What types of news items are most commonly published?
Where will my news appear, and who will see it?
What is the best format for my submission?
Will you assign a writer for my story?
What if I wish to write the article myself?
Who produces The Record and the Columbia News Page?
How does the team decide which stories get published?
Does The Record and its electronic counterparts use submitted photographs?
Can you arrange for photography of my event?
Can you arrange for video of my event?
What types of news items are most commonly published?
We commonly feature items about:
- General news affecting Columbia Universityemployees.
- Honors, awards, major appointments, promotions, book publications, obituaries.
- Recent research findings and other discoveries.
- New programs or academic initiatives.
- Short items summarizing national media coverage of Columbia faculty and staff.
- Announcements of major campus events and activities.
- Announcements of professional development and other employee opportunities.
- Announcements and official notices of new administration policies or procedural changes.
- Features on Columbia staff members who have an unusual hobby.
- Interesting photos of the campus.
- Other short items of general interest to the campus-wide audience.
Where will my news appear, and who will see it?
The Office of Communications and Public Affairs has several outlets for publicizing all types of stories and announcements. Our primary publications are:
- The Columbia News Page (http://www.columbia.edu/cu/news/index.html), which is frequently updated with news of interest to the media, the Columbia community and the general public.
- News releases to media outlets that might be interested in the story. For more information on working with the news media, contact Robert Hornsby, director of media relations, at rh3239@columbia.edu or 212-854-9752.
- The Record, the official community newspaper for Columbia University, published and distributed free of charge on campus most Thursdays during the academic term. Many Record stories are included in the Columbia News site as well. The paper is also mailed to Columbia University retirees, government offices, education media and paid subscribers. (For subscription information, contact curecord@columbia.edu.)
Please note:
- If you are primarily interested in promoting an upcoming event, submit the information to Columbia’s online events calendar. This calendar, which is operated by Student Services, not the Office of Communications and Public Affairs, is the best place for communicating information about events that take place on campus or that involve campus people performing or making presentations in the greater New York City area.
What is the best format for my submission?
To keep things simple, we have created an online form for submitting new contents and story ideas, which prompts you for the basic information we need: a short description (addressing who, what, where, why and when) of your idea; your identity, your department or unit; your contact info; and the timing and audience you have in mind for releasing the information.
Will you assign a writer for my story?
Once you’ve contacted us with your story or idea, we will determine whether or not we can assign a writer. We may require more information before making our decision and will get in touch if needed.
What if I wish to write the article myself?
You are welcome to do so, but we can’t guarantee we will publish it. Indeed, submissions rarely appear exactly as written. Submissions may be used as sources of information for a broader story written by one of our staff; as the basis for additional interviews on the subject; or shortened dramatically because an editor is facing tight space restrictions.
Who produces The Record and the Columbia News Page?
The multimedia production team of the Office of Communications and Public Affairs produces The Record and its electronic counterparts.
How does the team decide which stories get published?
Each week we receive many different story ideas and submissions. We write, publish and promote stories that are of greatest interest to our readership, which ranges from Columbia employees to the international news media. We exercise editorial judgment about what is most newsworthy. We reserve the right to edit all copy and to decide when and where each submission will be published. We sometimes recommend other publications in the event we cannot accept your story.
Does The Record and its electronic counterparts use submitted photographs?
The Record and the Columbia news site will consider submitted photographs. Be sure to include a caption, credit and (if applicable) permissions for each submitted photo. Photos can be returned upon request, by arranging to pick them up in person. Returns may take several days to several weeks, depending on production demands.
ALSO PLEASE NOTE: We are more likely to use photos that support the contents of the story in an interesting way. We are unlikely to use photos of people shaking hands, exchanging tokens of appreciation, cutting ribbons, breaking ground or speaking from a podium. We accept digitized images but require them to be at least 6 by 9 inches and 300 dpi in a jpeg or tiff format. Contact our designer, Scott Hug, 212/854-9112, srh2121@columbia.edu.
Can you arrange for photography of my event?
Contact University photographer Eileen Barroso for availability and rates, 212/854-6527, eb6@columbia.edu.
Can you arrange for video of my event?
The Office of Communications and Public Affairs has the capacity to produce video for a few major events per year for posting on the Columbia News page. Decisions about which events will receive this treatment are made internally by the multimedia production team. PLEASE NOTE: If it turns out we cannot assist with your video needs, we will be happy to provide advice on how to get those needs met.
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