The Business of Business...
 
Businesses are a vital part of Allen and our surrounding areas. DFW Community Newspapers wants to provide news coverage of what is going on in business in this area. Our goal is to get more and better news coverage of businesses in the news columns of DFW Community Newspapers. If news of your business is of significance to a large number of readers and to the community, it is news. Legitimate news deserves to be, and will be, published. The key to getting your business news in print is common sense judgment. There is often a fine line between "news" and "advertising," and this guide may be helpful in defining that difference and explaining the procedures for getting business news published in the paper.
 
What we will cover...
 
1. The announcement of a new business.
a. Including commercial housing developments.
b. The first announcement of plans to build or locate in an area.
 
2. The start of construction on a major business or industry.
a. Ground breaking ceremonies.
b. Remodeling, expansion or relocation of an existing business is news if it will involve something visible to the public. If it has an effect on the public or provides better goods or services, it merits coverage.
 
3. Change in top management personnel.
a. Always include accompanying photos. They add to the recognition and are more memorable to readers.         
b. Usually, such a story would involve owners, presidents, vice presidents or corporate officers.  Any kind of promotion that has an effect on management decisions for the organization.
c. At times, a story would involve a non-management employee who meets the public.
d. Retirement of top-level managers is often newsworthy. The key to the value of retirement news is not the person or the position, but the interest or importance of that person or position to the community.
 
4. Mergers, sales and annual meetings are of interest and will be reported.
 
5. The acquisition, merger or sale of local firms or parent companies is newsworthy.
 
6. The sale and purchase of local business and quarterly and annual financial statements of local firms or parent companies are also newsworthy because they reflect the economic condition of the community.
 
7. Significant charitable contributions.
a. Such as 100 percent giving to the United Way fund drive.
b. Such as teddy bear drives for local law enforcement.
c. Such as drives for scholarships, charitable organizations and the like.
 
 
 
8. Training and education of employees is newsworthy.
a. This includes seminars, meetings or classes an employee might attend to gain a higher certification in his or her field or to review information learned in a previous meeting or school.    
b. Always include accompanying photos. They add to the recognition and are more memorable to readers.
 
9. Community-wide sales events such as those coordinated through a Chamber of Commerce are of interest to readers and will be published.
 
10. Calendar events open to the public or by invitation. Rotary, Lions, AA, ABWA, BPW, and Chamber of Commerce are a few of the types of business meetings or clubs we will list.
 
Note: Precise handling of news stories, including, photos that might accompany the stories, will be determined by the editor and managing editor.
 
What is usually covered in advertisements...
 
DFW Community Newspapers will not cover certain events which are purely promotional in nature. 
 
Examples would include:
1. Sales events sponsored by individual businesses or by smaller groups of business.
2. Prize drawings or awards presentations designed purely to draw customers into a business.
3. Yearly birthday anniversary sales or events (unless it is a momentous one, i.e., 100 years of being in business).
 
Such events are better handled in advertisements.
 
How you can help...
 
Call the newspaper and ask for the managing editor to arrange for or discuss business news coverage.  Asking an advertising representative to arrange news coverage only slows down the process.  Advertising representatives are not reporters and have no authority to decide how news will be covered or displayed, instead, call the managing editor.
Whenever possible, submit information to DFW Community Newspapers in typewritten, double-spaced format. This will help us get spellings, titles and other information correct. Call us well in advance of an event you think we should cover to allow us adequate time to schedule personnel and news space.
 
Finally...
 
Our goal is to provide fair and accurate information to our readers about business news that is of interest or importance to the community as a whole. Because we have a small staff and limited space, we have to use our best judgment in determining how stories are to be handled. We appreciate your help and cooperation and look forward to working together toward the success and prosperity of your business and all business in the surrounding area.