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University Marketing and Communications

News.IllinoisState.edu

News.IllinoisState.edu is a digital hub for articles, photos, and other digital media about Illinois State University. The WordPress-based content management system serves units across campus.

Articles uploaded to the centralized News system can easily be fed to various digital destinations, including departmental websites, social media channels, e-newsletters, kiosks, and more. Each article is reviewed by University Marketing and Communications (UMC) editors before publication.

News, originally known as Stories, was launched in 2012 by UMC and Web and Interactive Communications (WEB), supported by Administrative Technologies and CAS-IT. The project won the University’s Team Excellence Award in 2014.

Have questions about e-newsletters?

Please contact Dani Schroeder and Web and Interactive Communications.

Want to join News?

Email UMC Associate Director for Strategic Communications Kevin Bersett at kdberse@IllinoisState.edu to register for a News training. All of the trainings are held via Zoom and are a quick review of the user guide and an opportunity to ask questions. Here is the upcoming News training schedule:

  • 2-2:30 p.m., Wednesday, December 11 (Register by December 9)
  • 11-11:30 a.m., Thursday, January 23 (Register by January 21)
  • 2-2:30 p.m., Wednesday, February 12 (Register by February 10)
  • 10-10:30 a.m., Tuesday, March 18 (Register by March 17)
  • 1-1:30 p.m., Thursday, April 10 (Register by April 7)

Trainings are mandatory only for new users seeking access to the News system. Current users who would like a review of the system are welcome to attend but are not required to do so.

Need help?

Fill out Illinois State News Assistance Form and we'll get to work.

Who’s who?

Editorial questions

Photo questions

Story ideas

  • University Marketing and Communications is always looking for good stories may they be about things happening on campus or alumni accomplishing extraordinary things off campus. Send ideas to Kevin Bersett.

WordPress functionality issues

Website functionality issues

News writing tips

Here are some things to keep in mind when you write a News post:

  • Follow the University’s Voice and Tone and editorial style guidelines.
  • Be accurate. Double-check the spelling of names and verify factual information.
  • Know your audience. Think about for whom you are writing and what information they will need to understand the topic.
  • Think about the call to action and the purpose of the story before you write.
  • Place pertinent news information—who, what, when, where—near the top of the story.
  • Show rather than tell by including anecdotes, facts, or other details that offer insight into the people or topics you are writing about.
  • Use links to provide more information about a relevant topic.
  • Avoid redundant quotations.
  • Include, when possible, the key search term in the headline, lead paragraphs, and excerpt, and throughout the story.
  • Use subheadings to break up longer stories and to help the reader easily find relevant information.
  • Write for the reader, not for an internal audience.
  • Avoid writing by committee. Choose one writer and have others edit the story.
  • Draw in readers with interesting headlines, sidebars, photographs, and videos.