Safeguards
The publication of the second issue of The Ed Straker Herald is further evidence of the groundswell of support that is spreading through the UFO community. However, it brings with it some concerns. As the publisher of this broadsheet, I have a moral obligation to our readers to ensure that our publication has safeguards built into it.
The good news is that this issue now provides two discrete sections. All readers, of whatever age, can enjoy the open sections of the Herald and those who are of legal age can access the adult material that is restricted access only. Adult material constitutes what is commonly seen as R-rated material by the MPAA rules.
Unlike many publications, the Herald does not seek financial support. Subscriptions to the locked section are free once you have confirmed your age. These necessary safeguards are there for your protection.
This subscription ‘lock’ will enable the Herald to provide an even more diverse range of articles and information. We look forward to developing this publication into the foremost fanzine of its kind.
Respect
In my role as publisher I feel it is important to clarify the Herald’s position regarding one of our main philosophies. The idea of adding ‘tags’ to a story is nothing new. It is a common courtesy that is used in many fanfiction sites and in general by responsible authors. It is our policy to ‘tag’ stories that have been submitted to us for inclusion within the pages of the Herald, as well as providing ‘tags’ for those we list on the ‘Recent Stories’ section which provides links to UFO fanfiction that has been published in the last six months.
Although some writers may feel that this may give away the plot, it is my personal view, as the Publisher of the Herald, that tagging stories that contain certain potentially unpleasant or shocking scenarios is not only good manners, it is an act of basic decency and consideration.
We do not choose to tag stories because we wish to spoil your enjoyment of the literature provided within the fanzine, but because we consider that, as a newssheet, we are accountable to our readership. We recognise the fact that some individuals may wish to be warned in advance if a story contains subject matter that might cause them distress.
We owe all our followers the thoughtfulness of treating them with respect. Therefore basic tagging will be applied in all appropriate cases. To do otherwise would be to abrogate our responsibilities as a trustworthy publication that is seeking to provide accurate and honest information to all our readers.
As a guide for readers who are unsure of the principles of tagging, the following are examples of tags that The Herald will apply:
Graphic sex, violence, domestic abuse, child abuse, rape, death, torture
or other matters geared to trigger unpleasant memories.
This is where respect really matters: to not cause avoidable discomfort or even pain to the unwary reader.
Contributions
As envisioned we have been sent a huge variety of fan art, fan fiction and fan suggestions. These contributions are valued highly by myself and everyone involved in maintaining this broadsheet. As you can see within the current issue, there are not just stories UFO, there are fictional accounts from the Thunderbirds and some excellent examples of models, CGI and photoshop artistry.
We also start a new format with the March edition: weekly serial stories. The first to come to The Herald is ‘The Shepherd’, which will be added on by a chapter every Saturday.
A word to our international public: we are multilingual! This means that The Herald is able and willing to publish contributions in languages other than English. Please contact us for in-depth information on this, but I can state it here, whether Japanese, Chinese, Italian or French, all that and more is possible!
We hope you’ll enjoy everything!
Ed Straker Publisher