Gazette

The AKC Gazette Bullmastiff Column Editor has been chosen by the ABA Board to represent our breed because of his/her recognized expertise in bullmastiffs. It is a rare opportunity to discuss important issues and share valuable experience with other fanciers, judges and influential individuals. The Column Editor is given permission by the Board to exercise discretion in developing and accepting material for publication. Many people outside the club, and even outside the breed, will read the column, so articles should be written with the entire audience in mind.

The Breed Column Editor serves as the official liaison between ABA and the AKC Gazette while representing the bullmastiff breed to the rest of the fancy. It is understood that, when discussing a potentially controversial topic, the Editor will be fair and objective and will avoid club politics, promotion of individuals or factions or complaints about any individuals (judges, handlers, exhibitors or dogs). As the AKC Gazette discourages reports on National Specialties, the Column Editor will leave coverage of this important ABA Event to other publications.

The Column Editor will work to avoid duplication and so will not include any information specific to ABA members that will be published in the ABA Newsletter or Bulletin, but will take advantage of the opportunity to best mentor and educate the readership on the wider bullmastiff breed issues. No ABA publication or ABA sponsored piece of writing shall include any opinion on veterinary matters by a non-veterinarian without a serious disclaimer. The Column Editor will recommend that readers consult with professional veterinary authorities when appropriate. When using a guest columnist, the Column Editor will provide a statement signed by the guest columnist acknowledging that the article was written for the column. This “permission to publish” statement can be a simple, brief email sent directly from the guest writer to the Column Editor. When using a guest columnist, the Column Editor will provide a very brief introduction to the writer at the beginning and a “thank you” at the end of the column.

Since many ABA members do not subscribe to the AKC Gazette, the ABA Bulletin Editor is encouraged to use the previously published Gazette breed columns in each of its publications in order that the ABA membership benefit from all available information on the breed. The column should therefore be provided to the Bulletin Editor in a timely and regular fashion. The Bulletin Editor must request written permission from the Gazette Columns Editor in order to reprint a column, providing the title of the column and date of publication. When published in the Bulletin a notation that permission was provided as requested by AKC should be printed with the name of the column and the date of publication. If a publication other than the ABA Bulletin or Newsletter would like to reprint the column, permission must be obtained from the Column Editor and the publication must print an acknowledgement of the article’s source (AKC Gazette, month and year of issue).

Deadlines to the AKC Gazette must be adhered to. Because of the printing arrangements of AKC, columns not received by the deadline MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED in the designated issue. If an unexpected emergency arises, the Bullmastiff Breed Column Editor will email the AKC Gazette Editor as soon as possible. The Column Editor is encouraged to have an “inventory column” on file with the AKC to be used if the column is delayed.

07/07 LAW