BH&G guidelines for credits

In regard to staff credits:

  • Because we are on the masthead, we need to be judicious about crediting ourselves, even in the gutter.
  • Everyone needs to play a role in not putting names where unneeded—weigh the necessity and benefit.
  • We will not double credit staff on a page. For example, “Producer and Styling” becomes “Producer,” with the styling aspect included in the credit. If styling played a larger role in the work, by all means use styling instead. (“Writer and Producer” or “Recipes and food styling” for non-Meredith people is OK.)
  • That also means avoid double credits for one job, e.g., By: Jane Doe and John Smith. When possible, credit one person for a role.
  • If you have questions, see your deputy editor. As needed, the EE will make the final decision on individual cases.

One-page stories:

  • Credits go in the gutter.
  • If a photograph or illustration fills a significant portion of the page, that will be credited at bottom of the page.
  • Freelancers can get a byline.

Section openers:

  • Photographer and stylists get byline credit.
  • Anyone else goes in the gutter.

Two-plus page stories: 

  • There can be no more than three credits at the bottom of the page. The rest go in the gutter. Who gets the on-page vs. gutter credit depends on the level of work contributed.
  • In general, we want to credit non-Meredith contributors on the page.
  • If the story involved a significant amount of writing (200+ words), we want to credit the writer on the page, especially if it is a freelancer.
  • We want to credit the producer or stylist because their work is seen in the story.
  • This is the order and wording:
    • By, Photos, Illustrations, Food/Prop Styling, Crafts/Recipes By, Produced By

Gutter format (updated 10/1/2020)

  • By: name; Photo/s: (item) name, (item) name, (item) name …;  (Food, Prop) Styling: name; (Crafts, Recipes) By: name; Produced by: Name
  • When only a portrait is getting a gutter credit, you can use:  Portrait: Name name.
  • On a roundup page with multiple bloggers, Instagrammers, etc with name and blog/Instragram name in text, we do NOT need to run a gutter credit unless the photo was shot by someone other than the person named in text.

Well stories:

  • There can be four or five credits on the page. Although the layout might require fewer.
  • Staff needs to balance when they get credit (rather than every issue).  For instance, save “Produced by” for stories you feel you made a large contribution to.
  • Minimize use of gutter credits. Limit them to substylists, such as hair, makeup, …
  • Order: By, Photos, Illustrations, Food/Prop Styling, Crafts/Recipes By, Produced By

Credits for Getty Images, Shutterstock, etc.

  • They go in the gutter at the end of the photographer credits.
  • They must include the photographer’s name.
  • There are two ways to format these:
  1. When all the credits (stylists, etc.) will take up less than one line in the gutter:
    Photos: (photo) name/Getty Images, (photo) name/Getty Images, …
    For example:
    Photos: (Product) Carson Downing, (Bubbles) Joe Smith/Getty Images; Styling: Jane Doe
  2. When credits will wrap to a second line due to the total number of credits (styling, etc.)
    Photos: Getty Images—(photo) name, (photo) name, (photo) name, …
    For example:
    Photos: (Product) Carson Downing, Getty—(Bubbles) Joe Smith, (Ribbon) Paula Lee; Styling: Jane Doe

Credits for supplied product are not necessary if text names the company.

Credits for drop-outs pics (a book cover, a vegetable, one bottle of lotion, etc.) are not necessary.

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