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Media contact:
Zina L.
Carter
Director of Marketing and Communications
Wharton County Junior College
Hutchins Memorial
Center, Office 113
911 Boling Highway
Wharton, Texas 77488
Office: (979) 532-6417
Fax: (979) 532-6491
zinac@wcjc.edu
The Office of
Marketing and Communications is responsible for preparing and
releasing any official college news.
The Office of Marketing and Communications must prepare and
release any official College news, which will be sent on WCJC
newshead. Media are advised not to use other items.
The Director of Marketing and Communications (or designated
representative) is the official spokesperson for the college in
dealing with the media, unless otherwise designated by the
President. All reporters requesting information about WCJC must
begin their inquiry in the Office of Marketing and
Communications. Marketing and Communications will then refer the
reporter to the appropriate staff if questions cannot be
completely answered.
Marketing and Communications will contact staff immediately if a
reporter is referred. The referred person will be provided as
much information as possible about the reporter’s request.
If a reporter contacts a staff member and the staff member did
not receive a Marketing and Communications referral, the staff
member is requested to refer the reporter to Marketing and
Communications.
Employees may speak to the media upon receiving an approved
media referral from the Office of Marketing and Communications.
Employees may initiate contact with the media or respond to a
media request to promote college activities or programs in their
departments or to speak regarding an area of expertise once they
have received a referral. When the media contacts an employee
for a comment, the employee should refer the media to the Office
of Marketing and Communications. Once the Office of Marketing
and Communications has spoken to the media regarding the nature
of the news story, and has determined that the request is one
that does not require an official college response, the employee
will be forwarded an approved media referral.
Vice Presidents are not required to obtain an approved media
referral in order to respond to inquiries from the media. Vice
Presidents are required to notify the Office of Marketing and
Communications immediately after they have responded to the
media for the purpose of informing the office about the nature
of their discussion with the media.
Sponsors or coaches
for student associations, organizations, honor societies,
intercollegiate sports, and fine arts activities (art, drama,
band, choir and speech) are not required to obtain an approved
media referral in order to respond to inquiries from the media
as long as the inquiries pertain directly to the students or
student groups they sponsor or coach and are not regarding
controversial issues. The sponsor or coach is required to notify
the Office of Marketing and Communications immediately after
they have responded to the media for the purpose of informing
the office about the nature of their discussion.
Sponsors or coaches
may mention their student group’s affiliation with Wharton
County Junior College. However, they may not provide information
specifically about the college to the media, for example,
enrollment figures, operations, programs, and procedures. The
media should be referred to the Office of Marketing and
Communications to receive information about the college.
Sponsors of student
associations, organizations, and honor societies are responsible
for preparing and distributing press releases for their student
groups. Copies of such press releases should be provided to the
Office of Marketing and Communications in conjunction with or
prior to their release to the media.
Press releases for
the college’s intercollegiate athletic teams and fine arts
activities (art, drama, band, choir, and speech) must be
submitted to the Office of Marketing and Communications for
approval and release.
Employees should not
respond to media inquiries requesting them to explain, clarify,
describe, or react to an institutional policy, action, or
position. Employees should refer the media to the Office of
Marketing and Communications for these types of inquiries.
Employees are not to provide College documents, student
information, or employee information to reporters. These types
of inquiries must be requested formally as a Request for Public
Information via the Office of the President.
In cases of public record involving injuries, the nature of the
injuries should not be discussed by college personnel. Media
representatives requesting such information shall be referred to
the appropriate medical facility or agency. (Even in
public-record cases, information about individuals is
restricted. Media representatives may be told, for example,
that, yes, an ambulance was on campus; but further inquiries
should be directed to the medical agency.)
In writing a letter
to the editor of a newspaper, magazine, or other publications,
college employees are not to use their college titles or
otherwise identify themselves as representatives of the college
without authorization from the Office of Marketing and
Communications; and employees should make every effort to
indicate that they are not speaking for the college.
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