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MNS Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a clipping service?
What publications do you read?
May I limit reading area?
May I limit the number of clips I receive?
What guidelines should I use in placing an order?
How many topics can be listed under a reading fee?
What about service?
How are clips presented?
How do I start your service?
Is a contract required?
Am I able to change my order?
How do I stop service?
Do I have to make payment in advance?
How will I be billed?
May I return clips?
Do you perform Internet searches?
Can you deliver Email clips?
What about international clipping service?
What is clip analysis?
What about clips by FAX?
How does your national service work?
Do you monitor radio/TV?
Do
I need a clipping service?
Using Metropolitan Newsclips Service is the same as subscribing to hundreds
of publications and then having a large research staff carefully reading
all those publications to retrieve the articles, ads and mentions you
want at a fraction of the time, cost and lost hours of doing it yourself.
What
publications do you read?
Nearly anything and everything published in the state of Missouri - including
many not read by any other clipping service. We cover Missouri's daily
newspapers, its community and weekly newspapers, its ethnic press, university
newspapers and a growing number of specialty magazines and publications.
We add new publications that come to our attention or special ones requested
by clients. A list is available upon request.
May
I limit reading area?
You may specify orders for publications and areas in several ways:
divide Missouri by halves or quarters, list by counties, choose only St.
Louis and/or Kansas City metropolitan areas, request only dailies and
so forth. In some special instances, we may be able to restrict orders
to certain groups of publications or other limited geographical areas.
Restrictions may incur a special handling fee. Please ask. We want to
do everything we can to tailor your order to your needs.
May
I limit the number of clips I receive?
No. There is no way to know how often your subject is going to
appear. However, we work with you to help modify your order in ways which
control or reduce the number of clips you receive. Your order may be changed
to produce more or fewer clips as your needs dictate.
What
guidelines should I use in placing an order?
You get the best results with ongoing orders with as few restrictions
as possible for readers to recall each time they come across your subject.
Start by making your needs as clear as possible. Our online
order form helps you simplify and tailor your order. One-time or project
orders get best results when they are placed well in advance of announcement,
with instructions to begin reading on the earliest date you expect something
to appear. Continue long enough to accommodate all publication dates on
your distribution list. Allow time for mailing, reading and clip processing
schedules.
How
many topics can be listed under a reading fee?
You may list an almost unlimited number of topics and subjects
for both print and video orders.
What
about service?
The MNS staff brings professional, prompt handling to any assignment
accepted from you. Management has for many years been on the buying end
of clipping service, so we know what makes a good service. Our control
procedures hold errors to a minimum. We work hard to provide well-presented
clippings accurate to your order and to give our clients as much individual
attention as possible. We welcome test comparison of our services.
How
are clips presented?
Neatly. Accurately. A tag on the clip lets you know the publication
it appeared in, the date it appeared, the current circulation and the
city and county in which the publication is located.
How
do I start your service?
Fill out our online order form or we
can take your order over the telephone. Once placed, we ask that you mail
or FAX a letter affirming the order.
Is
a contract required?
We require no contract. Minimum service is one month for Missouri
service. We encourage a minimum of three months to six months for national
and international service.
Am
I able to change my order?
At any time. It only takes a phone call followed by written notice
to change your order. Clips marked before the change will be charged as
explained in the following paragraph.
How
do I stop service?
You have the option of stopping temporarily or canceling service
altogether to fit your situation. It takes only a phone call followed
by written confirmation. However, clips already marked or in the "pipeline"
prior to the date of cancellation will be sent and billed to you - generally
7 days after cancellation on Missouri orders, up to 14 days on orders
receiving clips from outside the state and 21 days on international orders.
Do
I have to make payment in advance?
Sometimes. We may require a deposit if your order is likely to
generate a large volume of clippings (especially from other states) and
you do not have credit established with us, or if you are from out-of-state.
For your convenience we take Visa® and Mastercard®.
How
will I be billed?
Statements are mailed the first day of every month. They include
the current month's reading fee and the previous month's clips and credits,
postage, and your account status. Terms are 10 days; outstanding balances
are subject to finance charges. You may pay by check or credit card.
May
I return clips?
You may return for full credit any clip that is not to your order
as long as it is returned before the end of the month in which it is received.
Please do not deduct clip credits from your remittance. Mail returns to
us and credits will appear on your next statement.
Do
you perform Internet searches?
By scanning thousands of on-line sources, we can deliver news and
information quickly to your specifications on a constant, daily or project-by-project
basis.
Can
you deliver Email clips?
We can email your clips as a preview of clips you will receive
in the mail. We can then create a CD reference library of your newsclips
with a searchable index database.
What
about international clipping service?
Daily, weekly and monthly publications in some 78 countries around
the world are available through our international network. Service, clip
fees and some restrictions differ from our regular service.
What
is clip analysis?
We evaluate each of your clips by source, total column inches,
broadcast minutes, advertising value, impressions or reach, publicity
value, story slant and more. Weekly or monthly summary reports are available.
What
about clips by FAX?
Time-sensitive clips can be faxed on an as-found basis daily from
our office or cooperating bureaus. Fast breaking news can be faxed same-day
from some 60 major dailies and in 24-48 hours from another 40 dailies
through our FaxClip Network.
How
does your national service work?
As a member of the North American Conference of Press Clipping
Services, cooperating bureaus across the country clip for our clients
who have national clipping needs and we clip for their clients who have
Missouri interests. This economy is passed to our customers along with
individual service and one-stop, one-bureau convenience. When you consider
that you are able to access in the neighborhood of 1700 daily and more
than 7600 weekly newspapers in the US, plus the hundreds of magazines
and journals, the bargain is apparent.
Do you
monitor radio/TV?
Yes, we monitor the St. Louis designated market area locally and
provide regional and national broadcast newsclips through cooperating
providers.
Certified as a Woman-Owned Enterprise in the
State of Missouri
Members of the North American
Conference of Press Clipping Services,
International Association of Broadcast Monitors, and the Saint Louis
Regional Commerce and Growth Association
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“Nothing but the facts, ma’am,” is sound advice for those critical speeches, articles, & presentations. Our highly skilled readers & researchers can help you to:
discover relevant artwork, maps, graphs, or tables.
support your position for editorial letters & articles.
ferret out hard to find biographical information.
