| National American Legion Press Association |
Publications & Web Site Guidelines
Purpose
The purpose of these Guidelines is to assist newsletter editors and webmasters at Post and Department levels in developing and publishing newsletters and web sites which will keep members informed and further the objectives of the American Legion.
The formats presented here are intended to simplify the job of the editor/web master and help in publishing a credible publication or web site that meets the criteria for awards and accomplishes the job of disseminating information in a pleasing, lawful, authoritative, accurate and timely manner.
No publication is perfect---including this one---and the objective here is to have Post newsletters conform to a standard, but still be as individual and innovative as possible. We certainly do not want all the various newsletters and websites to look alike, and we do want the various editors and webmasters to feel free to borrow ideas from other published media to improve their own.
Editing and publishing can be fun. We should try to keep it simple and professional.
Mission
The Mission of a Post newsletter or web site is to inform the membership of the activities, plans, accomplishments, and programs of the Post and Department in an accurate, timely, interesting and economical manner.
Masthead
The masthead of a newsletter is defined as a listing of a publication's staff, operational policy and address of the American Legion Post. Mastheads will usually be found on page 2 and would include the name, Post name and number, Post Commander, secretary, and editor. Other officers could be inserted here if the editor so desires.
The editor's address, telephone number and e-mail address should be included here. The same information should be shown for the commander and secretary, unless there are privacy concerns.
There should also be an address for "change of address", unless all changes are to go to the editor. The post should have a policy on this matter.
The masthead is also the place of choice for the required disclaimer statement. It is a necessary item as it acts as a release, by disavowing any item in the publication as an official view or endorsement of Post or Adjutant. The American Legion does not permit derogatory statements or criticism of the executive, legislative or judicial branches of our government. All items and photographs published are the responsibility of the editor, but it must be clearly stated that it is the opinion of the writer or advertiser, and in no way the official view of The American Legion.
Disclaimer
Here is a sample disclaimer:
"Opinions expressed herein are those of the editor or columnist, and are not necessarily those of the National, Department, District or the American Legion Post. Publication of advertisements does not imply endorsement by the American Legion of the products, service or officers advertised or profiled".
The masthead "box" can also include logos, such as The American Legion or the US flag, or some other service-connected logo or design of local interest. The American Legion logo can be displayed here also, but generally it looks better if printed in its own box elsewhere in the newsletter.
Flag
The "flag" is the top of the first page of the newsletter which contains the newsletter's name, the Department, District or Post which it represents, the volume number and the issue number, the date of the issue (normally the month and the year), and any slogan significant to The American Legion. Samples could be "For God & Country". Volume number is usually expressed in Roman numerals and advances once each year, with the first issue of the year. Issue number is just that. No. 1, No 2, No. 3, etc.
The "flag" is a good place to insert other logos to attract attention, such as the US flag, the minuteman symbol, one or all of the Legion logos, a logo of The American Legion, as well as symbols like National American Legion Press Association if the Post Editor or the post is a member.
In a line or two underneath all of this, and prior to getting to the headline and other content, it is desirable to include the phrase "Organization Representing Veterans". The next line would then include the names of the National and Department America Legion.
The "flag" is the attention-getter that your members look for in the mail. There is a lot of room for innovation in this area. And the creative editor can develop an interesting "flag" for the Post. Normally, once the "flag" is established, it's kept in the same format for a long time, but it can be changed to suit the membership.
Calendar
The calendar is an important part of any newsletter, because this is where members will go to look for coming events and deadlines.
What is covered here is relatively simple; it's a listing, in chronological order of dates that are important to the members. They could include Post meetings, National, Department and District meetings, annual meetings, conventions at National, Department and District level, any special events involving The American Legion, and deadlines for the next issue of the newsletter.
Deadlines are hard to enforce, often overlooked by contributors, and require that the editor be firm as to when he/she has to go to press. It is important to have "command emphasis" on this item from the Post Commander, who also will be expected to meet his/her deadlines and set an example for other contributors.
Funding
Newsletters cost money for paper, printing, press time, layout, collating, folding, color separation, addressing, postal code sorting, and not incidentally, postage itself. Editors are not normally involved in or responsible for funding of their newsletters, but they should be aware of the costs incurred.
Typically the newsletters could absorb up 10% of a Post's budget. It's important to get as much bang for the buck as possible.
Many factors go into determining costs. Some Posts pay their editors a small stipend for the miscellaneous expenses incurred (see further discussion of this below), and most use a bulk mailing permit which is a flat annual fee whether used once or a hundred times.
Keeping address label listings current with the latest Post membership data files costs money. The adjutant usually does this updating quarterly.
Advertising can offset some expenses, but usually a paper cannot be self-supporting without having three-quarters of it filled with ads, which in turn decreases its appeal to members.
Most professional mailing services do the addressing and sorting automatically and have their list sorted by zip code. In this way, a Post can utilize the mailing service list for its own purposes and not have that additional expense.
Funding can come from various sources:
Post treasury
Advertising revenue
Cash donations by members (like "Buck-A- Year" Club)
Donations of services (paper, printing, addressing, etc.)
Outright grants. Originally
Post treasuries were the only source of funds, but more and more, newsletters have relied on advertisers and donations. A desirable concept would be to never need donations, because a newsletter ought to be a free benefit of membership, but in many cases increased costs make this no longer feasible. Fortunately, many members of Post are strong supporters of the newsletters and willing to donate, and that's why it's even more important to deliver a good product that is accurate, interesting and timely.
Remuneration of Editor
There is no set rule on this, but the editor does usually incur some expenses connected with publishing a newsletter. Experience shows that a stipend of $200 per year to the editor will cover a myriad of little expenses, to include occasional long distance calls and fax expenses, travel to and from the printer with proofs, photos, and camera-ready copy, postage for returning photos, mailing copies of the newsletter to advertisers or someone who didn't get one, writing and mailing invoices to advertisers, and use of the editor's own typewriter, computer, printer or stationery.
No editor should have to pay these organization expenses out-of-pocket, and it's tiresome to record every page, stamp, phone call, fax, mile of travel etc. for eventual reimbursement. A flat fee like this will normally cover all of these miscellaneous expenses.
This stipend is not to be confused with the other costs of newsletters, such as printing, photo toning, folding, collating, addressing, sorting or postage. The Post treasury must pay for all expenses of that nature.
Editorial Problems
Surveys taken in the past have shown that the number one complaint of editors is the late submission of articles for the newsletter. Deadlines have to be met to have a paper with timely information. Editors should feel free to call news contributors and literally demand the reports and articles that are due.
Post news can be hard to come by; ideally, it should be the Post's secretary's job, but the Commander or anyone else, designated or volunteer, can submit Post news to the editor.
Another problem is photographs without captions. Who is it? Where was it? Why was it taken? What was going on? Without this information, a photo is almost useless. An exception would be a group of photos of various people and activities at some major event where all of the photos would be a collage in a random or overlapped pattern.
Sometimes advertisers don't pay. It's important to keep after them. Don't be bashful! Some editors leave it to the Post treasurer to be the collector of outstanding payments.
Time always seems short between deadline and print date. Leave adequate time for the printer, the mailing service and the post office. A minimum of two weeks should be allowed for all this to happen.
The editor always gets the blame when the newsletter is late. Don't let it happen to you.
Content
Beyond certain format requirements, the content becomes the "fun zone" for the editor, because here is where he/she can be innovative with the submissions from various officers and sources.
The "Commander's Message" should occupy space on the front page with the Commander's picture below the headline. The headline would be concerned with the main story of the issue and should share the front page with the Commander. The Commander's message could have a different title, such as "From the Bridge", or "From the Tower', or "My View", or From the Flagpole". A choice like this could be left to each new Commander. Some have great ideas; some have none. A clever touch by either the Editor or the Commander adds interest to the page..
A headline is important because it highlights a story being presented. This could be convention coverage, outcome of a Post election, results of a recent membership drive promotions, reserve duty training periods, deployments, awards, field trips, and on and on. Be innovative. Headlines get attention. It also helps to have another photo or two on the front page.
There can be short reports from the secretary, adjutant and the treasurer on the inside pages; other committee persons must have something to say, even if not in every issue. These committees would be membership, legislative, convention, building, post officers, and any other committee, program director or the Auxiliary.
The vice-Commanders should be regular contributors, because there must be something going on in the various committees represented in your Post.
Post newsletters should also carry a section on "Post Briefs". This is one of the most overlooked features in newsletters. Some Posts are very active and some are extremely passive, but news of Post activities will be welcome to the members of that Post. Often the Post adjutant would provide this information, but it could be written by another designated person or volunteer.
Photographs are important, use as many as possible which are appropriate to the story, and make sure that they are properly captioned as to the date, place, and event, and have the names of those pictured correctly spelled. A collage of photos is an interesting variation for a story, such as those taken at a convention. In this case, you may not need to provide many details.
Photographs can be in black and white or color. Most newsletter editors receive color photos that can be converted by photo-editing software into "grayscale" for black and white printing or format for color printing.
Clip art is always good and should be sprinkled around or used at the head of a column. The American Legion logo is the "shield" of The American Legion. Flags are always welcome in your newsletter.
Reprinting articles from the Legion Magazine is considered a waste of time and space because everyone who gets a Post or Department newsletter also gets the national magazine and would already have seen it. Since "Legion" is monthly and Post or Department newsletters are more or less monthly, it's merely a repeat of what has already been reported. But editors can certainly refer to a certain article and perhaps amplify it to relate to local people or events. Also, a reference to the National, Department or Post web site is also encouraged if relevant. Reprints of articles from other military publications are certainly acceptable if they are appropriate to the Post. The appropriated material in question can be generated by the editor or another member who has access to various other American Legion activities.
Another interesting item is to have a trivia question in a small box at the bottom of page one and then put the answer on an inside page.
The editor is responsible for gathering newsworthy items and placing them into an attention-getting format. This also calls for a review to ensure that such items are sensitive to current issues and appropriate to the American Legion.
"Editorial license" is the privilege an editor has to chop or embellish articles as he/she sees fit, as long as such editing does not change the character or dilute the message of the contributed articles.
Editorial license also permits the editor to create his/her own editorials and to use appropriate National, Department or District American Legion articles for filler.
"Filler" articles can be about historical events in your town, military traditions and could be about any war, any place, any country. History always makes good filler. Another good subject is a brief history of some special or unique Legion activities.
Some Posts, in their December issue will print something like "Your Post Officers wishes you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year”. Unfortunately this has caused a problem with a few newsletters wherein a member who was of a non-Christian" faith complained because it was insensitive. Play it safe and keep your remarks to a simple "Your Post Officers wishes you Seasons Greetings!" We don't want to offend any of our members or readers.
Advertising
Advertising in non-profit organizational publications has always been a controversial subject. If done, a balance must be achieved between advertising and editorial content and anything more than 35% advertising tends to destroy the appeal of the paper.
Advertising is done for revenue. In an attempt to reduce publication costs, the Editor or the Post board must decide on parameters to follow. It must be decided if advertising is to be limited to members, or open to commercial ventures, or open to anyone who might commit to an advertising program.
These subjects must be determined prior to launching any advertising program:
How often will you publish?
How will you sell advertising?
Will you require that the advertising material be "camera ready"?
Will you accept advertising of a finance, insurance or travel nature?
Do you wish to continue publishing using a non-profit organization postal rate?
What will you charge for advertising?
What size advertisements will you accept or solicit?
Who will do the billing?
Who will do the accounting?
Who will do the collecting of unpaid bills (if necessary)?
Who will have the authority to negotiate advertising contracts?
Advertising doesn't come easily and a program for this must be administered in a professional manner. You will in effect have a "contract" to publish a stipulated number of times a year on a regular cycle to a consistent audience.
Finance, insurance, travel advertising is the sticky problem. It is based on the United States Postal Service regulation E 370 and DDM (3020.3.0 and 625.522b. These regulations state that finance, insurance, travel advertising may not be done in a publication with a non-profit organization rate.
If finance, insurance, travel advertising is accepted, then the postage rate goes to the regular bulk rate, which is about 45% higher than the non-profit organization. These regulations go back to 1990 and they are not equitably enforced. This is a farm rule; although various Bulk Mail Units interpret it differently, believe it or not it applies to any and all types of finance, insurance, travel ads, including business cards. This means that one business card of a travel agent, be it a Post member or an outsider, will disallow your non-profit organization rate. Repeat, only one finance, insurance, travel advertisement will contaminate your whole issue! This will also apply to "clip art" furnished by The American Legion if you wish to publish it, even if you don't have other ads. Clip art here refers to the "benefits of American Legion membership" box, which appears in THE Legion magazine. It mentions insurance, credit cards and travel opportunities; all are topics that are not allowed in a non-profit permit mailing. This is unfortunate, but true.
Also, to maintain your non-profit organization rate, you cannot add "flyers" to your newsletter as an insert, and that applies to any type of advertising, not just finance, insurance, travel.. The "flyer" has to be an integral part and numbered page of your paper. "Flyers" (usually colored sheets of 81/2 x 11 and advertising one specific vendor's service or product) are not permitted by the postal regulation. The presumption is that your Post is getting a kickback from the advertiser or sharing in the proceeds from this flyer. Whether you are or not (and you're not) is beside the point - the Bulk Mailing Unit will assume this possibility and disqualify the paper from the non-profit rate. Too bad! On the bright side, flyers tend to distract from the paper anyway and tend to degrade its appearance.
Remember that you have to monitor your advertisers and solicit them in adequate time for your next year's publication.
Finally, you must remember to send two copies of each issue of your newsletter to the advertiser. These should go first-class postage, not bulk, and be sent to the advertiser's office and/or the purchasing agent. Your advertisers need, and deserve, to see the publication in which they are advertising.
Advertising is not simple; be sure it is cost effective to your organization before you embark on this method of underwriting the costs of your newsletter. The more ads you take, the more pages you'll need in your newsletter.
Web Sites
Just like a legion publication requires an editor, a legion web site requires a web master. The web master is responsible for maintaining the content of the web site. The first task in creating a web site for any organization is to identify the web master.
The web master is usually someone who has working knowledge of a computer and the internet. For those organizations wishing to create and maintain there own site, a person knowledgeable of computer software will be required. The advantage of creating your own site is the ability to design the site to match your own organization desires. The disadvantages are the requirement of having a knowledgeable person and the long term maintenance of the site.
For those organizations wishing to have a web site but not having a knowledgeable software person, there are web site providers who provide shells, will provide support and offer assistance in helping with the design of the site for a small annual fee. Legionsites.com is a fully sanctioned, professional website now available for legion posts. The design and format has been approved by the National Headquarters of The American Legion. The web master using the Legionsites.com site will usually be knowledgeable of computers but not that of a computer programmer. The editor of your newsletter who is generally knowledgeable of editing software such as Word, will generally be able to maintain a web site such as the Legionsite.com site.
A post web site will generally have pages titled the Home Page, History Page, Officers Page, Photo Page, Newsletter Page, Youth Programs, etc. Each organization including the Legion, Sons and Auxiliary should have a page to promote their own activities and functions.
Items Needed:Computer w/ monitor and key board. Printer that doubles as fax, scanner and color printer.
Location:Space to operate out of; this could be a member of the organization or the office space at your American Legion Post
Editor:Operator – Person that has a working Knowledge of computers and the internet.
Latest Software: Office home edition, Professional edition is better. Virus protection software and photo software.
Communications:Telephone Line –for fax operation this could be the Post telephone, a dedicated line I found is the best way to go.
Internet provider: Internet provider – i.e. ATT, Insight, Verizon, Time Warner, etc. Any internet provider in your local area will suffice.
E-mail Address & Domain Name:When choosing an e-mail address and Domain name try to make it easy to remember and short. You will find help with the provider of your internet service. The Domain Name comes with an annual fee.
