Riverland Community College

Riverland Community College (Riverland) has the following procedures for dealing with any media interactions. The purpose of these procedures allows the Director of Communications, the College’s public information officer, to protect the college and its employees from potentially damaging stories. Following these procedures with ALL media interactions helps establish an unchanging routine with area reporters, and enables the information officer to evaluate the impact of the content (positive or negative) and determine if additional resources are needed to assist with potential impact.

In addition, one role of the Communications Department is to be a resource to the media and connect them with best possible source(s) that will build the College’s credibility in the surrounding region.

APPLICABILITY:

1. Contact the Communications Department

Refer all representatives of the media to the Communications Department. Contact information is below. Please do not to make statements or set up interviews with the media about any topic (no matter how harmless it may seem) without taking this important step. It is also important that we do not make the media feel they MUST contact Communications, but rather encourage them to do so as their best course of action for prompt service.

2. Direct the media to the Communications Department

Most media quickly learn to contact Communications before contacting a Riverland employee or student on campus, but you can help them understand Riverland’s process. We are not trying to deny the media access, we are trying to objectively coordinate that access so that it does not interfere with teaching and learning. Politely inform the media that all media information and interviews are coordinated through the communications department.

3. The Communications Department always confirms media contacts

If the media tells you they have contacted Communications, consider this: The Communications department will always contact you BEFORE using you as a source or releasing your name to the media. We never release any contact information that is not accessible through the published staff directory without prior permission. In many cases, we will inform reporters that you will call them to set up the appointment, but always confirm details with all people involved.

4. You can always reach the Communications Department

If for some reason you cannot reach anyone in Communications on campus, do not hesitate to call cell numbers or alternative contacts listed below. If the director is out of the office or the service area, his/her office voice mail and email vacation rules always have contact information for an alternative designee for the media. Please contact that person. Always leave a message, but please continue to try all the available contact options. Most of us monitor our messages while in meetings and if we receive a call or message, we will check messages at the first opportunity.