FAQ about The News-Gazette Calendar

• How do I get an account?
• What is an account and why would I want one?
• What information will I need to enter an event?
• Where do I put the time(s)?
• I'm afraid you might be confused by some of the information I submit. How can I explain it when you provide such limited fields on the form?
• Will my event appear in the calendar in the Mahomet Citizen or another of the weekly papers owned by The News-Gazette?
• I don't know when the event ends. What should I put in the end time box?
• How can I enter an event with multiple start times on the same day?
• Why am I getting an error message?
• Will you print or post online the information about the submitter?
• How do I edit/make changes?
• How do I cancel/delete an event?
• How can I get my event added to the online calendar as quickly as possible?
• How can I report that the form to enter an event is not working?
• How come the event I just entered is not showing up on the Web site?
• My event was listed online but not in the paper. Why not?
• My event came and went and never appeared online OR in the paper. What happened?
• Why didn't the URL (web address) appear in the paper?
• What are the deadlines to submit events for the print calendars?
• Do you guarantee that my event will appear in one of your calendars?

Answers

How do I get an account?

Go to http://www.news-gazette.com/calendar/?page=addevent and click on Sign up to create a Calendar Account.

What is an account and why would I want one?

A free calendar account remembers key information to make it easier for you to enter your events. Account holders can pre-fill information, such as URLs, phone numbers and e-mail addresses. This makes it quicker for you to enter events. All calendar entries are free, whether you have an account or not.

What information will I need to enter an event?

The following information is required: Title of event, address of event (please include a complete address if at all possible - street and number), city/town of event, brief description of the event, date(s) and time(s) of the event, and the name, e-mail and phone number of the person submitting the event.

There is a place to enter each piece of information - just follow the form.

Where do I put the time(s)?

After you complete the basic information and select the continue button, there will be areas to enter the time. Please note: 12 p.m. is noon; 12 a.m. is midnight.

I'm afraid you might be confused by some of the information I submit. How can I explain it when you provide such limited fields on the form?

Use the description field for any explanation you think is necessary. We will edit the information as needed.

Will my event appear in the calendar in the Mahomet Citizen or another of the weekly papers owned by The News-Gazette?

Events you submit via the online form at The News-Gazette Web site will be considered for publication in The News-Gazette itself, on the Web site and in Accent, a weekly publication of The News-Gazette.

At the moment, the information in not necessarily shared with any of the other weekly newspapers owned by The News-Gazette, or with the radio stations.

I don't know when the event ends. What should I put in the end time box?

Leave it blank.

How can I enter an event with multiple start times on the same day?

At this time, events with multiple times on the same day cannot be accommodated by our form. Please list the all times in the description and use the earliest starting time in the time field.

Why am I getting an error message?

Some possibilities:

Check the dates and times: If you try to enter an event for a date that doesn't exist, you will get an error (for example, Feb. 30).

Check that you have included all required information. Required fields are marked with an *.

If you have checked both of these areas and everything is OK, please let us know about the problem by e-mailing us directly at calendar@news-gazette.com.

Please give as much information about the error as possible in the e-mail.

Will you print or post online the information about the submitter?

No. That is for our use only, to confirm and/or clarify the details of the event.

How do I edit/make changes?

E-mail calendar@news-gazette.com. Include the title and date of the event, as well as the name, phone number and e-mail of the original submitter.

Be specific about what changes must be made and, if there is an error, exactly what it is.

How do I cancel/delete an event?

E-mail calendar@news-gazette.com. Include the

title and date of the event, as well as the name, phone number and e-mail of the original submitter. Be as specific as possible.

How can I get my event added to the online calendar as quickly as possible?

The more information we have, the faster we can verify an event. Please include local phone numbers, e-mail addresses and Web sites with your event. Do not enter events using all caps. Use normal upper and lower case conventions. Use first and last names for contact people. If the area code for a phone number is 217, there is no need to include it.

If you have a specific deadline, or if it is imperative that your event appear in print/online - not subject to normal editing procedures - you may purchase an ad. Contact the advertising department at advertising@news-gazette.com.

How can I report that the form to enter an event is not working?

E-mail calendar@news-gazette.com.

How come the event I just entered is not showing up on the Web site?

All events are edited/verified by a human being before they are put on the Web site. They will not go live immediately.

My event was listed online but not in the paper. Why not?

There are several possible reasons, among them:

The deadlines are different and perhaps you submitted it too late to get in print; the newspaper has greater limitations on space; recurring events are not always listed in the newspaper; the editors of different calendars may have different criteria for judging the appropriateness of a particular event for a specific calendar.

My event came and went and never appeared online OR in the paper. What happened?

- We were unable to contact the person who submitted the event.

- We received the event too late, even for online.

- The event was not open to the public.

- The event was not local.

- The event was judged to be of a commercial nature and perhaps not best suited for a community calendar.

Why didn't the URL (web address) appear in the paper?

We always verify a URL before we print it; if we cannot verify it before the deadline, we will probably list your event but without a Web address.

Occasionally a Web address is very long or for some other reason does not allow our columns to print well; we try to adjust it but it is not always possible.

Also, sometimes we need to shorten a calendar to fit the space available and we might need to delete some of the Web addresses.

What are the deadlines to submit events for the print calendars?

- A good rule of thumb is to submit your event via the online form at least two weeks ahead of the date it occurs. This gives us time to verify information and avoid the possibility that questions will delay the listing of your event.

- The actual deadline for the E3 entertainment calendar (published on Thursday), the community calendar (published Sunday), and the children's calendar (published Thursday) is 8 a.m. the Monday before publication.

- The deadline for the religion calendar (published Friday) is noon Wednesday, two days before publication.

Do you guarantee that my event will appear in one of your calendars?

The News-Gazette works as closely as possible with community groups and others to assure that items that might be of interest to our readers get in the

newspaper. Still, we cannot guarantee that any given listing will appear. If you need such a guarantee, you should consider placing an ad. You can contact the advertising department at advertising@news-gazette.com