News Release Requests
To request a news release, contact the Communications and Marketing Office with the information outlined below. Provide the information in electronic form, either by e-mail or on disk, so the office does not have to re-key the information. This saves time and reduces the chance of errors in the re-typing.
After the information has been put in the appropriate news style, you will be sent a copy of the release for review before the information is distributed to the media. Please remember:
- The more lead time you can provide, the better.
- 10 days to two weeks of lead time is best.
- Your job is one of many we will be working on.
- Upcoming event news releases should be distributed about a week in advance.
While our office will extend you this review courtesy, media will not. Though we can control what leaves our office, we cannot guarantee how or when the materials will appear in print or broadcast media.
Types of News Releases
There are several different types of news releases distributed by the Communications and Marketing Office. Most faculty and staff needs for news releases will fall in the following categories:
Advances
Advances, as the name states, are done in advance of upcoming events or activities. These activities can be speakers, performances, meetings, banquets, Homecoming or other events. As a general rule, the event must be open to the campus or local community to merit an advance.
The broader the perceived audience for the event, the greater the lead time necessary to produce and distribute an advance. Generally, 10 days notice to our office is adequate for local distribution. Additional lead time is necessary for broader distribution among Concho Valley media, many of which are weekly newspapers, or among state media, such as magazines that may require advance notice of three months or longer.
Information sent to our office for an advance should include the following:
- Description of the event
- Date, time and location
- Program participants and sponsors
- Cost of admission (if any)
- Biographical information
- Background or brief history of the event
News Stories
News stories are usually done after an event and provide details of the event. The concept is that news was made at the event. Of course, the news can have narrow or broad interest, depending upon the occasion. Common news stories in a university setting might include reports of awards, scholarships, presentations, speeches, meetings and similar events.
News stories will include many - but not all - of the same elements as in an advance. These would include:
- Description of the event
- Date and location
- Sponsors
- Honorees
- Biographical information
- Background or brief history of the event
Hometowners
In cases where students are recognized, news stories are sent to their hometowns. This makes parents proud and provides good public relations for the university. Requests for news stories involving students should include the following information:
- Student’s name
- Classification and major
- Hometown
- Background on award, honor or scholarship
Where possible, the names and addresses of the student’s parents should also be provided. It is best to get this information directly from the student so that his or her preferences are taken into account in listing parents, particularly in cases where parents live separately or have re-married. It is the responsibility of the department requesting the hometowner to provide this information.
Feature Stories
Feature stories may be developed at our discretion. They are generally longer than advances or news stories and provide greater detail and depth, for example, about an individual, a research project, a trend or a different perspective on a current event.
Our office is always receptive to feature ideas about interesting research, unusual activities, interesting personalities, etc. Although the office does not have the manpower to develop all ideas into features, the office can convey those ideas to the media for possible use.
Embargoed Releases
The media do not have the personnel to cover every event or activity of the university. Generally, the coverage timeliness - the time between the event and the publication or airing of the news itself - is not critical. In cases where timeliness is critical, but the media may not be able to cover the event, our staff can work with departments to do a release that can be “embargoed.”
By practice, an “embargoed” news release is one that is not to be used by the media until a certain specified time. If the outcome of the event, such as an awards banquet, is known in advance, our staff can put together a news story as if the event has already concluded and distribute it to the media. Generally, the media respect an embargo.
