Editorial Guidelines for Website News Storytelling

CAS communications storytelling department-news

CAS OPERATIONS

Services Model
Communications

CAS Communications encourages units to follow the rubric below when developing stories for the news section of the unit’s website. Information about the types of content that will be included in the news section is also included.

All text should follow the UD Office of Communications and Marketing’s Editorial Style Guide for website text. An overview of the digital style guide is below.

All stories should be submitted using the storytelling template located on the last page of this document.

News items must adhere to the following criteria:

Stories with external-facing value to a general audience
Be narrative in nature
Support the CAS and unit strategic goals and mission
Content should be a minimum of 250 words, but no longer than 750 words
Include compelling image(s) in the correct size and format listed in the OCM Photo guide:
- Primary image (top of story) - horizontal and measure 800 x 420 pixels
- Story body image - horizontal and measure 800 x 533 pixels
- Vertical images should be used sparingly and must measure 800 x 1000 pixels
- All images should have captions

Storytelling Rubric

Each story should include information that answers each of the following questions:

Who is involved in the story?
What is each person’s title and department for faculty/staff or their graduation year and major for students.
What happened?
When did it happen?
How did it happen?
Where did the story happen?
What, if any, other units either in CAS or on campus were involved?
Why is the story important?
What is the impact of the action in the story?
What would happen if the action did not happen?
How does this story connect to the department’s strategic goals?

Quick Digital Comms Style guide

Below are guidelines for the most common style inconsistencies that appear in text on CAS websites, with examples. Styles may differ for navigation, headers and other digital elements.

Punctuation

The University does not use the serial comma (the comma following the second-to-last item in a series), in accordance with AP guidelines. When the absence of a serial comma compromises clarity, use the comma—even though it has not been used throughout.
- Ex: sociology, criminal justice and psychology departments

Capitalization

Capitalize the following:

“University” when standing alone when referring to the University of Delaware.
- Ex: The University has 10 colleges.
Full, proper names only of departments, offices and programs. Any reference not using the full, proper title should be lowercase.
- Examples:
  - The College of Arts and Sciences BUT the college
  - The Department of History BUT the history department
  - The University of Delaware Honors Program BUT the honors program
Course names only when referring to a specific course being taught.
- Ex: Soandso is teaching Capitalization for Non-Majors this spring.
Titles only when immediately preceding a name.
- Examples:
  - President Walter Hullihen BUT Walter Hullihen, president of the University
  - Sen. Tom Carper BUT Tom Carper, U.S. senator
  - Gen. W. A. Black BUT the general said
  - Assistant Professor George Antrobus BUT George Antrobus, assistant professor
Titles of named professors:
- Ex: Harry Angstrom, H. Fletcher Brown Professor of Mineralogy
Degrees when abbreviated. Abbreviated degrees also take periods in text, but DO NOT use periods in left website navigation.
- Examples:
  - B.A. in anthropology, M.S. in applied mathematics.
  - doctor of musical arts: D.M.A.
  - bachelor of fine arts: B.F.A.; master of fine arts: M.F.A.
Full name of any degree program that is unique to UD:
- Ex. Winterthur/UD Program in Art Conservation

Lowercase the following:

“college” when standing alone.
- Ex: The college has 24 academic departments and 80 majors.
“department” when standing alone.
- Ex: The department offers numerous courses and programs.
Courses of study.
- Ex: Jane Doe is studying biology and sociology, John Doe, an honors art history and linguistics double major
General course descriptions.
- Ex: Soandso teaches courses in capitalization for non-majors every semester.
College degrees and degree programs when spelled out.
- Ex. associate in arts, bachelor of science, master of arts.
- bachelor of science in mathematics, bachelor of arts in East Asian studies, master of science in electrical and computer engineering

Names and titles

Courtesy titles, such as Mr., Mrs., Ms., Miss and Dr., are not used—even on first reference—except when referring to the deceased. “Dr.” may be used when referring to a doctor of medicine if the connection is integral to the piece of writing.
Use “of” after “professor,” “associate professor,” “assistant professor” and “adjunct professor.”
- Ex: Elizabeth Bennett, associate professor of communication, led the discussion.
Use “in” after “instructor” and “lecturer.”
- Ex: Adam Smith, instructor in economics, led the discussion.

Degrees

Use an apostrophe in “bachelor’s degree” and “master’s degree.” DO NOT use an apostrophe (or an “s”) in “associate degree.”
- NOTE: The associate in arts degree (note: “in,” not “of”) is never abbreviated.
A doctorate is a “Ph.D.” “Ph.D.s” is its plural form. When possible, use “doctorate” over “Ph.D.”— ex: “She holds a doctorate in biomechanics.”

Other punctuation

One space follows all punctuation, including periods and colons.
Periods and commas are always placed inside quotation marks; all other punctuation is placed outside quotation marks, unless part of the material being quoted.
Italicize the titles of books, plays, long poems, collections of shorter works (e.g., anthologies, albums), newspapers, magazines, films and television programs.
Enclose in quotation marks the titles of articles, essays, short stories and poems, book chapters and television episodes.
Place a comma after all dates that include the year. However, commas do not separate seasons and months from their years.
- Ex: Your April 15, 2019, letter states…. The report will be released in spring 2019.

Numbers, Time and Dates

Spell out one through nine. Use figures for 10 or above.
Use periods for “a.m.” and “p.m.”
- Ex: 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 3:30 p.m., 3-5:30 p.m., 8:30-9 a.m.
Lowercase seasons—fall, winter, spring and summer
- Ex: summer 2024, winter session 2024
Do not use “st” “rd” “nd” in dates. When a month is used with a specific date, abbreviate only Jan. Feb. Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. and Dec. Otherwise spell out.
Lowercase a century unless part of a proper name.
- Ex: ninth century literature, 20th century historian