Here's an effort at the layout guide and shortened editorial guidelines. I think the most important thing is that the stories of local interest, rather than national interest. People want to know what's happening in their area, not in London. My personal opinion is that the best GC articles have been the ones on the local live music scene, the midas interview, churchill statue article, "We don't negotiate with terriers". There's a balance between sermonising (let us never be as sermony as Resistance!) and it getting some of our views across. We can't compete on raw news, its on our inside knowledge of some areas and our irreverance, and the fact we can break ANY story....
Comments welcomed!
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GC Editing – Layout Guide
Publisher
0.7cm Layout guides
1.4cm Gap between columns
Garamond single spaced
No line breaks after para
3 spaces tab new para (or if different keep consistent)
1st para no tab
Text size as large as possible
Have at least one picture on each side of the sheet.
Pictures
Ensure good contrast – remember it’s going to be photocopied in black and white.
GC Editing – Editorial Guidelines
Aims of GC
• to reach people who would be very unlikely to pick up an anarchist rag
• to give anarchist views on LOCAL issues
• to support and promote local campaigns that are cool
As a consequence of these aims the following editorial guidelines:
a) Precedence (i.e. front page) given to LOCAL news stories.
b) Aim for traditional news values – is it news? Will it still be of interest in a few weeks time?
c) Omit unnecessary words.
d) Avoid jargon.
e) Include a humorous story if possible.
f) Include humorous captions to pictures.
I think as long as you bear in mind that chances are it’ll be read in the queue at the chippy, by people sat in a pub, it has to be as accessible and readable as possible.
