There are countless events on the Ripon College campus each year and many great stories to tell. However, since any external mass communication that originates from a College-sponsored group is an "official" Ripon College communication in the eyes of the recipient(s), certain standards must be followed. The Office of Marketing and Communication 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 public relations office to give each request its due and allows the shrinking print-media staffs in our area ample time to consider such announcements.

If your event requires posters, flyers, programs, or rich web content (e.g. Flash, audio, video), plan on requesting as much at least six weeks prior to the event date.

Policy

The Office of Marketing and Communications 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:

1. Download the Ripon College Press Release Template (MS Word, 52K)
2. Insert your copy using fonts and sizes indicated on the template. Make sure you cover:
   • What is happening?
   • Is it important to just the Ripon College community, or is it of broad interest to regular people in our area? (Although most Ripon College events are open to the public, not all events are realistically of interest to the public.)
   • When and where is it taking place? Is there a local angle?
   • Who is involved and/or invited, and on what scale?
   • Why should someone be interested?
   • Are there costs or registration involved?
   • Where can people go for more information?
3. Omit needless words, jargon and subjective phrases (except as part of a quote). All essential information must be summarized in the first paragraph.
4. Obtain written (email is fine) approval for all quotes. Ensure titles are correct.
5. Review carefully for grammar, spelling and style. Consult the Ripon College Style Guide.
6. Save and submit your release, along with any attachments (e.g. photos), to Cody Pinkston, director of Media and Public Relations.

Upon receipt, your announcement will be professionally edited and distributed to the appropriate news outlets. The vast majority of Ripon College events lend themselves best to printed media. 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 immediateinterest 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 Office of Marketing and Communications is here to help you get the best possible response for your event. 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 Ripon College.

However, the issuance of a press release does not guarantee publication. As traditional print media continue to shrink and disappear, less and less attention will be given to events that have little news impact. Ripon College-generated news outlets such as the website, RSS feed and social media will continue to be of greater importance for both internal and external outreach.