Become An Observer

The Heights Observer is is written by volunteers. People like you!

We need news and information from your neighborhood and community in Cleveland Heights or University Heights.

Write stories, interviews, restaurant reviews, news, and events. Submit your photos.

Here is a list of monthly deadlines for writers, editors, photographers, and advertisers.

Become an Observer! It does not matter if you are a professional or amateur, our editorial staff will be glad to have you.

Need to learn a few basics about writing a news article? Orient yourself to the Heights Observer Style Guide and see step by step guidelines below.*

Ready to submit? Then, go to the Member Center. This is where all the magic happens. From this page, you can submit stories about anything Heights-related that you desire. It's easy and fun. And, you can work on a story online, before you send it to our volunteer editors.

Do you have a good writing background? If you are interested in helping with the editorial process, please email publisher@heightsobserver.org

Learn about our editing procedures and requirements in the Heights Observer Style Guide.

Community Groups: Send us your News Releases-- If you have information on an event, organization, program, or news on anything that has to do with Heights, send it to: city.editor@heightsobserver.org

Calendar of Events To appear on our calendar of events, submit them online here.

Newsies/Delivery People-- The Heights Observer is always looking for people that would like to help deliver the newspaper around town for a couple of hours. If interested, email: delivery@heightsobserver.org

Get started as a citizen journalist: CoveringCommunities.org

Check out the Principles of Citizen Journalism from the Center for Citizen Media for in depth instruction on being a citizen journalist.

*Write a great article

Follow this step by step guide to a good article:

  1. Decide what your article will be about.
  2. Research the topic of your article.
  3. First paragraph: In the first few sentences, answer these questions!
    Who?
    What?
    When?
    Where?
    Why?
  4. Grab the reader's attention by using an opening sentence which is a question or something unexpected!
  5. Now, give the details. It is always a good idea to include one or two quotes from people you interviewed. Write in the third person (he, she, it or they). Be objective. Use active verbs so the reader feels things are really happening!
  6. Last paragraph: Round off your article. Try ending with a quote or a catchy phrase!
  7. By-line: At the end, state who wrote the article; 'By ....'.
  8. Decide where appropriate illustrations/pictures will be placed.
  9. Proof-read your article and edit where needed.
  10. Spell check your article!
  11. Send it in to the Heights Observer.

Courtesy Bedfordshire Libraries

 

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UPCOMING EVENTS

March 12, 2010:
7:00 PM - Heights Youth Theatre presents "Once On This Island"

8:00 PM - 10:00 PM - Mozart Celebration: Ballet comes to Severance Hall

8:00 PM - 10:30 PM - Speech and Debate by Stephen Karam

March 13, 2010:
1:00 PM - 4:00 PM - Sanskrit 2 (1st week of a 2-part workshop)

2:00 PM - Heights Youth Theatre presents "Once On This Island"

6:00 PM - 8:00 PM - March Madness Family Fun Night

6:00 PM - 10:00 PM - Dance

6:00 PM - 10:00 PM - Dance! All types of dancing, including line dancing.

7:00 PM - Oh! Sullivans Benefit Concert

7:30 PM - 9:30 PM - Oh! Sullivans Concert

8:00 PM - 10:00 PM - Mozart Celebration: Ballet comes to Severance Hall

8:00 PM - 10:00 PM - SPEECH AND DEBATE by Stephen Karam at Dobama Theatre

March 14, 2010:
1:30 PM - 3:30 PM - Preparing for Birth with Yoga (Couples Workshop) with Swami Atmarupa (Beverly Singh)

2:00 PM - Heights Youth Theatre presents "Once On This Island"

4:00 PM - 6:00 PM - Mozart Celebration: Ballet comes to Severance Hall

7:30 PM - 9:30 PM - PAY AS YOU CAN PERFORMANCE OF SPEECH AND DEBATE by Stephen Karam at Dobama Theatre

7:30 PM - 9:00 PM - Analytic Flicks - free movie discussion

March 15, 2010:
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM - HRRC Workshop: Plastic Water Lines

March 16, 2010:
6:00 AM - 6:45 AM - Navaratri ("Nine Nights")

6:00 PM - 8:00 PM - HRRC Class: Understanding Mortgages & Refinancing

6:30 PM - 8:30 PM - LEADING LADIES AT HEIGHTS HIGH MIND, BODY & SOUL WELLNESS FAIR

March 17, 2010:
6:00 AM - 11:59 PM - WJCU 88.7FM St. Patrick's Day Irish Music Marathon

March 18, 2010:
7:30 PM - 9:30 PM - SPEECH AND DEBATE by Stephen Karam at Dobama Theatre

March 19, 2010:
7:00 PM - Heights Youth Theatre presents "Once On This Island"

7:15 PM - 9:00 PM - Voltimand and Cornelius Are Dead, Too: OddyFest #19

8:00 PM - 10:00 PM - SPEECH & DEBATE by Stephen Karam

8:00 PM - Tetelestai

March 20, 2010:
12:00 AM - 2:15 PM - Community Home Remodeling Fair

1:00 PM - 3:00 PM - HRRC Rehab Open House

2:00 PM - Heights Youth Theatre presents "Once On This Island"

8:00 PM - 10:00 PM - SPEECH & DEBATE by Stephen Karam

8:00 PM - Tetelestai

March 21, 2010:
2:30 PM - 4:30 PM - SPEECH & DEBATE by Stephen Karam

3:00 PM - Tetelestai

7:00 PM - 8:30 PM - WESTERN RESERVE CHORALE WINTER CONCERT

March 22, 2010:
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM - HRRC Workshop: PVC Drain Lines

March 23, 2010:
6:00 PM - 8:00 PM - HRRC Class: Avoiding Mortgage Delinquency

March 24, 2010:
6:00 PM - 8:30 PM - Heights Parent Center Family-School Connection Women's Roundtable

7:00 PM - 9:00 PM - Jeff Milchen, of the American Independent Business Alliance, to speak

7:00 PM - 9:00 PM - Driving Mr. Klezmer

March 25, 2010:
8:30 AM - Business Workshop: Strength In Numbers

6:15 PM - 7:00 PM - Free Music Together Demonstration Class!

7:30 PM - 9:30 PM - SPEECH & DEBATE by Stephen Karam

March 26, 2010:
7:00 PM - 8:30 PM - Yoga & Sexuality 2-part workshop with Atmadarshan (Laura Santoro)

8:00 PM - 10:00 PM - SPEECH & DEBATE by Stephen Karam

8:00 PM - 10:00 PM - SPEECH & DEBATE by Stephen Karam

March 27, 2010:
1:30 PM - 4:30 PM - Yoga & Sexuality 2nd day of a 2-part Workshop with Atmadarshan (Laura Santoro)

5:00 PM - 6:00 PM - Kirtan at Atma Center

8:00 PM - 10:00 PM - SPEECH & DEBATE by Stephen Karam

March 28, 2010:
2:30 PM - 4:30 PM - SPEECH & DEBATE by Stephen Karam

5:30 PM - 7:00 PM - Yoga Movie Night

7:30 PM - Heights Chamber Orchestra Concert

7:30 PM - Heights Chamber Orchestra,

March 29, 2010:
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM - HRRC Workshop: Faucets & Toilets

March 30, 2010:
6:00 PM - 8:00 PM - HRRC Class: Home Maintenance for Home Buyers

April 1, 2010:
7:30 PM - 9:30 PM - SPEECH & DEBATE by Stephen Karam

April 2, 2010:
8:00 PM - 10:00 PM - SPEECH & DEBATE by Stephen Karam