Pitching Stories
The editorial team is responsible for telling Oberlin’s story to the world—and you are part of that story.
Our experienced team of editors, writers, and media producers are here to help develop compelling print, online, and interactive content. The team convenes weekly to develop story ideas from across campus. We discuss ideas to determine their viability and where they might be placed. We encourage all campus and community members to submit story ideas using one of the appropriate methods as outlined below.
The News and Events section is Oberlin’s main online news hub for prospective students and families, alumni, current students, faculty, and staff. Articles published in this section convey the intellectual rigor, artistic excellence, and social engagement exhibited by students, faculty, and staff.
Articles featured in the News and Events section cover everything from art exhibits to featured artists, recitals, Convocation guest appearances; news from the conservatory; faculty and student collaborative research; student initiatives and student life programming; and honors, awards, and accomplishments.
The News and Events section also contains segments featuring achievements of faculty, alumni, and staff as they appear in external media.
Our spotlight feature highlights the accomplishments and outcomes of students and recent graduates, including prestigious fellowships and awards, graduate school acceptances, and new jobs.
The Featured Events section displays a selection of upcoming performances, talks, and special programs curated from the Events Calendar.
Members of the campus community may submit ideas for stories. The news and editorial team will consider ideas that are of interest to external and internal audiences, including prospective students, parents, alumni, current students, faculty, and staff.
These stories are published in the News and Events section; some may also be distributed to local, regional, and national media. While we can’t guarantee that every story will turn into a feature article, there are no bad ideas.
If you wish to submit a story, please tell us:
- What is the story you want to tell?
- Who is the audience you want to reach? (campus community, external audience?)
- What is the desired outcome?
- A possible person to interview
Anyone can submit a draft of a press release that will be subject to editing by the news and editorial team. We want to hear from you. Send your ideas to communications@oberlin.edu .
Any Oberlin faculty or staff member can share their professional news with the Oberlin College community by requesting a Faculty or Staff Note.
Submit your note as you would like it published to communications@oberlin.edu. Include your name and “Faculty Note’’ or “Staff Note’’ in the subject line.
Someone from the Office of Communications will publish your note to the Faculty and Staff Notes section of the website within three to five business days. Your note may be edited for clarity or to align with the Oberlin College Editorial Style Guide.
What news should I share?
Faculty and Staff Notes are ideal for sharing your professional achievements. This may include, but is not limited to:
- Publishing (books, articles, works of art, etc.)
- Receiving an award or grant
- Giving a talk or lecture or serving as a panelist
- Performing or contributing to a performance
- Organizing a workshop, symposium, conference, or similar event
- Being elected to leadership of an organization
- Being interviewed by a well-known media outlet
What if I think my news is better suited for a story?
The Office of Communications accepts story ideas for its online and print publications. To pitch your story, refer to the section, “I Have a Story Idea.”
The Campus Digest is Oberlin’s internal communications channel.
The new daily Campus Digest email is an html-based, customizable email. It is distributed to all faculty, staff, and students, Monday through Friday, during the academic year. This new system replaces the weekly, text- and URL-based Campus Digest email sent on Thursdays to the campus community.
This email marketing platform of the same name is used to manage all-campus email communications. Departments and groups can submit information for publication in the daily Campus Digest by using this online submission form .
Individuals in administrative offices who have been designated as their office’s official Campus Digest content editor can also submit information directly for publication by logging in to their profile on the Oberlin College website.
The Office of Communication’s launched this new platformin fall 2018 to improve communications within the campus community.
You can easily spread the word about your campus event with these platforms: the Events Calendar, OnCampus Bulletins, and Digital Banners.
Post a Campus Bulletin
Campus bulletins are intended for brief announcements that need wide distribution. They can be published to any (or all) of the audience pages: Current Students, Faculty & Staff, and Parents. In addition, campus bulletins can be displayed on the originating office’s landing page.
Who Can Post
Any trained Drupal user can request access by email from the webteam . If you have not yet been trained in Drupal, we’ll be happy to get you started. In either case, just let us know.
- Log in to the Oberlin College website using your ObieID and password.
- Select "Create Campus Bulletin’’
- Add your Bulletin’s title, the date, and content
- In the "Distribution" field, choose the appropriate audience(s) for your Bulletin
- Option: Select another office where this bulletin should appear using the type-head feature
- Under “Scheduling Options,’’ choose pubication start and end date and time. the start bulletin should pubish:
- Select “Save.’’ Your bulletin will appear at the date you selected.
Request a Digital Banner (TV screens)
Who Can Request: Any member of the Oberlin College community
- Before requesting a banner, you must post a thorough description of your event to the Events Calendar. (See event submission guidelines.)
- Fill out the Digital Banner Request Form with the event details, calendar link and any artwork or photography you would like to be incorporated.
Banner requests must be received one week prior to the event. Submissions received after this deadline may not be fulfilled.
Post and Share Your Event
It’s easy to post an event. Your event should be of general interest and open to the campus community.
- Log in to calendar.oberlin.edu with your Obie ID username and password.
- Use the description box to type in the event details. Do not copy and paste information from another source unless it is from a plain text program.
- Use the type-ahead feature for a drop-down list of campus locations and “?” to read help tips.
- Use formatting bar to embed links to websites and email addresses.
- Use drop-down list for event type and to see list of Oberlin departments, offices, and student groups. Choose the event sponsor(s).
Make sure these required fields are completed: event title, brief description, time, date, place, contact details, event type, and the sponsoring office, department, or student group.
Optional Fields:
- Upload an image (.png, .jpg) that is 760 pixels by 570 pixels for best results
- No pdfs
- Facebook URL
- Event website URL
- Twitter Hashtag (without the #)
- Ticket cost and (if applicable) Ticket URL
When you’re done, select “Add Event.” Use the social media icons to share widely with friends and others.
We verify event submissions for completeness. You’ll receive an automated email notification once your event is approved, usually within three business days.
Need to make a change? Forgot a detail? You can edit the event before or after it’s posted to the calendar. Search for your event by title, date or group. Make changes and resubmit.
Need more help? Send email to webteam@oberlin.edu .
In the event of the death of a member of the Oberlin community, respectful and timely communication is crucial.
The following procedures offer guidelines for communication in different situations, though every instance will be considered independently to determine the appropriateness of an announcement. One factor to examine is the relationship of the individual to the college community (current employee vs. employee of decades ago).
Current faculty/staff/student
- Campus email | When: Within 24 hours of official verification
- Website Campus News | When: Within 24 hours of official verification
- Oberlin Alumni Magazine | When: upcoming issue
- Conservatory Magazine (if conservatory faculty) | When: upcoming issue
Emeriti faculty
- Website Campus News | When: Within three days of official
- verification (if deemed appropriate)
- Campus email | When: Include in next scheduled email
- Oberlin Alumni Magazine | When: upcoming issue
- Conservatory Magazine (if conservatory faculty) | When: upcoming issue
Former staff retired from Oberlin
- Website Campus News | When: Within five days of official verification (if deemed appropriate)
- Campus email | When: Include in next scheduled email
- Oberlin Alumni Magazine | When: upcoming issue
Alumni
- Oberlin Alumni Magazine | When: upcoming issue
Young alumni (five years out or fewer)
- Website Campus News | When: Within three days of official verification
- Oberlin Alumni Magazine | When: upcoming issue
Current trustees
- Website Campus News | When: Within three days of official verification
- Oberlin Alumni Magazine | When: upcoming issue
Former faculty, resigned
- At the editors’ discretion—Website News section, Oberlin Alumni Magazine