General Editorial Policies of the Rocky Mountain Conference 
of the United Methodist Church
Sept. 2001

Introduction 
The purpose of communications in the Rocky Mountain Conference is to connect people in the mission of the United Methodist Church and the Conference. This connecting is most frequently achieved by sharing information in the form of news, reports and stories using words, pictures, sound, and numbers. By whatever media employed (print, digital, radio, etc.,) conference communications is focused through the lens of our common mission. 

Current and Emergent Media
The Conference is committed both in principle and in practice to making the best use of current and emerging technologies, especially digital/on-line technologies. These technologies help our geographically dispersed constituency to be connected in up-to-the-minute real-time, and do so without the costs of print production, postage and the accompanying use of natural resources, as well as labor time. As current technology expands and improves, the Conference will keep pace with these increasing opportunities in order to strengthen our connection. This commitment to connection, inclusivity, access and timeliness (speed) informs these policies.

Shaping Information: Editorial Policies
The Conference Communications Committee acknowledges that any editorial policy is fundamentally about choosing what information among an abundance of information will be distributed over the "signature" of the Conference. To this end, the Committee has named a set of core values to serve as the basis of its editorial policy, which is to work hand-in-hand with the above-referenced mission of the Conference: 

1. Honesty: to the best of its knowledge and sources, information from the Conference shall always reflect a commitment to tell the truth in its reporting or distribution of information. This shall include; 

   Accuracy: in terms of names, dates, events, references, quotes, sources, etc.

   Representativeness: without becoming burdensome to the viewer/reader, information shall include sufficient detail so as to be accurately representative of the broader, underlying information, issues, etc.

   Wherever feasible, reference shall be provided to more information (phone numbers, addresses, web-links, etc.)

   Information will be made public insofar as it serves the purposes of the story and the mission of the Conference, and does not open the Conference to any unwarranted liability.

   The Conference shall balance respect for individuals and their confidentiality with the above stated purposes.

2. Relevancy: information will be evaluated for its usefulness to the targeted audience and in keeping with the purposes of the Conference and its communications:

   Utility: a shaping question for determining content will most often be, "How will this information enable all leaders to be more effective in their particular place of ministry?"

   Information that assists leaders in recalling, clarifying and furthering the mission of the Church shall have priority.  Information that aids leaders in seeing the fullness and complexity of mission and its context will be emphasized.  Information which enables leaders to use the connection of the Church to the advantage of both local and extended mission shall be highlighted.

   Timeliness: information will be assessed based on the degree to which it is future oriented versus reporting what has already happened.  Reporting of events that have already occurred shall be to serve as examples of the connection and the mission of the Church being successfully fulfilled. Reporting of events yet to come shall be focused on opportunities that assist target audience members throughout the Conference in participating in mission, or becoming more effective in mission. Information will also be assigned to different media based on the appropriate production cycle.

   Representativeness:  Information shall be evaluated as to how it both reflects and contributes to the full demographic diversity of the Conference and its future, (urban / rural, youth / seniors, ethnicity, economic status, etc.)  Conference communications will be in keeping with, and where appropriate, directly reference, the stated doctrine and resolutions of the United Methodist Church as found in the Discipline and Book of Resolutions.  Conference communications shall, where appropriate to particular media and audience, reflect the theological and other diversities of the church and its context.

   Quality: in the authoring, design and production of all Conference media, every effort will be made to achieve the highest standards of quality in writing, photography, design, sound, graphics, etc.

3. Specific Media
   Specific media of the Conference have specific purposes, further shaping the information appropriate to each of them:

   Crisis communications: in the event of local, regional, national or international crisis, the Conference Communications Officer shall have first duty of response, using all available media as appropriate. Other officers of the Conference, along with the Chairperson of the Disaster Response Committee, will work in collaboration with the Officer in order for the Conference to present a coherent, consistent message.

   The www.rmcumc.org  web-site is the repository of user-accessible information, resources and connections within and beyond the Conference. It is updated regularly on an as- needed basis. Changes, additions and deletions are made according to the general editorial policy: the managing editor is the Director of New Media.

   TableTalk: this e- and print publication is the primary source of official news from the Annual Conference Cabinet and officers, and is delivered twice a month to the appointed and elected leadership of the Conference. Because of its frequency, it is focused on current news and immediately pending information. The Conference Communications Officer is the Editor. Information for publication is prioritized as follows: Current news of the general church and news of the Annual Conference.  Changes in appointed and elected leadership, as well as Conference staffing.  Celebrations and prayerful concerns for appointed and elected leadership and their immediate families, including births, deaths, marriages, illnesses, etc.  Resource or training events for all conference leaders; conference-sponsored events have first priority; non-United Methodist but relevant events have second priority. Events or opportunities which extend the mission of the local church and conference through the connection.  Invitations or requests for assistance or participation from Conference agencies.  Job opportunities within the United Methodist Church.  Information from outside sources which are relevant to the practice of ministry.

   Everyone@RmcUmc.com  is an irregular e-mail bulletin used to send both breaking news and background information for the on-going work of the church: content may be similar to that found in TableTalk, but is more time-dependent. Its purpose is to facilitate the work of elected and appointed leaders in ministry throughout the Conference. Use is limited to the Conference Communications Officer, the Conference Treasurer, the Executive Assistant to the Bishop or their designee's.

   Dialogue@RmcUmc.com  is an on-line forum provided by the Conference for anyone to post a message of opinion, concern, etc. It is monitored by the Conference Treasurer and Communications Officer.

   The Sunday Vision is a full-color glossy print insert for use in local churches, provided by the Conference 6-8 times a year. Its particular purpose is to "help people see their ministry together in these states and beyond." Its primary audience is newcomers to the Sunday worship event, secondly more established disciples of Christianity and members of the United Methodist Church. Its production format makes it more suitable for reporting events that have already occurred. The Conference Communications Officer is the Editor. Specific criteria for establishing its content include:  It is assumed that readers have no knowledge of Christian tradition or United Methodist history, polity, doctrine, etc. Language and content shall reflect this, and where such references are necessary, shall be limited and explained as straightforwardly as possible.  Conversely, content shall highlight the nature of the Christian church and specifically United Methodism, especially is connectional, global nature. Content will be explicitly representative of the objective of diversity previously stated.