Media Relations Procedures

General

Consistent with the principles outlined in the policy document, the College:

1. Requires that all Media inquiries and requests for interviews pertaining to the College are to be referred to the Marketing and Communications Department for coordination with appropriate departments prior to a response. All College employees and students wishing to initiate external Media relations activities representing or mentioning the College, or on College campus locations, must contact the Marketing and Communications Department well in advance of the planned event. 


2. May provide access to College property for the purpose of audio or video recording.

Spokespeople for Media Inquiries to the College

3. The Chair of the Board, or their designate, is the official spokesperson for Media inquiries about Board matters.


4. The College President, or their designate, is the official spokesperson for Media inquiries about College matters other than Board matters.


5. The Executive Director, Marketing and Communications, or their designate, is the official spokesperson for Media inquiries about College matters other than those by the President or their designate.


6. Technical or subject matter experts identified by the College and who have received communications support may be designated to speak to Media on matters specific to their area of expertise, knowledge and field of study.

Responses to Media Inquiries to the College

7. All inquiries and interview requests from the Media to any member of the College community must be directed to the Executive Director, Marketing and Communications or their designate. Inquiries should be forwarded promptly in order to honour the College's commitment to a short response time.


8. The Executive Director, Marketing and Communications will determine, in consultation with the President and/or Vice President Students and Community Development where appropriate, who will act as the College spokesperson for a particular inquiry.


9. Access to Information Requests made by the Media or journalists must be directed to VCC's Privacy Office. Only the Privacy Office may respond to requests made under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act other than those requests made for routinely available information.

College contact for communication to the Media

10. Media wishing to obtain information about the College or a response from the College should contact the Marketing and Communications department via the Media page on the VCC website.


11. The Executive Director, Marketing and Communications, their designate, is the College contact for all communications involving the Media; video and audio releases; news conferences; interviews; thought leadership; public service announcements; communications about a College crisis; and meetings with the Media. All contact with the Media pertaining to the College must be referred to the Marketing and Communications Department. 


12. If an Emergency Operations Centre is invoked during a College crisis, the Emergency Operations Centre Director may be designated as the College contact.


13. The Executive Director, Marketing and Communications or their designate, will coordinate arrangements with College departments and individuals affected by the communication.  

Members of the College community: Media inquiries or communication to the Media

14. All members of the College community are required to inform the Executive Director, Marketing and Communications, or their designate, prior to responding to VCC-related inquiries from the Media or commenting to the Media on behalf of VCC.


15. Members of the College community who engage with Media as private citizens - not as representatives of the College - must do so on their own time and off College property. In such cases, they must not imply or suggest that the College supports or endorses their personal views or actions.This does not contravene anything related to academic freedom or the ability of VCC's unions/associations to advocate for their members publicly.


16. Letters to the Editor on behalf of the College, or by an individual wishing to represent themselves as an employee of the College, must be reviewed and approved by the Executive Director, Marketing and Communications, or their designate. Personal Letters to the Editor cannot be sent on College letterhead or indicate or imply College approval.


17. In the event of a crisis, the Marketing and Communications Department or Emergency Operations Centre communications officer/designate will provide the most accurate, relevant, and timely information to members of the College community, other interested groups, and the public at large. To prevent misinformation, members of the College community should refrain from sharing or spreading any information publicly that does not come through official channels.  


18. For additional direction around public comment, college employees must refer to VCC's Standards of Employee Conduct & Conflict of Interest Policy 202.

Access to College property

19. Any request by the Media for video or audio recording can only be carried out with the permission of the Executive Director, Marketing and Communications, or their designate. The Executive Director or designate will notify other relevant College areas. The person recording video or audio must be accompanied by a member of the Marketing and Communications department or designated College employee.

Release of information or images involving a member of the College Community to the Media

20. The release of information or images involving a member of the College community to the Media is governed by the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. Students and employees must sign a consent form authorizing the use of their image for promotional or Media purposes.


21. The College reserves the right to repurpose and reshare authorized Media content on its owned channels.

Social Media

22. The VCC Social Media Best Practices (available on MyVCC) is a document that has been prepared by and is maintained by the College's Marketing and Communications Department. The document is intended to guide employees in their participation in social media as an employee or representative of the College.