mnnews.today is the latest dimension of the comprehensive service and information provided by the Catholic Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle. The diocese is large, varied and vibrant, with events, initiatives and community connections occurring almost daily.
mnnews.today compliments existing diocesan communications, including the monthly magazine Aurora which has a circulation of 62,000 and the weekly e-bulletin Diocesan Update, reaching several thousand subscribers each Tuesday afternoon.
Striving to present news and events from across the diocese and its agencies, mnnews.today is a platform for up to date information in one location. It echoes the fact that all diocesan services exist under the banner of Bishop Bill Wright and is a central point of reference for members of both the diocesan and wider communities.
Submitting stories to mnnews.today
Individuals, members of school staffs, CCSS staff, religious congregations, agencies such as St Vincent de Paul Society, Caritas and Catholic Mission are invited to submit ideas and stories for potential inclusion on mnnews.today.
Once received, all submitted content will be reviewed promptly by a member of the mnnews.today Editorial Team in terms of relevance, suitability of style and topicality, and content that is accepted will be posted promptly. The mnnews.today Team will liaise with each submitter directly throughout this process, and content which adheres to the guidelines will have a greater chance of being posted.
In addition to appearing on mnnews.today, approved content may also appear simultaneously on diocesan and agency websites as relevant.
Content should be submitted via mnnews.today using the "Submit a story" online form.
Content guidelines
While the best indicator of a suitable style will be the content already posted on mnnews.today, the following guidelines may assist.
- mnnews.today story ideas need to be accurate, current and concise. It’s important all relevant information is included in the submission form as the mnnews.today Editorial Team will take this information and draft the story in a journalistic tone and style.
- The minimum word count for stories on mnnews.today is 100 words, and as such a minimum of five dot points of information is requested to allow the mnnews.today Editorial Team to draft the finished article.
- News items communicate information, so a ‘who, what, where, when, why’ framework is recommended.
- Concise quotes from relevant participants or organisers can enhance the readability of the story and greatly assist the mnnews.today Editorial Team in finalising the story. Be sure that the person quoted has given their express permission to be included, and is clearly identified: “Director of Schools in the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle, Ray Collins, said...” or “Parishioner and member of a pioneering local family, Joe Bloggs, said...”
- When considering whether to submit a story for possible posting on mnnews.today, reflect on its newsworthiness in terms of appeal to an audience that is wider than your school, parish or organisation. Generally, a degree of uniqueness is desirable.
- News stories submitted to mnnews.today must be supported by good quality photographs. These need to be high resolution and ideally will depict a small number of individuals rather than large groups where faces are difficult to distinguish. It is the responsibility of the person submitting the photos to seek permission for photos to be published.
- Photographs are always about people – please ensure any images contain at least one person.
- Where appropriate, social media may be utilised to generate additional interest in certain stories on mnnews.today. This will be managed by the mnnews.today Editorial Team.