Publicity Tips

HOW DO WE GET OUR STORY TOLD?

Week by week, The Long Island Catholic brings news of the world, the nation, parishes and people to the mailboxes of families all over the Diocese of Rockville Centre.  From global affairs to neighborhood news, we capture the big and small events that tell the story of Catholic life on Long Island.

Most world and national coverage comes from the Catholic News Service or the Vatican Information Service.  Our editors choose articles that are significant to the worldwide Church and relevant to our readership.

Closer to home, TLIC provides a Long Island perspective of the Church and its ministries.  Through news briefs, on-the-scene reporting, and updates from parishes and religious organizations, we create a sense of what it means to be part of the local Catholic community.

To provide this local outlook, we need your help.  You - parishes, diocesan offices, schools, hospitals, organizations, and individuals - are our most important resource in uncovering events that we should be sharing with our readers.

Many of the story ideas we use come from the people and organizations TLIC covers.  Like most media, we rely on tips and news releases to alert us to significant upcoming events.

If your group is doing something you feel is noteworthy, let us know.  Write or e-mail us a note with your publicity information. Include:

     The who, what, when, where and why of the event, activity or award.

    Full names and titles of all the people mentioned.  (Please double-check    the spelling of all names.)

     A daytime contact name and phone number.

TLIC reporters concentrate their efforts on events and topics of general interest to the readership.  They may cover moral issues of the day, innovative programs, significant events in the diocese or a parish, or simply a human-interest story that captures the heart or the imagination.

With a small staff, TLIC is very limited in the number of stories that can be researched and written by staff reporters.  We are, however, on the lookout for interesting news items and, if yours fits the bill, a reporter will be there to cover it.

Creating a newspaper that speaks to all the Catholics on Long Island means spotlighting different kinds of events or stories over time. Some Catholics are very interested in liturgical issues, others in social justice and public policy, and still others in the social and cultural life of parishes. We are a vibrant Church.  There are always more stories than space to cover them.

Many times there are more newsworthy events on the same day than there are reporters to cover them. Some weeks are busier than others, so more stories are in competition for the same news space. We do our best to give our readership a sampling of ideas and events from around the diocese.

What does this mean to you?  If we covered one parish’s Vacation Bible School last week, we are unlikely to do another story on yours this week, even if you think it has more to offer.  Your organization may be profiled for its charitable work in Advent, but not again in Lent.  We may sideline your news release in favor of one from a parish or group that hasn’t been in the paper recently.

As with on-site reporting, TLIC can provide only limited coverage of events by our staff photographer.  If we can’t get to your function, you may want to send us a photo with a brief explanation afterwards.  We welcome photographic submissions, with the following suggestions:

     Photos may be submitted of events that have already taken place.  They are considered on a space-available basis.

     You should either send an e-mail of the scanned photo or a duplicate print.  Mailed photos will not be returned.

     A caption must be included, clearly identifying the event and the individuals in the shot.  List the first and last names (from left to right) of everyone in the photo and check the spelling of all names.  Remember, a smaller group usually makes for a better picture.

     Photographs must be clear and sharp. Pictures that will not reproduce well, such as low-resolution digital photos or Polaroids, will not be considered.

     Photos should be timely.  Christmas pageant pictures sent to us in February are too dated to be newsworthy.

     Include a contact name and daytime phone number.

To let neighboring parishes know the where and when of your upcoming event, you can publicize the information in the “Around the Diocese” section of the paper. This free listing of local events is divided into categories such as “Religious Events,” “Meetings,” “Lectures, Courses, Workshops,” and “Social Events.”

To get your group’s event listed, please send all the details – what, where, when and contact phone number – no later than noon on the Thursday before publication.  Typed, handwritten, e-mailed or faxed information is acceptable; phone messages are not.  You may send in information in advance and we will keep it on file until the appropriate issue.

DOES TLIC PUBLISH NEWS ITEMS ABOUT INDIVIDUALS?   Top of page

The “Neighbors” section of the paper celebrates individual accomplishments and parish events in brief news items.  Send the details and a photo with a clearly marked list (left to right) of all pictured individuals.

◊◊◊◊◊

To show the true depth and breadth of the Church on Long Island, we need to hear your stories.  Share them with us and we will share them with our readers.  Together, we can paint a most beautiful portrait of our Church.