1112 - Community Relations - Media Relations - Procedure

The San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools (SBCSS) office maintains a proactive and transparent position regarding media inquiries. As a public service agency, our responsibility is to provide media with correct and factual information in a timely and responsive manner.

The Communications Department has responsibility for media relations. In this role, Communications staff gathers, compiles and releases pertinent information to news media on behalf of the organization; facilitates relationships with newsgathering organizations; and serves as the central point of contact for incoming media inquiries.

The Chief Communications Officer is the spokesperson for the organization and responds to media inquiries on behalf of the County Superintendent and the County Schools office. In the absence of the Chief Communications Officer, the Communications Manager serves as the organizational spokesperson.

As central point of contact, Communications fields media inquiries in the following manner:

• For inquiries regarding day-to-day activities, student events and those requiring technical content expertise, Communications staff gathers appropriate information and facilitates response to the inquiry. Upon consultation with the program contact, Communications staff may respond directly to the inquiry or forward the media representative to the program contact person.
• At times, media representatives inquire about district specific information with our office. Our organization has adopted the practice that we refer media inquiries for district specific information back to the district when possible. If our office has compiled and published countywide information with district specific data, Communications will provide the media with published and public information, when requested.
• In instances when the inquiry is regarding breaking news or issues/policy-related news, the Chief Communications Officer or staff as designated by the Chief Communications Officer or County Superintendent, will serve as spokesperson to the media.

While Communications serves as the official and central point of contact for incoming media inquiries, at times inquiries are made directly to staff within the organization. Communications has established the following guidelines for staff when met with an incoming media inquiry:

• For inquiries regarding day-to-day activities, special events, workshops and those requiring content expertise, if staff receiving the inquiry is the appropriate contact for program content, we advise staff who feel comfortable to respond to the inquiry. If staff is not the appropriate contact for program content, the inquiry should be routed to Communications.
• All inquiries regarding breaking news, issues/policy-related news or crisis response should be directed to the Communications Department.

In all cases, it is beneficial for Communications to be made aware of media inquiries and to track SBCSS news coverage. Please notify Communications of media inquiries and contact with the media at (909) 386-2413 or email at communications@sbcss.net

Approved: November 3, 2015