GBHEMGuidelines for Developing News Releases
Office of Interpretation
Telling the story of the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry is the mission of the Office of Interpretation. We do this partly by working with the divisions, sections, and offices of the Board in developing news releases.
Office of Interpretation staff work with Board staff in writing news releases that are sent to United Methodist News Service, Newscope,UM Insight, andtheUnited MethodistReporter. Select news releases are pitched to secular press from a list of national education and religion writers.
The Office of Interpretation is also responsible for assisting GBHEM staff in
determining whether or not an event or story is newsworthy. Remember:Not all events or meetings qualify as news events. If you need help deciding if a story is newsworthy, contact Vicki Brown at or extension 7380.
We work with all United Methodist news agencies and can advise you how to
tailor a story to conform with common standards of news reporting. That will also help us in pitching the story. One of the most important things to remember about news stories is “new.” Old news is notnews. The more quickly a story is developed after an event, the better the chances of getting it placed.Also, having good photos to provide with the news release greatly increase the possibility it will be used.
We cannot write every news release. For simple news releases such as announcing an event or recipients of an annual scholarship, please write your own first draft, then e-mail that to Vicki Brown for editing and distribution. Vicki can send you a sample of a “who, what, when, where, why” news release for you to go by.
United Methodist News Service (UMNS) uses three criteria to determine the
newsworthiness of a story: timeliness, proximity, and magnitude. It is important to
remember that UMNS is a news agency — its responsibilities do not include PR or promotional functions.
United Methodist News Service sets a calendar each January and decides which
events they will cover. Supplying us with information about events of national interest in the planning stages will help us get UMNS involved early on.
Following the guidelines below is important in getting your story told accurately
and in a timely manner:
1. If you want coverage of an event or meeting in Nashville, contact Interpretation at least
4 weeks prior to the event.
2. If you wish to request the presence of Interpretation staff at an event that is not in
Nashville, we will need at least 3months’ prior notice. Please be prepared to
communicate how the event fits with the board’s, your division’s, section’s, and/or
office’s strategic plan. Please be aware that we will have to weigh each request, taking
into account staff workload and Interpretation’s travel budget.
3. If you are covering an event or meeting and providing information to Interpretation, please contact us well in advance of the event. We will give you a list of what we will need from you in order to write an informative news release.DOM, DHE, and L&S have a Kodak digital camera courtesy of the Office of Interpretation. Use it or your smartphone camera to take photos.
4. Every news release must have a hook. What is it about your event or meeting that
makes it important or of interest to the public? Many meetings are not newsworthy or of
interest beyond a narrow constituency.
Last updated 9/27/12