Communications Support

Spreading the good news of what is happening in your church is an essential part of being a positive and active presence in your local community. One of the ways of doing this is getting your stories published in the local press and broadcast media channels by sending a press release. 

It’s easier than you might think, but familiarising yourself with these simple guidelines and putting together a good press release will help you to get your stories out in to the local community. 

Helpful Links:

• The Professional Copywriters Network
• The Guardian
• Hubspot
• www.parishpump.co.uk
• Association for Church Editors

Tips:

• Include all contact details of your organisation, including address, emails and phone numbers of relevant people.
• State the date the press release was written and when it can be used from – most of the time this is immediately.
• Give the release a title or headline. This can be snappy and attention grabbing but also needs to be relevant; if in doubt just stating what’s happening. When it comes to the press release, clarity is more important than creativity.
• Be factual not subjective (opinions such as “fantastic” belong in a quote from a named individual).
• The first paragraph should contain all essential information, who, what, where, when, why and how.
• Organise your paragraphs so that they can be deleted from the bottom up, while keeping all the remaining key information intact.
• Where possible aim for a human-interest angle, such as stories that show community value and are focused on new beginnings; things coming to an end; celebrations, achievements; important decisions etc.
• Try to include a quote from someone (see above) and some photos that inject some emotion into the information.
• Signal the end of the content of your press release with ‘Ends’.
• For extra non-essential information include a ‘Notes to Editors’ section. Here you can draw attention to any images and give background information and any further contact details.
• When completed, email the press release to local media, whose contact details are now readily found online.

In 2018 The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) replaced the previous law on data protection (the Data Protection Act 1998) and gave individuals more rights and protection in how their personal data is used by organisations. It is administered by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). Parishes are also governed by the law like any other charity or organisation. This page provides you with guidance, templates and a checklist to help navigate its requirements 

You can find key information by visiting the Parish Resources website.

You can view or download the Diocese of York Safeguarding Privacy here. (attachment Safeguarding Privacy Notice)

How we deal with crises is often more important than how they came about. If you find yourself in a tricky situation and are being contacted by the media please contact the Diocesan Communications Team for advice on 01904 699530 or comms@yorkdiocese.org.

Tips: 

If you get a call from a Reporter or Journalist that makes you feel uncomfortable:

• Always be polite and calm.
• Ask the reporter for as much information as you can about the situation and exactly what they are looking for from you.
• If possible, politely decline to comment and refer then to someone else who can help; e.g. the Diocesan Communications Team.

You can find key information by visiting the Parish Resources website.

You can view or download the Diocese of York Safeguarding Privacy here. (attachment Safeguarding Privacy Notice)

Copyright is an intellectual property right given to the creators of original musical, literary and dramatic works. Christian Copyright Licensing International (CCLI) is a company that helps churches stay on the right side of copyright law by providing licences for using music, video, photocopying and more.

Many people are unsure about what images can be used on a church website, newsletter or service sheet. The answer is simple – if you don’t have explicit permission to use an image, don’t use it. 

If someone in your church has taken a picture and is happy for you to use it, that’s fine, but if you have found the image online or by using Google, you almost certainly don’t have permission to use it.

There are some websites with copyright free images, including:

• www.stockfreeimages.com
• www.freedigitalphotos.net
• www.pixabay.com
• www.unsplash.com
• You are also welcome to use the majority of images taken by the Diocesan Communications Team and available at www.flickr.com/photos/DioceseofYork. 

There is no set Diocesan or Church of England protocol about filming in churches. 

It is up to each PCC to decide if they want filming at their church. 
If your church is approached about filming, you should:

• Find out as much as you can about the project. Is it for a drama, a documentary, or a news piece?  Is your PCC happy with the content of scenes at the church, and the context of the piece?  Would you want the message of the film to be associated with your church?    If the PCC thinks there are elements in this that don’t sit well with the Gospel (violence or supernatural elements) you can decline the filming.  Ask for all the information in writing.
• Ask for information in writing about the amount of time the crew want to film, how many people there will be, and what equipment will be used.  Will they want to dress the church, or change any items on the inside or outside?  Remember, you might need a faculty for some of this –ask your Archdeacon if you think that might be the case.
• Encourage the researcher to come on a recce.  If they haven’t seen the church, they won’t fully know what filming there will be like.
• Insist on a copy of their Public Liability Insurance documents before they start filming.  If they break or damage anything, or harm people while filming, they must be liable.
• Don’t expect much money from this.  If the piece is for a new item or a documentary, there is likely to be little or no budget for filming locations.  Dramas may have a budget, but it won’t be much.  You could ask for a donation to the work of the church in return for providing a location for filming: perhaps £50 for half a day and £100 for a day.
• If a fee is a practical option it is probably a ‘facility fee’ – a fee simply for the use of the facility of the church.
• It should be clear that any costs incurred for the church should be reimbursed, eg use of electricity, or any cost in providing a paid church staff member while filming work is under way.
• You probably don’t hold meaningful copyright on the interior of your church (and the outside is a public space so you don’t hold copyright there either); copyright is generally the property of the creator of a specific artwork, design or artefact (or their heirs) and lasts for 70 years after their death. This is unlikely to be an issue in most churches unless the filming specifically features a particular modern artwork.
• Be careful what contracts you sign – you can always run them past the Diocesan Communications Team (www.dioceseofyork.org.uk/communications) or the Registrar. 
• Ask when the filming will be shown, and share the news if appropriate.

Download this information with a pro-forma filming contract, which (if suitable) should be completed, signed and a copy retained by both parties.