FAQs

 

Subscriptions and Delivery

Q: Do I need a subscription to access all the content on vineyardgazette.com?
A: No. We have opted to keep the website open so anyone interested in our news can read it regardless of ability to pay. However, we ask those who access our news online regularly to become a Friend of the Vineyard Gazette. The suggested contribution is $100.00 per year. 

 Q: How do I change my address or put a temporary hold on delivery of my newspaper?

A: Simply use this change of address form. Note that we need at least one week’s notice to ensure that your newspaper reaches your new address.

Q: Where do I report problems with my home delivery?
A: Please email us at circulation@vineyardgazette.com with as many specifics as possible, or call us at 508-627-4311, ext. 125.

Online Access

Q: How often is your website updated?

A: The Vineyard Gazette website is updated continuously as news breaks and new information becomes available. Some feature stories and other information that appears regularly in the print newspaper are added to the site late Thursdays.

Q: Is all the content from the print edition of the Vineyard Gazette available online?
A: Almost all of the content from the print edition is available online. Exceptions include certain advertisements, puzzles, and other third-party content that we are not contractually permitted to post online. The online edition also includes additional content that, for space reasons, never appears in print.

News

Q: How do I report breaking news or suggest an idea for a news story?
A: During regular business hours, you can call us at 508-627-4311, or please email us anytime at news@vineyardgazette.com. 

Q: How do I send in a letter to the editor or offer a general suggestion or comment?
A: Use these easy contact forms to send information or comments to the Gazette, or email us at news@vineyardgazette.com.

Q: How do I report an error in the newspaper?
A: The Gazette makes every effort to be accurate, but occasionally mistakes get by us. If you see an error in the newspaper or on our website, please email news@vineyardgazette.com and we will correct it.

Q: How do I reach a town columnist?
A: Our town columnists work from home and prefer to be reached by personal email or phone number. Their contacts are listed under each town columnist’s name in the print edition of the Gazette and on the town pages of our website.

Classified Advertising

Q: How do I place a classified ad?
A:  It’s easy to place a classified advertisement by using our Online Classified Form. If you have a question, please email us at classifieds@vineyardgazette.com.

Q: If I place a classified ad in print does it also go online?
A: Yes. When you place a classified advertisement in the Vineyard Gazette, it appears online for a week and in that week’s print edition.

Q: When are the classified ads updated online?
A: Classified advertisements are posted online as we receive them. We make every effort to get them online quickly and not later than the end of the next business day after they are sent in.

Q: Can I change or cancel my classified ad after I’ve placed it?
A: Yes, corrections, changes and cancellations can be made by sending an email  to classifieds@vineyardgazette.com.

Q: How do I access classified ads that were published previously?
A: Classified ads that have been discontinued are removed from our website and not maintained in any online archive. To find a classified advertisement that was published previously, please visit your public library’s periodical archive for a copy of our print edition.

Obituaries

Q: How do I place an obituary?
A: The Vineyard Gazette welcomes obituaries of people who have lived or vacationed regularly on Martha’s Vineyard. Submission deadline is 5 p.m. Tuesday for publication in print on Friday. Obituaries will appear online and in print. Start the obituary process on the Obituary Placement Page. 

Q: What is the deadline for obituaries?
A: Submission deadline is 5 p.m. Tuesday for publication in print on Friday. Obituaries will appear online and in print.

Q: How do I determine whether I should use the on-Island or off-Island rate?
A: If the obituary is about someone who is or was until recently a resident of a town on Martha’s Vineyard, use the on-Island rate. If the obituary is about someone who spends the summer on the Island but primarily resides in another location, use the off-Island rate.

Q: If I don’t have the funds, can I still run an obituary?
A: Yes, readers will always have free access to run a 100-word Death Notice or Service Announcement. We want to make sure we continue to give everyone the opportunity to be recognized with an obituary regardless of their financial circumstances. Please contact us at news@vineyardgazette.com so we can best assist you.

Q: Will my obituary appear exactly as I typed it?
A: All obituaries will be subject to editing, following the editorial guidelines of the Vineyard Gazette. To follow the Vineyard Gazette style, we recommend you start your obituary with the date and location of the death, the age of the deceased and, if you are including it, the cause of death. For example: "John Smith died peacefully at his home in Vineyard Haven on Saturday, Sept. 14. He was 86 years old.” The Gazette reserves the right to edit obituaries for length, grammar, and editorial style.

Example obiturary →

Q: How do I know you have received my obituary?
A: If you are submitting an on-Island or off-Island obituary, you will receive a confirmation email following your payment. You will not receive a copy of your submitted obituary. If you have not received an email but believe you have completed payment, please contact us at 508-627-4311. If you are submitting a free death notice/service notice of 100 words or less, you will not receive a confirmation email.

Q: What if I want to make a change to my obituary after I’ve submitted it?
A: Please contact news@vineyardgazette.com.

Q: Will everyone be able to see the obituary?
A: Yes, vineyardgazette.com is a free website. Obituaries do not appear behind a paywall and they become part of the archive of the Vineyard Gazette.

Q: Why is the Gazette charging for obituaries?
A: In order to support community journalism and our free news website, we believe it is time to come in line with what other newspapers are doing across the country. These charges will go toward covering local news and will directly support news gathering.

Q: Why are some deaths featured as a news item in the paper?
A: The editorial team at the Gazette features noted community members’ passing with news articles when the circumstances are warranted.

Q: How do I order copies of the paper in which the obituary is published?
A: You can order a bundle of newspapers to be shipped to you.