An Open Letter to "Prince" Readers

The Daily Princetonian is the University's only daily newspaper of record and covers campus news, student life, alumni issues and other subject of interest to the University community. Founded in 1876, the 'Prince' began publishing daily in 1892, went online in 1998 and is the most widely-read news source on campus. The 'Prince' is independent of the University and entirely student-run. Below, we address some common questions about how the 'Prince' operates, in the hopes that greater clarity will allow us to better fulfill our role of informing and engaging the campus community.

Where can I find a copy of the "Prince"?

The 'Prince' is distributed free to the campus community and is delivered each morning to the dining halls, eating clubs, Frist Campus Center, and the black drop boxes located throughout campus. All of our content, in addition to online exclusives, is also published on our website at www.dailyprincetonian.com. For archived issues published before 1998, please visit our recently- launched digital archives at theprince.princeton.edu. To locate printed back issues from the last calendar year, contact our business office at business@dailyprincetonian.com or (609) 258-8110.

How do I join the 'Prince'?

We are always eager to welcome new members to our organization! The 'Prince' holds open houses and training sessions at the beginning of each semester, but you can join at anytime during the year. Students work in 11 sections: news, sports, street, opinion, photo, design, copy, web, multimedia, blogs and business. Brief descriptions of each section are available on our website, and you can e-mail any of the section editors – listed on the masthead on the Opinion page – for more information. You can also drop by the newsroom at 48 University Place anytime Sunday through Thursday from 4 p.m. to midnight. No previous journalism experience is necessary, and we'll work with you to provide the training you need to start right away!

How does the 'Prince' decide what to cover?

The 'Prince' is a volunteer organization, with a dedicated staff of roughly 200 students who work to publish the paper five days a week. Due to time and staffing constraints, we are unfortunately unable to cover as much as we would like. There are occasions where a reporter is unavailable to cover a given event, and when we must choose between several events that are held at the same time, we will cover the one that likely appeals to the widest audience. The 'Prince' publishes hard news stories, which cover important happenings and events, and features, which are often human-interest pieces that examine topics in greater detail. Features are denoted by special headers above the headline.

How can I pitch a story idea or submit a piece?

If you would like to submit a story idea or request event coverage, you can e-mail our section editors at news@dailyprincetonian.com, sports@dailyprincetonian.com or street@dailyprincetonian.com with details. If there is breaking news, please send us an e-mail or call the newsroom at (609) 258-3632. You can submit a guest column to our Opinion editors by e-mailing opinion@dailyprincetonian.com. Guest columns are roughly 750 words long and must address a subject of interest to the campus community and contribute to the larger dialogue. We reserve the right to edit your piece for grammar, style and space constraints. The 'Prince' generally does not accept one-time submissions for any other section.

How can I submit feedback?

We welcome comments, criticisms and questions from any member of the campus community. You can submit feedback to the section editors through our website or via email, or you can send feedback directly to Editor-in-Chief at eic@dailyprincetonian.com. If you would like to express your opinion in print, you can submit letters to the editor, which are limited to 250 words and respond to articles the 'Prince' has published. Letters can be submitted through our website or by emailing Executive Editor for Opinion Mendy Fisch at opinion@dailyprincetonian.com. Please note that submission does not guarantee that we will publish your letter. Letters are published on the Opinion page. You are also welcome to post a comment to articles on our website. We do not edit online comments, but reserve the right to remove comments if they are off-topic or abusive. If you feel that a comment should be removed, please notify us by clicking the link next to the comment in question. Moderating decisions are subjective; we will make them as carefully and consistently as we can

What should I do if I find an error in a story, or if I have been misquoted?

If you note a factual inaccuracy in a story, you can directly inform the section editors by e- mailing news@dailyprincetonian.com, sports@dailyprincetonian.com, opinion@dailyprincetonian.com or street@dailyprincetonian.com. You can also reach us by calling the newsroom at (609) 258-3632. If you believe you have been misquoted, you may contact the reporter directly or email the section editors, and we will work with you and the reporter to resolve any issues. As a news publication, accurate reporting is our highest priority, and we will readily acknowledge and correct any errors both in print and online.

How do I know if what I say will be quoted in an article?

A 'Prince' reporter will identify himself or herself as a 'Prince' reporter when he or she contacts you for comment for an article. Once you agree to speak with a writer in his or her capacity as a 'Prince' reporter, the rest of the interview is considered “on the record” unless you note otherwise, and may be quoted and attributed in a story. We appreciate your responding to us as quickly as possible when you are contacted for an interview, as many of our articles will run in the paper the day after they are assigned.

What does it mean to be “on the record,” “on background,” and “off the record”?

When an interview is “on the record,” anything that is said during the interview may be quoted and attributed in an article. Information that is given “on background” will not be directly quoted, but may be used to inform reporting (for example, when the reporter speaks with another source). Information given “off the record” will never be quoted or attributed, but may be used to inform editorial decisions . You are “on the record” when you speak with staff members who indicate their affiliation with the 'Prince,' unless they agree otherwise. You cannot make an interview “off the record” after it takes place.

Will a reporter send me my quotes for review?

Upon request, writers will make their best effort to send interviewees their direct quotes to check for factual accuracy only. We are committed to accurately reporting what has been said during an interview, and therefore do not allow interviewees to make stylistic or wording changes to their quotes.

How does the 'Prince' deal with anonymous sources?

The editors of the 'Prince' will only grant anonymity under exceptional circumstances, such as when a direct quotation will jeopardize an individual's work standing or affiliation or when the subject matter is extremely sensitive. Sources are then identified in the most specific manner possible, and we treat anonymous quotations with the same commitment to accuracy during the editing process. If you speak with a reporter and request anonymity after the interview, we reserve the right to refuse your request.

When does the 'Prince' remove articles online or remove names from articles?

We are committed to our role as a newspaper of record, and we do not remove articles from our online archives. If you have concerns, you can contact Editor-in-Chief Jack Ackerman at eic@dailyprincetonian.com.

What is the relationship between the 'Prince' and the University administration?

The 'Prince' is editorially and financially independent from the University administration.

How do I buy an advertisement in the 'Prince'?

To find out more about rates or purchase an ad in the 'Prince,' you can e-mail our business staff at business@dailyprincetonian.com.

How do I get permission to reprint a photograph or article, whether in print or online?

You can receive reprint permission by filling out our form, which is available on our website.

How do I subscribe to the 'Prince'?

You can subscribe to the 'Prince' by mail or electronically (the E-Prince). Please contact our business office at business@dailyprincetonian.com for rates and more details.