Frequently Asked Questions

Editorial

Q How can I reach the Customer Service Center if I have a question about my account?
Q. How do I reach the Editor of the Chronicle?
Q. How can I look at an old article?
Q. How can I get permission to reprint an article, photograph or a graphic?
Q. How do I submit a news tip?
Q. How do I submit an Op-Ed column?
Q. Why wasn’t an article in the paper?

Circulation

Q. How much is a subscription to the newspaper?
Q. Where can I purchase a back copy of the Chronicle?
Q. Is the newspaper available on the Internet?
Q. How do I get a copy of the paper if I live out of state?
Q. When is the Chronicle supposed to be delivered?
Q. Who do I call if my newspaper is missing or damaged?
Q. Can I opt to have my newspaper delivered without a plastic bag?
Q. Where do I mail subscription payments?
Q. How do I change the credit card number on my account?

Production

Q. Why does my paper have wrinkles?
Q. Why do I have blank pages in my paper?

Advertising

Q. How do I place a classified ad?
Q. How much does it cost?
Q. What is the deadline for placing an ad?
Q. How do I correct my ad?
Q. How do I place an obituary? What are the rates? What is the deadline for placing an obituary?

Human Resources

Q. Where can I find out what jobs are available at the Chronicle?
Q. How do I apply for a job?
Q. How do I become a carrier?

Q How can I reach the Customer Service Center if I have a question about my account?
A. Please call the Chronicle Customer Service Center at (415) 777-7000 (San Francisco area) or Outside of California, customers should call 1-800-310-2455 or 1-800-499-5700 ext. 7000 . Business hours are from 6:30am - 6:30pm, Monday through Friday, 6:30am – 11:00am on Saturdays, and 8:00am – 11:00am on Sundays.

Q. How do I reach the Editor of the Chronicle?
A.To comment on news stories in the main section of the newspaper or to opine on views expressed on the Opinion pages, contact Letters to the Editor.

Please limit your letters to 200 or fewer words ... shorter letters have a better chance of being selected for publication.

Please click here to write to the editior.

If you don't have a home computer, you can use one at your public library or an Internet café.

As a rule, we don't make copies of articles and send them to the public, and our researchers are not available to perform work for the public.

Q. How can I get permission to reprint an article, photograph or a graphic?
A. To obtain permission to reprint a Chronicle staff-written story, please contact the Copyright Clearance Center via the Internet. The address of their web site is www.copyright.com.

Most public libraries provide access to the Internet, if you do not have access at your home, school or office. After registering on the web, you will be able to access the Republication Licensing Service.

If you would like more information about the service, click on "services" and then "Republication Licensing Service" and then "user benefits." Also, you can get answers to frequently asked questions if you click on "help" and then "Republication Licensing Service."

If you have trouble using the service, please call Copyright Clearance Center at (978) 750-8400.

For Chronicle photo reprints and permissions for personal use: 415-777-7850

For Chronicle photo reprints and permissions for commercial use: 415-777-8428

For Chronicle graphics reprints and permissions: 415-777-8944

For any other questions on Article Reprint Permissions call (415) 777-6225

For use of the Chronicle logo, its content or related images for television or motion pictures: Public Relations 415-777-6174

You may link to staff written articles on our web site at www.sfgate.com without permission and at no charge.

Q. How do I submit a news tip?
A. Send a brief, typed release directly to the editor of the section in which your story or event should appear as far in advance as possible. Please use the above mailing address. Include a name and phone number to call if we need more information. Urgent news should be called in directly to our City Desk at (415) 777-7100. Only "breaking" stories will be taken over the phone.

If your event has an appeal to just your neighborhood or city, it can be listed in your local Friday Section, either as a Calendar Listing or as a Community Note. Send your information to The Chronicle Friday Sections, 901 Mission St., San Francisco, CA 94611.

Q. How do I submit an Op-Ed column?
A. You can mail it to Letters to Editor, 901 Mission St., San Francisco, CA 94103 fax it (415) 543-7708 or email it to letters@sfchronicle.com

Q. Why wasn't an article in the paper?
A. Our editors spend a lot of time trying to select the articles that will appeal to our readers. Because of the volume of news, it’s inevitable that some articles will not make it in the paper. If you want to discuss this with an editor, please call Allen Matthews at (415) 777-8890.

Circulation

Q. How much is a subscription to the newspaper?
A. 7-day a week subscription in most of the 9 Bay Area Counties is $10.75 per week. A 6-day (Monday through Saturday) subscription is $8.55 per week. A Sunday only Subscription is $4.75 per week. The prices are somewhat higher in the outlying areas.

Q. Where can I purchase a back copy of the Chronicle?
A. The last 30 days of the Chronicle are available at the Classified Counter, which is located on the 5th Street side of the Chronicle building at the corner of 5th Street and Mission Street in San Francisco. There is a guard there who can direct you if necessary. Daily papers may be purchased for $1.00 and Sunday papers may be purchased for $3.00. To have a back copy mailed, the price is $4.00 for daily papers and $8.00 for Sunday papers. A check for the total amount may be mailed to SF Chronicle Back Copy Department, P. O. Box 7228, San Francisco, CA 94120. Please include a note which gives the date and number of the papers requested, and the address where the back copies should be send. Remember, only the past 30 days are available.

Copies of articles older than 30 days, but printed since January 1, 1995 are also available in the Chronicle archives on SFGATE.com. (see information below)

Q. Is the newspaper available on the Internet?
A. WWW.SFGATE.COM carries the Chronicle’s daily news headlines, sports, weather and entertainment news everyday.It contains the Chronicle archives, with Chronicle articles dating back to January 1, 1995 available at no charge.

Q. How do I get a copy of the paper if I live out of state?
A. Pre-paid mail subscriptions are available. To speak to a Customer Service Representative, please call 1-800-499-5700 ext. 7000.

If you need a copy of a specific issue of the paper, you may order it, provided it is less than 30 days old. Daily papers are $4.00, and Sunday papers are $8.00. Please mail a check or money order for your order to SF Chronicle Back Copy Department, P. O. Box 7228, San Francisco, CA 94120. Please include a note which gives the date and number of the papers requested, and the address where the back copies should be sent.

Chronicle information is also available on SFGATE.com.

Q. When is the Chronicle supposed to be delivered?
A. The deadline for delivery of the Chronicle on Mondays through Saturdays is 6:30am.* On Sundays, the delivery deadline is 8:00am.   If you do not receive your delivery of the Chronicle, contact us before 9:30am Monday through Saturday*, and 11:00am on Sundays, we will deliver a replacement for the missed paper. Please call 1-(415) 777-7000 (San Francisco area) or 1-800-310-2455 (all other areas) and follow the prompts.
*Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day the deadline for delivery is 7:30am. If you do not receive your delivery of the Chronicle on Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Year's Day, contact us before 11:00am for a replacement.

Q. Who do I call if my newspaper is missing or damaged?
A. Please call the Chronicle Customer Service Center at (415) 777-7000 (San Francisco area) or 1-800-310-2455 (all other areas).

Q. Can I opt to have my newspaper delivered without a plastic bag?
A. Home delivery subscribers can opt to have their newspaper delivered ALWAYS with a plastic bag, bagged ONLY WHEN IT'S RAINING, or NEVER in a plastic bag. Our general policy is to deliver the newspaper in a plastic bag whenever it's deemed that protection from the elements is needed – dirt, dust or dampness, for example. Since our goal is deliver a dry, readable newspaper, most papers are bagged when rain is forecast, unless a customer has specially requested that their newspaper never be bagged. To make a request about the use of plastic bags in the delivery of your newspaper, call 1-800-310-2455 today.

Q. Where do I mail subscription payments?
A. You may mail subscription payments to San Francisco Chronicle,  P.O. Box 80084, Prescott, AZ 86304-8084

Q. How do I change the credit card number on my account?
A. Please call the Chronicle Customer Service Center at (415) 777-7000 (San Francisco area) or 1-800-310-2455 (all other areas) if you would like to change the credit card number we have on your account.

Production

Q. Why does my paper have wrinkles?
A. Wrinkles are caused by friction between newsprint and press rollers.Water-based flexographic ink, which is used to print the Chronicle, causes greater friction than oil-based inks that are typically used to print newspapers. Chronicle production staff carefully assess every appearance of wrinkles and adjust presses as needed to eliminate them.

Though flexo ink contributes to wrinkling, it nevertheless has superior graphics reproduction capabilities and is non-toxic to users and the environment. It also does not rub off on readers' hands and clothes.

Q. Why do I have blank pages in my paper?
A. The Chronicle is printed on presses fed by large rolls of newsprint which are changed during press runs. Blank pages occur during the paste cycle when a press pastes the end of one roll of newsprint to the beginning of a new roll, thereby producing a double thickness of newsprint. As the paster passes through the press, only the outer surfaces of the two pages are inked. When such a blank sheet appears in a newspaper, it separates correctly printed pages; none of the newspaper is missing.

Occasionally, blank pages are caused by ink starvation to the anilox cylinder in a press, or, rarely, by running a press with a plate missing from a plate cylinder, or, very rarely, by a plate coming off a cylinder while a press is running.

A working press is monitored continually. If a blank page is detected, the press is stopped immediately and newspapers with blank pages are called back from stackers and bundlers before they leave the printing plant. Once in a while a few newspapers get into circulation before a blank page is noticed.

Advertising

Q. How do I place a classified ad?
A. You can place an ad by telephone, in person, by mail, fax, or e-mail.

By Telephone:	415-777-7777 OR toll free 866-732-4766, x7777 7am to 6pm, Monday through Friday
In Person:	100 5th Street San Francisco, CA 8:30am to 4:30pm (closed 1-2pm daily for lunch)
By Mail:	San Francisco Chronicle Classified Dept., 901 Mission Street, San Francisco, CA 94103
By Fax:	415-348-3081
By E-Mail:	classifieds@sfgate.com

Q. How much does it cost?
A. That depends on the type and length of your ad. Please contact the Classified Advertising Department for further information.

Q. What is the deadline for placing an ad?
A.

Day Ad is Run	Deadline if placed by phone
Monday	5:30pm Friday
Tuesday through Thursday	2:00 pm previous day
Friday	12:00 noon Thursday
Saturday	11:30 am Friday
Sunday	3:30pm Friday
Day Ad is Run	Deadline if placed by fax
Monday	4:30 pm Friday
Tuesday through Thursday	1:00 pm previous day
Friday	3:30 pm Wednesday
Saturday	2:30pm Thursday
Sunday	1:30pm Friday

Q. How do I correct my ad?
A. To correct an ad, please call our Classified Advertising Department at (415) 777-7777 or toll free (866) 732-4766, x7777. 

Q. How do I place an obituary? What are the rates? What is the deadline for placing an obituary?
A. An obituary notice is a paid listing, often provided for you by the attending mortuary. If the mortuary does not place the obituary notice, you can place one yourself via any of the following methods:

1.	Fax your notice to (415) 348-3080
2.	E-mail your notice to inmemory@sfchronicle.com
3.	Mail your notice to In Memory, San Francisco Chronicle, 901 Mission St., San Francisco, CA 94103. All notices must be typed.
4.	A representative from the InMemory Desk will call you with a price quote. Payment is made by credit card over the phone.

WHEN YOU SUBMIT: Please provide: Your name, address, phone number & the name and city of the funeral home or cremation society. This is for verification purposes only. Omission of any of this information will delay publication.

DEADLINES FOR PUBLICATION: 10:00am the day before

Rates:
Approximately $16.00 per printed line per day.
There are approximately 7 printed lines per inch.
A line consists of approximately 30 spaces.
Discounts are available on consecutive publications.

Note: A fee of $25 will be added to every obituary notice to be on our web site.

Human Resources

Q. Where can I find out what jobs are available at the Chronicle?
A. You can access the SFCHRONICLE.COM website and click on the Employment button tab on the left side of the page.You can also call our job line at 1-415-777-7642.

Q. How do I apply for a job?
A. You can send your resume via:

E-mail: hr@sfchronicle.com

Fax: 415-974-0540

US Mail:
San Francisco Chronicle
H.R. Department
901 Mission Street
San Francisco, CA 94103

Q. How do I become a carrier?
A. For carrier opportunities with the San Francisco Chronicle, please call (415) 777-7508 (San Francisco area) or 1 800 986 4562 (Out of the local area) between the hours of 5:30 am and 7:00 pm. You must be 18 years or older with a social security card and demonstrate compliance with applicable laws (including a good DMV record, an insured vehicle, and a valid driver’s license). As an independent contractor you must provide your own equipment, such as a car or van, and supplies, such as gas, to complete the delivery services.