and slide shows.
Each of the papers and the magazine maintain an active Facebook and Twitter social media
presence.
One of the big developments in recent years is ever increasing numbers of our online viewers
visit our site from their phones or tablets.
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