Information for the Press and Members of the Media
Hello and welcome,
This page is a FAQ for members of the media.
- What is a Spotlight email?
- A Spotlight email is sent by an individual in response to reading a blog post. A Spotlight email contains a blog post, the sender's comments on the post, and optionally, the sender's contact information.
- Why did I receive a Spotlight email?
- A blog reader sent it to you because they felt it was important. They may have sent it for
any number of reasons. Ideally their comment about the blog post included in the email should
explain why they sent it to you.
Common reasons for Spotlighting a blog post include:- Praising or criticizing some reporting that you or your organization has recently done
- Supporting or refuting a report with additional facts
- Suggesting a story that the sender feels is under reported
- Urging you and/or your organization to do something differently
- Isn't this SPAM?
- No. SPAM email is sent in bulk by computer programs that send the same message to thousands and
even millions of email addresses. A Spotlight email is sent by an individual who had to:
- Specifically select the recipients and was limited to choosing no more than ten
- Entered a mandatory personal comment about the blog post
- Entered a mandatory "bot-check" verification code which prevents the Spotlight process from being automated. (The verification code is included at the bottom of the Spotlight email.)
- Is my contact information published or otherwise made available?
- No. We work very hard to protect your contact information. People who use The Spotlight Project to send blog posts never see your email address. We will never sell, rent, or give your contact information to a third party (unless compelled by law).
- The email address used is wrong. Can it be changed?
- Yes. Please send an email using the new address to tsp at thespotlightproject dot org. The email must be sent using the new email address and must reference the old email address in the body of the email.
- Can other contact information be updated?
- Yes. Please send an email to tsp at thespotlightproject dot org. Note we will only make the changes after verifying that the new information is correct. To facilitate our ability to verify your new information, please include full details including your employer, employer's address, your title, phone, and email address. The more information you provide and the easier you make it for us to verify the information, the quicker we will be able to update it in our system.
- Can my contact information be removed?
- No (At least not while you are a member of the press or media).
- Some of the Spotlights I receive contain abusive or threatening comments. What can be done about this?
- Please let us know immediately. We do not tolerate abusive or threatening comments. Its not fair to you and
hurts the public discussion.
Please forward any abusive email to help at thespotlightproject dot org. Be sure to include the entire email including all headers and the last line, which contains the verification code.
