Objective

To raise awareness of CAHNR faculty, programs, strengths, etc. through news coverage either through UConn Today and/or working directly with external media. This SOP will serve to 1) confirm the responsibilities of the CAHNR Office of Communications and the CAHNR unit requesting services/working with the media; 2) determine the scope of services to be provided; 3) and establish the standard timeline for scheduling, coordinating, and executing articles/organizing coverage.

Scope

This SOP applies to all articles created for UConn Today provided by CAHNR’s Office of Communications and earned media with external outlets. Articles written by other UConn units or individuals outside of CAHNR’s Office of Communications are out of the scope of this SOP.

Roles/Responsibilities

Requestor: The individual/unit within CAHNR requests news coverage or media support from the CAHNR Office of Communications using the project request form. The Requestor will provide a brief description of the need and provide additional information as needed. The Requestor will be available for photos, a brief interview, and draft review for UConn Today stories. The Requestor will be available for media interviews if seeking earned media coverage.

CAHNR Director of Communications: The CAHNR Director of Communications will evaluate the story and develop a coverage plan (i.e. UConn Today, earned media, or other option), will assign a writer to work on the article, and/or will seek external media coverage. The CAHNR Director of Communications will develop a timeline for completion.

• For UConn Today stories, the CAHNR Director of Communications will edit the subsequent draft and coordinate publication on the University’s news site. If photos are needed, the CAHNR Director of Communications will assign a CAHNR Photographer to schedule/shoot/edit.
• For external media spots, the CAHNR Director of Communications will coordinate with journalists and prep faculty, staff, and/or students for interviews, as needed. Please note, only the Director of CAHNR Communications should organize interviews with external media, in collaboration with University Communications, per University Policy.

CAHNR Writer: A writer from CAHNR or another UConn office will review background materials, seek an interview with appropriate CAHNR faculty, staff, and/or students, prepare a draft, and share with stakeholders for review.

Timeline

The CAHNR Office of Communications will respond to a request for news coverage within two (2) business days upon receipt of the project submission form. The completion of the final UConn Today article will be determined by many factors, such as journal embargoes, UConn Today publication schedule, and timeliness of review/photos/etc.

Deliverables

The CAHNR Office of Communications will produce an article for UConn Today and/or seek external media coverage.