PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release:

April 14, 2003

Telegraph Herald Closes Newspaper Loophole

Dubuque, IA – Telegraph Herald recently announced that the newspaper has changed its classified advertising policy on firearms and will no longer take classified ads for guns from unlicensed sellers. The newspaper will continue to accept gun ads from licensed firearms dealers. The new policy went into effect on April 1, 2003.

The managers at the Telegraph Herald decided to change the newspaper's policy after receiving a letter from Iowans for the Prevention of Gun Violence (IPGV) as part of the National Campaign to Close the Newspaper Loophole. Regarding its new policy, Telegraph Herald publisher Tom Yunt said, "It makes sense."

IPGV confirmed the Telegraph Herald's no gun ad policy by calling the classified section of the newspaper to try to place a classified ad for a Remington 12 gauge shotgun and a Glock 9mm handgun. Our caller was asked to fax a copy of his federal firearms license to the newspaper. Since our caller did not possess a license, the newspaper would not take our caller's ad.

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