UM News Service

News Guidelines 

The UM News Service shares news that celebrates and exemplifies our public flagship mission. We seek positive stories to share about UM and the accomplishments and honors of its students, faculty and staff members, and alumni. Stories often are distributed to media statewide and published under UM News on the UM homepage. They also are shared through UM publications and social media.

Strategic Communications, a unit of Marketing and Communications, prioritizes stories that share goals with UM's Priority For Action No. 5: Proudly Tell the UM Story. General themes include:

  • Stories of campus vibrancy.
  • Stories of student academic achievement and rigor.
  • Stories celebrating public impact from UM's research enterprise.
  • Stories demonstrating UM's commitment to career readiness.
  • Stories that illustrate UM's mission to positively transform lives. 

The News Service places University content and stories in a variety of platforms that include UMToday, Montanan magazine, Vision magazine, UM News, UM social media channels and a host of UM external newsletters. Additionally, the News Service team reserves the right to decline promoting proposed news. 

If campus partners would like to request a news story, please complete a survey and share details that will help the news team identify and craft the best platform to share your news. 

Before submitting a news release, consider these questions: 

  • Does it demonstrate the value of a UM education?
  • Is it about high-impact research findings appearing in a national peer-reviewed journal (especially research with clear clinical or practical implications)?
  • Is it a significant grant or award (generally speaking, $500,000 or more)?
  • Is it about faculty or staff members receiving a state or national award or professional distinction?
  • Is it about the development of programs or initiatives that will affect a significant number of students or other members of the campus community?
  • Is it about initiatives or educational opportunities for the general public?
  • Does it relate to an issue of current significance (e.g.., climate change, elections, wolf hunting, etc.)
  • Does it appeal to or impact a broad swath of the public, not just a small subset?
  • Is it a University-sponsored event that is open to the public and/or appealing to members of the media?

Particular questions about news releases can be directed to Dave Kuntz, UM strategic communications director and University spokesperson, by emailing dave.kuntz@umontana.edu or calling 406-243-5659. The campus community always may email news@umontana.edu with an outline of suggested news to be shared. When submitting information for a news release, keep the “five Ws and H” of journalism in mind: Who, What, When, Where, Why and How. Be sure to include all pertinent information.

The news team prefers to send a news release roughly 10 days before a scheduled event. After preparing a draft using the information provided, sector writers will "vet" the release with the submitter to verify it is accurate as written. We do not send releases out to the media until they are reviewed by the source. News releases are sent directly to news organizations across Montana and the region.

All news releases are placed online and are searchable at http://www.umt.edu/news/. UM’s media relations procedures state that the News Service (formerly University Relations) prepares and distributes all official news releases and announcements (except those from Intercollegiate Athletics). University employees should not distribute news releases on their own.

Faculty/Staff Awards

In general, the UM News Service handles faculty and staff awards as described above and encourages the preparation of such brief items by media specialists in the individual colleges. The exceptions include announcements of honorary doctorates and nationally or internationally prominent honors, such as large research grants and fellowships. These stories are written by UM News Service staff and distributed to media outlets across Montana and beyond.

Student Awards/Scholarships/Honors

In general, the UM News Service handles faculty and staff awards as described above and encourages the preparation of such brief items by media specialists in the individual colleges. The exceptions include announcements of honorary doctorates and nationally or internationally prominent honors, such as large research grants and fellowships. These stories are written by UM News Service staff and distributed to media outlets across Montana and beyond.

Donations

The News Service recognizes the valuable contributions donors provide to advance UM and works in partnership with the UM Foundation when acknowledging donations in the media. In general, donations to the University may be recognized in the following ways:

  • Inclusion in the Montanan magazine.
  • Inclusion in UM Foundation newsletters and communication pieces.
  • Social media posts.
  • Mention in university-wide, college, department or foundation email news messages.
  • Mention in the UM Foundation campaign or annual report.
  • A news release about the donation in coordination with the UM Foundation.

News Service Team

Dave Kuntz, director of strategic communications, dave.kuntz@umontana.edu, 406-243-5659.

Cary Shimek, News Service associate director, cary.shimek@umontana.edu, 406-243-5914.

Abigail Lauten-Scrivner, media information specialist, abigail.lauten-scrivner@mso.umt.edu, 406-243-5421.

Raequel Roberts, media manager, raequel.roberts@umontana.edu, 281-220-7429. 

Kyle Spurr, communications manager, kyle.spurr@mso.umt.edu, 406-243-2071.

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