Council newspapers

Dear Mr Barnett

Re: Information Request - Reference Number: 2010010003

Thank you for your request for information received on 4 January 2010. We
are currently processing your request in accordance with the Freedom of
Information Act 2000, and will respond to you within 20 working days.

For clarification we are using the following information for the purpose
of processing your request.

Details, as outlined in the request for information, regarding Council
newspapers.

If you feel the information is inaccurate or requires amendment, please
notify us as soon as possible using the contact details provided above.

Yours sincerely

Lucy Lavelle
Information Governance Team

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Dear Mr Barnett

Further to your recent Freedom of Information request which we received on
4 January 2010, please find our response below.

1. The name, frequency and distribution/circulation of your council
newspaper (by council newspaper I mean the most frequently published
newspaper or magazine intended for mass distribution covering more than
one topic)

Your Shropshire
Quarterly
Approx 129,000

2. How much it cost to produce and distribute said newspaper in the
last full financial year, and how much was budgeted from council resources
in the financial year 2009/2010

Net cost (projected) **124,951
Budget: **126,000

3. How much of that cost is offset by advertising

15%*

4. How much of that advertising, if any, comes from external
sources (ie not from your authority's budgets)?

91.5%

5. Which other public sector partners pay to run advertising in
your newspaper, eg PCTs?

PCT, Police (ad hoc *** each has advertised once this year)
Housing Associations

6. Whether recruitment advertising forms part of the advertising in
your newspaper?

No

7. A copy of an editorial policy guide, if one exists, which
governs the material which is placed in the newspaper, and how it s
decided

Your Shropshire

Your Shropshire is the council***s quarterly magazine, delivered to all
households in Shropshire.

The winter 2009 issue was delivered to households at the beginning of
December 2009. If you have not received your copy by 5 December, please
contact us and we***ll send you a copy.

The aim of the magazine is to keep you up to date with what the council is
doing and how you can get involved. We also want you to get the most out
of living in Shropshire, so there***s plenty of information about things
to do all around the county, and where to get help and support.

In this issue, we focus on food in Shropshire and give you tips for
enjoying a green Christmas. There***s also information about how you can
save money. Our ***Out and About*** section shows you everything from
Shropshire***s history to travel tips.

The magazine is available in various formats: the mp3 version is attached
to this page, and you can contact us for versions in large print, Braille
and cd-rom.

We welcome comments about the magazine. Please send these to the Editor.

Submissions to Your Shropshire

Letters

We welcome letters from residents about the council***s work.

The aim of the letters page is to provide information and comment that
will be of interest to other readers.

Letters that we publish will reflect the letters we receive. Minority
viewpoints should not expect equal exposure.

Things to remember:

The council will not publish:

** letters that contain inaccuracies
** letters that are defamatory or, in the editor***s opinion,
prejudiced against any group
** letters that are too long. The letters page is just that ***
one page. We reserve the right to edit your letter if necessary to enable
the publication of as many views and questions as possible.

The Editor***s decisions about what is included in the letters page is
final.
If you would like your letter published in the magazine, mark it *** and
not the envelope *** ***for publication***. Please let us know if you
would like us to respond to your letter even if it is not printed.

Support Groups and Volunteering

We welcome submissions for our listings of support groups and volunteering
opportunities in the not-for-profit sector. All submissions are free of
charge and submissions are chosen by the editor.

Please let us know:

** what sort of group you are, and what your group***s aim is
** what you are looking for (members, volunteers, etc)
** where you are based, or where you meet
** what your contact details are

What***s On events

Listings for What***s On events run by the council, its partners and other
not-for-profit groups are free. There will be a charge for listings by
commercial organisations. Submissions are chosen by the editor.

Advertising

The council accepts advertising from voluntary, public and commercial
organisations at the editor's discretion. It will not advertise services,
goods or organisations that, in the editor's view, conflict with the
council's aims and the aims of the magazine.

8. A copy of an advertising policy guide, if one exists, which
governs what sort of advertising is suitable.

See above

9. The number of people employed to put your newspaper / newsletter
together, including total cost and staff organisation chart

The council does not employ any staff specifically to produce the
magazine. It is produced by the Communications team using available
resources.

*Please note that the total costs given in this response are as accurate
as possible, however costs and revenue for the March 2010 issue of the
magazine are projected.

We trust that this answers your request satisfactorily. However, if you
should require any further information, please do not hesitate to contact
me.

Yours sincerely

Heather Jones
Assistant Information Governance Officer

show quoted sections

Help prevent the spread of swine flu. CATCH IT. BIN IT. KILL IT.

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