Guidelines

Guidelines for journalists using STAR

If you have a question about the journalist guidelines, please contact us.

The following are the guidelines for journalists using STAR. Violations of community guidelines may result in a permanent ban. Violations of community guidelines may result in a permanent ban. If you have a question about the journalist guidelines, please contact us.

1. To use STAR as a journalist, your website (or your media outlet’s ) must have an Alexa.com ranking of one million or less. To determine your Alexa rating, you can visit http://www.alexa.com and enter your website in the “Browse Top Sites” search box. If you have an online television or radio show, it must be hosted on its own domain and meet the aforementioned Alexa ranking criteria. Your Alexa ranking will be based off of worldwide traffic and not just the United States.
2. Websites and publications must be fully launched for at least one month prior to submitting a source request and is still subject to Alexa ranking criteria.
3. Subscription-only publications cannot submit source requests. A subscription-only publication is defined as a publication that only allows paid users to access its content. Publications that offer both free and paid content may submit source requests.
4. Podcasters may submit source requests, so long as their podcast is hosted on its own domain and meets Alexa ranking requirements.
5. You must use your full name when submitting source requests.
6. You must use the name of your website or publication when submitting source requests. You may also check Anonymous to conceal your website or publication’s name, but you must select which medium that it falls under.
7. Limit requests to 300 words or less.
8. Sources acquired through STAR must properly attribute their source when published.
9. Requests for product samples may only come from verified television stations or publications and must be returned at the journalist’s expense. Food items are not allowed.
10. Giftbag source requests must only pertain to single, in-person event and CANNOT charge a fee for the giftbag.
11. Giftbag source requests must include the name of the event, the date of the event, and a description of the event which includes information on those in attendance. Requests CANNOT ask for sponsorship.
12. Student reporters cannot use STAR.
13. All source requests must go through the submission process. Journalists may not ask sources to provide information outside of this process.
14. Source requests CANNOT be used for finding conference speakers.
15. Journalists cannot ask sources to provide prerecorded material. Audio/Video recorded by the journalist in person or through web applications is acceptable.
16. Sources must be credited in any audio/video that is used.
17. Book and e-book authors may submit source requests. Requests must include the publication date and publisher information.
18. Book and e-book authors must credit their source
19. Product review requests will not be accepted.
20. Guest writing requests will not be accepted.
21. Any journalist caught requesting compensation from sources will be permanently banned.
22. Requests for television series or award nominations will not be accepted.
23. Source requests may only be submitted three times within a one week period.
24. Journalists cannot submit source requests on behalf of another person.
25. If the deadline for your source request is on the same day of submission, please contact us and STAR will send out a blast to all of our social media followers.
26. Sources that are spamming journalists with unrelated or unsolicited pitches can be reported by please contacting us.
27. Once published, journalists must provide their source with their name of their publication and a link to the story.