Getting in touch with Loving Dalston

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Editor David Altheer

editor [at] lovingdalston.co.uk

and (personal) davidaltheer [at] gmail.com

Advertising Contact the editor.

Updates Twitter.com: @LovingDalston

Press releases to the only independent professional news website for Hackney and around

THE POPULATION of Hackney includes, according to The Times, the greatest number of young graduates in Britain. That is the Loving Dalston catchment area, which makes this news site a prime target for publicists and, as you will have noticed, for advertisers.

Loving Dalston tries to skim if not to read fully every press release that pops into its its email basket because they are useful pointers to news. A handout that opens with “Hi there” or something similar, indicating that it has been sent to hundreds if not thousands of outlets, and probably has no relevance to northeast London, will be deleted. Loving Dalston is a news site: it seeks stories of local news interest, and usually without PR help.

Loving Dalston nevertheless finds publicists to be useful. News tips, and releases from community organisations, are especially welcome. A reporter, if interested, will email or ask by phone detailed questions as part of the effort to find an exclusive angle. Press officers not prepared to answer questions stemming from a release need not contact this site. Ideally, all questions will be anticipated, eliminating the disheartening need for further enquiries. Include contact details for key figures in stories, and hyperlink or at least include relevant websites.

Jpegs of pictures can be included but must come with any necessary photographic credit and be described as free to use. Loving Dalston, however, prefers to use its own pictures and may ask for a photo opportunity to be arranged. Zip files will not be opened. Best send text as text.

If it seems odd that an email or story tip elicits no interest, do not hesitate to send another email or to telephone if you have a number. Email servers occasionally fail and you may have to use the other eddresses listed on this page.

Fairs, jumbles, fetes and other community and free or near-free events may be listed in the Noticeboard section: see format instructions in the section.

Many people want to write for this site but few meet the unwritten criteria. Accuracy and an understanding of the site’s valuing of news above opinion are a start. If you see journalism as a way of free entry to clubs, cinemas, concerts and other entertainment, you should offer to write for one of the blogs in NE London.

Do not try to suggest contra-deals: if a story is newsworthy, no payment should be offered. Sponsored-editorial can be offered but, as on the occasions it has been published, are subjected to the usual high standards of editing. The article will then be clearly marked as sponsored editorial.

Invitations to product launches and other parties are happily received, apart from those with pay-bars. Publicists who take a prudish attitude to journalists at receptions accepting hospitality will be discouraged from further contact with Loving Dalston.

This site welcomes fair comments, including the critical. Letters may be edited for grammatical, legal or taste reasons, for shortening or for substitution of Wikipedia citations by reliable sources. RSS feed link is at top right. Twitter: @lovingdalston Publicists, amateur and professional, should read http://bit.ly/ZnClKc Also relevant may be the note at the end of http://bit.ly/117GXmi Photographs © David Altheer unless otherwise stated and apart from supplied pictures

By Loving Dalston