6883 Commercial Drive
Springfield, Va. 22159
Editor's Note: Although we found these editors less than enthusiastic, in the interest of fairness we must also say they weren't snooty. We're convinced the abruptness we encountered is because they must meet a weekly deadline for the 80,000 readers who rely on the Air Force Times to find out about a wide scope of news, from new military gear to benefits packages being knocked around in Congress. Don't bother these folks with info. that's enticing only to those in the civilian corridor.
| SECTION | EDITOR | DAY/ TIMES TO CONTACT | METHODS | COMMENTS |
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Military Personnel/Career News About 80 percent of the content is hard-news and only a small portion is feature-driven. But coverage is generally broad-stroke in nature - i.e., healthcare concerns for military families who have private insurance or planning for a second career once their military stint is over. |
Editor Jim Wolffe Fax: 703/750-8622 | The best time to reach Wolffe is Monday or Tuesday. Don't embark on your pitch journey on Thursdays or Fridays, since the paper's put to bed Friday afternoon. | The savviest of PR hounds will rely on short faxes. Refrain from bulky kits and press releases that are time-consuming to get through. Give them something that's easy to scan and easy to file. | "I'd rather get no art than bad art," says Wolffe. "You know what surpises me? The amount of pictures I get that are unusable. It makes me think that the pitch is coming from an organization that's not professional." He wants new-product releases (only between 5 and 10 percent is about computer software and hardware) that relate to new aircraft, equipment and items being used by troops. "Don't feed me the hype and say only so-and-so does such-and-such." |
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National News Content/copy comes from a variety of places - from the newspaper's sister publications (the Army and Navy Times) and seven reporters employed by the The Times News Service's (a centralized operation where articles are spun for all branches of the armed services) and through its 12 main editorial staffers, four columnists and occasional freelancers. |
Managing Editor Barbara Harrison E-mail: [email protected] | Limit your idea to a brief e-mail explanation. It appears that there is a lot of screening that goes on here and we can't guarantee you one specific route that will ensure someone reads your pitch, but with Harrison, calls are definitely out. About 50 percent of the 200 pitches that come via snail mail end up being discarded, and lengthy documents that monopolize their fax machine also aren't welcomed. | Like Wolffe, her week gets more hectic towards the end. |
"People need to remember that we are not a daily newspaper," Harrison says. "My advice when it comes to pitching us is to realize that our mission is to serve the Air Force community and we're looking for information that has a link to that." |
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Editorial Contacts At Air Force Times Main Number - 703/750-8646 |
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| Editor - Jim Wolffe 703/750-8685, [email protected] | Staff Writer - Julie Bird 703/750-7439, [email protected] |
| Managing Editor - Barbara L. Harrison 703/750-8652, [email protected] | Staff Writer - David Castellon 703/750-8655, [email protected] |
| News Editor - Jack Wittman 703/750-8650, [email protected] | Staff Writer - Bryant Jordan 210/658-6400, [email protected] |
| Travel Editor - Cindi Florite 703/750-8646, [email protected] | Staff Writer - William Matthews 703/750-8641, [email protected] |
| Associate Editor - Vanessa White 703/750-8654, [email protected] | Staff Writer - John Pulley 703/750-8647, [email protected] |