diff --git a/server/ntb/publish/ntb_ninjs.py b/server/ntb/publish/ntb_ninjs.py
index c944ffd7a..b82c57ade 100644
--- a/server/ntb/publish/ntb_ninjs.py
+++ b/server/ntb/publish/ntb_ninjs.py
@@ -159,8 +159,8 @@ def _format_place(self, article) -> List[Dict]:
         places = []
         for place in article["place"]:
             ninjs_place = {
-                "name": place.get("name"),
-                "literal": place.get("qcode"),
+                "name": place.get("name") or "",
+                "literal": place.get("qcode") or "",
             }
 
             cv_place = self.places.get(place["qcode"])
diff --git a/server/ntb/publish/ntb_nitf.py b/server/ntb/publish/ntb_nitf.py
index db639d99a..4abb7e6e9 100644
--- a/server/ntb/publish/ntb_nitf.py
+++ b/server/ntb/publish/ntb_nitf.py
@@ -231,7 +231,7 @@ def places(self):
     def _format_place(self, article, docdata):
         mapping = (
             ("state-prov", ("ntb_parent", "name")),
-            ("county-dist", ("ntb_qcode", "qcode")),
+            ("county-dist", ("ntb_qcode", )),
             ("id", ("wikidata", "altids")),
         )
         for place in article.get("place", []):
@@ -252,6 +252,8 @@ def _format_place(self, article, docdata):
                         elif isinstance(data.get(key), str):
                             evloc.attrib[attrib] = data[key]
                             break
+                else:
+                    evloc.attrib[attrib] = ""
 
     def _format_pubdata(self, article, head):
         pub_date = article["versioncreated"].astimezone(tz).strftime("%Y%m%dT%H%M%S")
diff --git a/server/ntb/tests/publish/ntb_nitf_test.py b/server/ntb/tests/publish/ntb_nitf_test.py
index 6dc823090..07eea19eb 100644
--- a/server/ntb/tests/publish/ntb_nitf_test.py
+++ b/server/ntb/tests/publish/ntb_nitf_test.py
@@ -849,7 +849,12 @@ def test_language_empty(self):
         self.formatter.format(article, {"name": "Test NTBNITF"})
 
     def test_place_imatrics(self):
-        evloc = self.nitf_xml_imatrics.find("head/docdata/evloc")
-        self.assertEqual(evloc.get("county-dist"), "Gjerdrum")
-        self.assertEqual(evloc.get("state-prov"), "Viken")
-        self.assertEqual(evloc.get("id"), "Q57084")
+        evloc = self.nitf_xml_imatrics.findall("head/docdata/evloc")
+
+        self.assertEqual(evloc[0].get("county-dist"), "Gjerdrum")
+        self.assertEqual(evloc[0].get("state-prov"), "Viken")
+        self.assertEqual(evloc[0].get("id"), "Q57084")
+
+        self.assertEqual(evloc[1].get("county-dist"), "")
+        self.assertEqual(evloc[1].get("state-prov"), "Genève")
+        self.assertEqual(evloc[1].get("id"), "")