News releases are sent to local media (print and TV when applicable) and, depending upon the nature of the story, regional news and specialized periodicals and newsletters.
News items are also published on the Penn State Scranton website and/or campus social media outlets, whichever is deemed most appropriate by the Strategic Communications office.
News articles published on the Penn State Scranton website are sent to Penn State News for inclusion in their news outlets. These will appear in the Northeast Newswire and other University news outlets as determined by the Strategic Communications staff at University Park.
Event releases
Information for upcoming events should be submitted at least three weeks prior to the event and should have as much information as possible, including:
- Name of the event
- What type of coverage is desired (photo opp, pre-event coverage, coverage of the event)
- Name of key persons involved and contact info
- Date
- Time
- Locations
- Cost to attend (if applicable)
- Telephone number for more information
- Short description of the event, and any other relevant information
News Items
These may include events that have already taken place, as well as personal and campus news such as: awards, professional achievements, publications, conference presentations, new campus clubs, new initiatives, research (presentations and ongoing projects), grants, scholarships, or faculty/staff community outreach that is giving Penn State Scranton greater visibility in the community, etc.
Submit your information with key details:
- Full names/titles of those involved -- please check the spelling of names and titles to ensure they are correct before you submit
- Description/summary
- Quote from you or a key principal if applicable
- Photos you may have
Please allow at least two weeks after submission for the item to be published in the campus news, which appears on our website's homepage. Releases and articles will also be submitted to the local newspapers when appropriate.
Don't worry about using the correct news release or article format—the office will take care of that for you.
When requesting press coverage:
- If it is for an event or something taking place on a specific date, submit the request three weeks before it is to take place.
- For something that is ongoing or can be covered over a period of time, submit as soon as you feel there is something newsworthy to report and Strategic Communications will work with you to determine if it is something that should be pitched to the outside media, when to pitch it, and the best way to do so.
Please keep in mind: Strategic Communications cannot control what the newspapers print or what the television stations choose to cover.
The choice of whether or not to cover the story is made by the editor of the newspaper, publication, or station.
The chance for coverage is greatly increased when sufficient lead time is given for the story.