UUCWC Crossings Newsletter Policy
The ultimate responsibility for the editorial policies and practices of the church newsletter rests with the Board of Trustees. Development and/or modification of these policies and practices will be done in consultation with the Communications Committee. The Communications Committee is responsible for the production of the newsletter and for implementing Board policies.
The primary function of the newsletter is to inform the congregation of church programs and activities. Space and emphasis will be allocated according to the following priorities:
• Information about Sunday services
• Communications from the minister
• Information about religious education programs and classes (all ages)
• Information about all-church functions and events, e.g. annual canvass, congregational meetings
• Communications from the Board, the staff, church committees/circles/councils
• District and denominational news
• Information about outside events that UUCWC is sponsoring and/or for which there is significant involvement
• As space permits and at the discretion of the newsletter editor, community news and announcements of activities of organizations of particular interest to the church or its members
Due to the large amount of material that is published in each newsletter, every effort should be made to keep articles as brief and succinct as possible. Please try to limit your submissions to no more than 1/2 page, which will usually be about 300-350 words. Articles that are longer than this may be returned to the author to be rewritten, or edited for space requirements.
There is a limit to the items which can be printed on the front page, and not everything can be first. In general, committee and circle activities will be featured in one section; there will be a section for events, one for announcements, etc.
Advertisements for businesses or professional services will not be accepted or published. This includes ads from both members and non-members.
A schedule of newsletter deadlines for the publication year (August issue – July issue) will be posted and distributed in July of each year. The newsletter editor will e-mail reminders to Council members, and others who have requested to receive the reminders, prior to the deadline.
To guarantee inclusion in the newsletter, an article must be received by the newsletter editor by the scheduled deadline. Articles received after the submission deadline will be included as the newsletter editor is able to do so, according to his/her production schedule.
The preferred method for submission of articles is via e-mail, as a Word or text attachment, or typed directly in the body of the e-mail. If this is not possible, the article should be typed or neatly and legibly written, and include the author’s contact information.
If a committee or other church group or board member wishes to request to have a flyer included in the newsletter, it must be provided in an electronic format compatible with the program used by the newsletter editor. The flyer will then be included at the discretion of the editor if space allows.
The newsletter editor may edit material for grammar, spelling, clarity, or length. If s/he feels that material is not appropriate, it will be refused after consultation with the chair of the Communications Committee. Prior to distribution, the newsletter will be reviewed by the chair of the Communications Committee, or her/his designee.
The newsletter is distributed to UUCWC members and friends via e-mail. In special circumstances, a hard copy of the newsletter will be mailed to an individual member. Hard copies of the newsletter will be available in the church lobby. Every effort will also be made to post the newsletter to the church website on a timely basis. Visitors to the church may request to receive the newsletter via e-mail when they sign the guest book, or by contacting the church office.
Any questions or problems concerning the newsletter should be addressed to the chair of the Communications Committee.
Based on sample policy posted at http://www.uua.org/leaders/leaderslibrary/leaderslibrary/35181.shtml.