Protocol for News Release From OARDC Director's Office
Purposes: The purpose and intent of this document is to ensure that the OARDC Director's office and C&T work together as a team to achieve the information goals of the OARDC Director's Office.
Protocol: This protocol allows the OARDC Director's Office input to the policies regarding the release of news materials viewed as important and time sensitive to enhance the public image of OARDC and informing stakeholders.
1. The writer or PR individual in the Director's Office will follow the basic protocol for writers within the C&T system. This includes editing by a C&T editor of all released material.
2. The OARDC writer in the Director's Office will contact C&T for editing and request time of release and distribution.
3. Editing will first be referred to Columbus per C&T protocol to the attention of the supervisor of News and Media Relations (Suzanne Steel). Columbus editors will respond to the OARDC writer within one business day to indicate whether the article will be edited in Columbus.
4. A lack or response from C&T within one business day will be interpreted as an inability of Columbus based editors to meet the editing deadline. The Director's Office writer will attempt to contact the news director to confirm this, and if contact cannot be made, will work with Wooster-based C&T writers for editing.
5. The C&T, supervisor of News and Media Relations, or designee, will decide distribution though distribution lists developed by C&T and communicate this to the original author. Some additional lists may be developed with input from OARDC administration for targeted geographic distribution such as; the Wooster Daily Record.
6. All stories generated by OARDC will be distributed to some outlet. Over time, a greater understanding will develop on what would be acceptable as news worthy with additional conversations with Newspaper Editors and others.
7. All releases will continue to be released on C&T letterhead. The OARDC Director's writer assumes responsibility for the accuracy of the material submitted. C&T assumes responsibility for proper grammar and style.
