Riverland Community College

There are countless events on the Riverland Community College campus communities each year and many great stories to tell. However, since any external mass communication that originates from a College-sponsored group is an "official" Riverland Community College communication in the eyes of the recipient(s), certain standards must be followed. The Communications Department is responsible for maintaining these standards.

If you are conducting an event that requires media outreach, plan to request as much at least three weeks prior to the event date. This allows the Communications staff time to give each request its due and allows ample time to consider such announcements.

If your event requires posters, flyers, programs, or Web content plan on requesting as much at least six weeks prior to the event/launch date.

The Media Release Process

The Communications Department is ultimately responsible for the tone, quality and relevance of external College communications. As such, individuals or groups in the employ of, or sponsored by, the College who wish to issue any external announcement must do the following:

• Complete the News Release Request Form. Once you submit, your announcement will be professionally edited and distributed to the appropriate news outlets.

Some hints to consider when completing the template

1. Omit needless words, jargon and subjective phrases (except as part of a quote).Obtain written (email is fine) approval for all quotes. Ensure titles are correct.
2. Review carefully for grammar, spelling and style (Communication Department will check content and align in accordance to the Associated Press Style Guide).
3. If attaching photos, please identify all people in the photograph with full names, titles, organizations, etc. from left to right .
4. If you have questions about the news release request form, call James Douglass at 507-433-0611 or email james.douglass@riverland.edu

 For radio or TV coverage, consider

• Does your announcement/event involve either a controversial or quirky issue, compelling visuals, a prominent/well-known figure, something where the stakes are high, or a matter of broad and immediate interest to the public? If not, TV coverage is not a strong likelihood.
• Is your announcement/event on a reasonably large scale, open to the public, and of interest to a broad range of people? If not, radio coverage is not a strong likelihood.

The Communications Department is here to help you get the best possible response for your event/award/story. We have the media relationships and know-how to ensure that your announcements get the results you want while preserving the integrity and public image of Riverland Community College.

However, the issuance of a media release does not guarantee publication/coverage. As traditional print media continue to shrink and disappear, less and less attention will be given to events that have little news impact. Riverland Community College-generated news outlets such as the Web site, RSS feed and social media will continue to be of greater importance for both internal and external outreach. All completed news releases will still be posted on the Campus Media Blog and could become stories for Riverland publications.