F&S’ Customer Relations & Communications (CRC) division provides comprehensive media relations support related to inquiries from accredited news organizations, industry publications, student journalism classes, and civic groups. CRC will work with requestors to determine
- What is the story/event focus and deadline
- If subject matter expert interviews (SME) are a requirement/needed
- If replies can occur via email, or if participation is for another primary format (e.g., on camera)
- If there is background on how F&S has coordinated previously with a specific reporter/media entity
- What have been previous unit and campus positional statements and answers regarding the relevant subject
Based on the specific requirements for each inquiry, CRC will help determine the appropriate respondents, reply information, and overall response strategy. As an initial step, CRC will request all relevant background materials related on an inquiry and may also request urgent meeting time with team members to discuss the matter. In general, CRC will collaborate with requestors regarding best practices for specific timelines; however some response needs may be immediate to capitalize on media coverage opportunities or to meet production deadlines.
Media Relations Policy
Per F&S policy, all media inquiries must be referred to CRC immediately, including emails or voicemails received during non-business hours. No one is authorized to speak on behalf of F&S, the campus, or the university regarding business operations, unit initiatives, or urgent response efforts unless approved by the executive director of F&S or a member of CRC. The complete policy can be found at https://go.fs.illinois.edu/MediaRelationsPolicy.
When team members are coordinating with CRC on a news release or campus announcement, individuals will also be asked to provide future scheduling availability to address requests for the potential of future subject matter expert interviews.
Vendor/Contractor Requests
CRC also helps team members navigate the approval processes for vendor/contractor requests where professional photography/videography will be undertaken for marketing purposes. CRC will coordinate with The Office of Strategic Marketing and Communications regarding initial conceptual approval and then work with F&S Purchasing and the U. of I. Purchasing and Contract Management Office to secure a formal agreement.
Campus Administrative Manual Policies
Two university policies address using images of work performed by companies on campus aimed at external audiences for marketing or general communications purposes–website, social media, video, etc. Companies must provide factual statements about work performed, and any statements made cannot appear to represent a university endorsement of their product.
Also, university employees may not offer any value judgment about the quality of a commercial product or service nor express any level of satisfaction attributed to the university per the Campus Administrative Manual (CAM)
University Name, Image, or Logos
Generally — except for personal use, news, and scholarly or academic purposes — photographers, videographers, and filmmakers must obtain written permission to reproduce any image of the University, including its name, recognizable landmarks, buildings, or other representation, from the Associate Chancellor for Strategic Communications and Marketing, 507 East Green Street, Champaign, IL 61820, (217) 333-5010.
Some uses in commercial productions that are permissible include: using the campus as a background in an advertisement or as a setting in a feature film; making factual statements about work done at the campus or products or services purchased by the campus; and photos or artistic renderings of campus buildings that are intended to be works of art. Use of the campus in film and TV productions must be in the best interest of the campus in the judgment of the Associate Chancellor for Strategic Communications and Marketing.
Testimonials by University Employees or Representatives
Requests for the participation of any university employee or representative in a testimonial for any commercial product or service must be referred to the Associate Chancellor for Strategic Communications and Marketing.
In general, university faculty, staff and representatives cannot offer endorsements or testimonials of commercial products and services, or the appearance thereof, in commercial advertising or media if the university is identified in relation to either the endorser or the endorsee. Employees or representatives may confirm the university’s use of a specific provider’s commercial products and services and provide factual information about the university’s use of commercial products or services. They generally may not, however, offer any value judgment about the quality of the commercial product or service, nor should they express any level of satisfaction attributed to the university.
Vendor/Contractor Requests
CRC also helps team members address media relations requests from professional service consultants, contractors, and related project participants.
Location Release Agreements
Specific requests for professional photography and video in campus facilities by professional service consultants, contractors, may necessitate the establishment of a location release agreement. The agreement, which must be entered into until any activities commence, will set various conditions on these activities, including the facilities or sites to be used, date of work, and primary company representative. The agreement will also ensure that the university receives a formal review of all materials to be produced.
CRC will help team members navigate the approval processes for vendor/contractor requests by coordinating with The Office of Strategic Marketing and Communications regarding initial conceptual approval and then work with F&S Purchasing and the U. of I. Purchasing and Contract Management Office to secure a formal agreement.
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)
The F&S Information Request Procedures Policy covers FOIA, Illinois Department of Labor (IDOL), audits, and subpoenas. Director of CRC, Malikah Gordon magordon@illinois.edu, 217-333-9218, is the initial routing point of contact to help initiate the requests to the right contacts and potential respondents.
While pre-decisional or deliberative communications are exempt from production under the FOIA “deliberative process exemption,” the university FOIA office must scrutinize appropriate communications for redacting. That activity can often require many back-and-forth communications with the informational providers to ensure the exemption is being applied to pre-decisional
Other sensitive topics that may be exempt include delicate or technical IT information, proprietary or confidential trade secrets, research information and data, and protected attorney-client communications.
The potential for extensive FOIA requests and the possibility of complete online posting of all returned information to a requestor should always be taken into consideration regarding media relations response strategies. Reporting media inquiries asap to CRC and working with the division to assess each request is critical to creating a timely response environment that coordinates with organizations/companies and can help reduce third-party FOIA reliance.
Media Resources
Various media resources are provided on this page to further assist team members with preparing for media inquiries. These documents include
- Best practices for interviews
- Freedom of Information Act explanations
- General media relations presentations and overviews