Cooperating with the Media
The District understands the importance of cooperating with the media and provides the following process.
- The District requires that media representatives make initial arrangements to contact CRCSD staff and visit District facilities through the Community Relations Office.
- In consultation with Community Relations, if the administrator/designee determines that the coverage, as proposed, would violate a student’s or staff member’s legal right to privacy, or would be an unwarranted interruption of the educational process, the media activity should be delayed. If it is advisable to turn down the media request as proposed, an attempt should be made to work out an acceptable alternative.
- In consultation with Community Relations, if the administrator/designee determines that the coverage is appropriate, the administrator/designee will accompany the media and provide necessary information for the accurate reporting of the story.
- Once arrangements are made to visit facilities, media representatives are required to sign in at the main desk/office of the District facility, contact the administrator/Community Relations Office, state the purpose of their visit, and comply with Policy 1007 Conduct on School District Premises and Regulation 1002.2 Visitors to District.
Guidelines:
Interviews with staff members – Initial media outreach to obtain a staff member interview should be conducted through the Community Relations Office. As much as possible, interviews about District programs or professional activities should be conducted when staff members have no direct student responsibility. Interviews about personal or organizational activities may be granted at the staff member’s discretion but should not occur during the school/work day. Interviews with staff regarding confidential matters will be denied.
Interviews with students — If the proposed interview is part of the coverage of a regular curricular or other school-sponsored activity, the interview may take place in the presence of the administrator/designee. If a student interview is important to the reporting of any other activity or subject, the administrator/designee should decide whether to: (a) obtain parental permission, (b) arrange for the interview, and (c) have the interview held in the presence of the parent or administrator/designee.
Photography and videography of staff members — Photographs and videos of staff members engaged in an instructional or professional activity may be taken or recorded with the approval of the staff member and the administrator/designee. All media photographers and videographers are accompanied by a Community Relations team member for the duration of the shoot. Photographs and videos to accompany stories of the staff member’s personal or organizational activities may be allowed at the staff member’s discretion and taken or recorded at a time consistent with the guidelines for interviews, or by special arrangement with the principal.
Photography and videography of students — Photographs and videos of students engaged in instructional or other school-related activities may be taken or recorded at the discretion of the administrator/designee unless a signed parental form is on file at the school which denies this permission. Whenever such photographs or videos will portray information other than directory information, they shall be taken or used only with specific parental permission. All media photographers and videographers are accompanied by a Community Relations team member for the duration of the shoot.
Photographs of facilities or equipment — The taking of such photographs should not disrupt the educational process.
File footage — Building administrators should cooperate with the media in obtaining a reasonable accumulation of file (B/Background–roll) footage; however, the shooting of the file footage on District property is subject to the approval of the administrator/designee. The footage will only be used with the respective building’s subject matter.
*This procedure does not pertain to routine media coverage of athletic and fine arts events.
Cross Reference: Policy 1007
Regulation 1002.2
- Approved: 12-22-80
- Reviewed: 04-24-89
- Revised: 10-26-92
- Reviewed: 06-09-97
- Revised: 09-27-99
- Revised: 02-14-05, 04-11-11, 02-26-18, 06-13-2022
- Documents: 1001.2a
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