Contributor guide

Who can contribute

Anyone who lives or works in Lancaster County and is willing to follow our ethics policy. You do not need a journalism background. You do need curiosity, care with facts and the willingness to be edited.

Getting started

1. Pitch first. Email editor@lancasterindependent.com with two or three sentences: what the story is, why it matters now, and who you would talk to.
2. Get your login. When the editor says yes, you will receive a private link to set up your Newsroom account.
3. Write and submit. File from your computer or phone, then tap Submit for review. The editor will publish it or send it back with notes.

What makes a good story for us

• It is about Lancaster, and a neighbor would want to know it.
• It answers who, what, when, where and why in the first few sentences.
• It includes at least two people you spoke with yourself, named and quoted accurately.
• It is useful: what happens next, where to go, who to call.

House style

• Length. Most stories run 300 to 800 words. Shorter is usually better.
• Headlines. Plain and specific. Say what happened; no puns that hide the news.
• Names and titles. Full name and role on first mention, last name after that. Check the spelling with the person.
• Quotes. Exactly what was said. If you are unsure, paraphrase without quotation marks.
• Numbers and dates. Say where a figure comes from. Use the date, not “yesterday”.
• Your opinion. Leave it out of news stories. If you want to argue a point, write an op-ed.

Photos and video

• Use only images you took yourself or have clear permission to use, and say who took them in the caption.
• Every photo needs a caption: who or what is shown, where, and when.
• Ask before photographing children, and get a parent’s or guardian’s agreement.
• Do not stage or edit an image so that it shows something that did not happen.
• Short video clips can be uploaded directly. For anything longer than about a minute, upload it to YouTube and paste the link.

Live updates

For breaking events, meetings and games, you can post short live updates from your phone: a sentence or two and a photo. Post only what you have seen or confirmed yourself.

Before you submit

• Have you checked every name, number, date and quote?
• Has anyone criticized in the story had a chance to respond?
• Do you have any personal connection to the subject? Tell the editor.
• Is there a main photo with a caption and credit?

Questions? Contact the editor.