Positive Relationships with the Media Are Developed and Maintained by Providing Accurate

Positive relationships with the media are developed and maintained by providing accurate and helpful information to reporters in a timely manner. To insure that information provided to the media is accurate, comprehensive, and complete, and to insure that reporters have appropriate access to the best sources of information, a protocol for providing information to the media has been established.

Henry County Public Schools employees shall not release information which is private or confidential as identified by law and Board policy or administrative regulation.

Spokespersons

The Superintendent serves as the primary spokesperson for the School District on all matters of districtwide interest. The Superintendent may delegate Principals/Directors/Coordinators/Supervisors to serve as primary spokespersons for their areas of responsibility.

Administrative Responsibility

Each building administrator is authorized to keep parents and others informed about a school’s programs and activities. News releases that are of concern to only one school, or to an organization of one school, are the responsibility of the principal (i.e., the principal should release the information in an appropriate and timely manner or share it with the Coordinator for Family & Community Engagement). Publicity regarding students shall always be evaluated in terms of the effect on the children. All school district employees should notify the building principal and the Coordinator for Family & Community Engagement whenever they are contacted by the media.

Employee Responsibility

District employees are encouraged to cooperate with media representatives, yet they will need to direct most inquiries through the appropriate administrative channels (building principal, Coordinator for Family & Community Engagement, Superintendent). Sensitive topics, including issues of curriculum, social justice, and items of district-wide focus should be directed to the Superintendent. When an HCPS employee is contacted by a representative of the media for a comment or interview on a subject related to the employee’s area of expertise, the employee shall respond in a manner that is accurate and factual. If the employee is not able to respond accurately or the inquiry does not relate to the employee’s area of responsibility, the employee shall refer the inquiry to the appropriate administrator.

In all cases, the employee shall:

•Attempt to inform his or her supervisor of any media request prior to releasing information. In the event it is not possible to reach the supervisor before release of information and to accommodate the media in a timely manner, the employee shall notify the supervisor immediately following the media contact (include the name of the person and media outlet with whom you communicated and the topic of the communication).

•Make it clear that he/she is expressing a personal viewpoint unless the employee has been designated to speak on behalf of the district.

Media access to schools

The media will have access to all school events to which the public has been invited. Approval from the principal is not required to interview, film, or photograph staff or students at public events such as athletic contests, dramatic productions, music concerts, and graduation ceremonies. When members of the media enter schools to cover events other than public events, they must follow district safety guidelines, present appropriate media credentials, and be accompanied by district staff at all times.

Members of the media must have the approval of the school district administration before interviewing, filming, or photographing staff or students.

Group shots that do not identify individual staff or students by name–either still photos or video–may be taken in classrooms, hallways, and on the playground with the administration’s permission. Before individual students are interviewed, taped, or photographed, the administration shall obtain parental permission.

A signed form giving parental/guardian permission for use of the student’s image in video, print, or broadcast will be kept on file at the school (this form is found in the Student Code of Conduct). Parents have the right to request that their child not be interviewed or photographed individually for video, print, or broadcast. The building principal is responsible for working with the Coordinator for Family & Community Engagement to maintain a list of students who are not to be interviewed/photographed.

Guidelines for Working With the News Media

•Communicate with your supervisor and key administrators immediately.

•Consult with the Coordinator for Family & Community Engagement as soon as possible.

•Never respond before having all the facts. Always call the reporter back or ask to receive questions in an e-mail to which you can respond (this allows preparation time and the chance to review your statements as well as district media guidelines).

•Relay information to reporters on a timely basis. Release the necessary facts of the situation. Stick to your written statement.

•Always be professional.

•Be accommodating, but remember your top priorities are your students and staff, not the reporters.

•Stay calm.

•Speak in short, concise sentences.

•Do not make light of any “crisis.” Every situation is serious if the media is at your doorstep.

•Don’t rely on the media to research and tell the whole story.

•Never take it or make it personal. It’s okay to say “I don’t know.” Never lie.

•Do not shift blame.

•Never speak on behalf of the district – emphasize that your statement is your belief or experience.

•Do not demonstrate media favoritism.

•Don’t think just because the reporter has stopped taking notes or the camera is shut off that the interview is over – everything you say is on the record.

Important Terms

Public - Public information includes any information a person or business chooses to release in a forum to which the general public has access.

Private - Private information encompasses all details about a person’s life that are protected by law, as long as the subject of the information does not expose the information intentionally.

Sensitive - Sensitive information is data that is protected against unwarranted disclosure. Access to sensitive information should be safeguarded. Protection of sensitive information may be required for legal or ethical reasons, for issues pertaining to personal privacy, or for proprietary considerations. Confidential - Confidential information generally consists of non-public information about a person or an entity that, if disclosed, could reasonably be expected to place either the person or the entity at risk of criminal or civil liability, or damage the person or entity's financial standing, employability, privacy or reputation.

Questions? Contact Monica Hatchett at or 252-9792.