“Hat In The Ring” Political Policy

The following policy for the Parke County Sentinel will apply to candidates seeking office during Primary or General Elections.

Any announcements or news releases concerning candidates must have news value in order to be considered for publication and are subject to normal editing.

Initial announcements of candidacy for any office will be published free of charge as a news item. However, to be regarded as a news story, it must be submitted within a reasonable time after formal filing and none will be accepted later than two weeks after the filing deadline has passed.

Initial announcements will be run under the “Hat In The Ring” banner and should include a biographical sketch of the candidate. Platforms and statements regarding the candidates view, opinions and policies if elected that are not biographical in nature should be submitted as advertisements and not as news stories.  We consider it the responsibility of the candidate to submit biographical information and a photo, if desired, for publication.

Letters to the editor for the purpose of endorsing specific candidates or parties will not be accepted, regardless of who submits them.

Advertising and news items of a controversial nature will not be published later than the issue two weeks preceding Election Day. Under this rule, an opposing party or candidate would have sufficient time prior to the election to make a response. Such answers must not raise new issues, however.

It is the policy of The Sentinel, as required by most other newspapers, that all political advertising must be paid in advance.