Loudoun County Public Schools Media Protocols

  • Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) recognizes the important role the media plays in reporting news and information about its educational programs, services, students and employees. LCPS keeps the community informed through various channels and the media to provide open communication about the Division’s student and business stories.   

    This page delineates some of LCPS’ communication vehicles, with an in-depth look at the Division’s dealings with the media, as well as publications and announcements regarding the accomplishments and honors of the LCPS student body. The Division’s Communication & Community Engagement Office (CCO) assists the media by providing information about LCPS in an accurate and timely manner. The CCO values its longstanding partnership with the media, and this guide serves as a tool to support media partners.

    Media Requests
    Direct all media inquiries to the Communications & Community Engagement Office (CCO). Media who wish to film, photograph or interview LCPS staff members, students or Board members are advised to make a request through the CCO at (571) 252-1040 or LCPSMedia@LCPS.org.

    Please note that all requests are dependent on staff availability and may not always be fulfilled. Answers to questions for a division this large may require research during business hours. The CCO staff encourages reporters to reach out as far in advance as possible to ensure a timely response. 

    Records Requests
    Public records requests filed under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) should be submitted to the LCPS FOIA Officer via the Public Records Center. You will be instructed to log in or create an account if you have not already done so. Any requests received via email, phone, or verbally will be entered into the GovQA system by the LCPS FOIA officer.

    Visiting Schools
    Media who wish to visit any LCPS property, facility or school to film, tour, write about, conduct an interview or visit are advised to make a request through the Communications & Community Engagement Office (CCO) at (571) 252-1040 or LCPSMedia@LCPS.org. 

    For media attendance on LCPS property for coverage of public meetings, media should request credentials by contacting CCO at (571) 252-1040 or LCPSMedia@LCPS.org. More information on requesting credentials can be found below. 

    An LCPS Communications staff member or designee will serve as an escort to any media member on LCPS property in order to minimize disruption at the facility or to learning. Members of the media should be aware that certain school-wide events  may prohibit a media visit on a specific day. 

    In order to protect the safety and privacy of LCPS students, members of the media are not allowed on school property without first contacting CCO and obtaining permission. Members of the media are should remain off school property on the sidewalk or public right-of-way.  

    Interviews with School Officials
    If you are interested in interviewing, filming, or photographing an LCPS employee, your first point of contact is with the CCO. We are glad to help you find the correct resource for your story and arrange an interview time if it is appropriate to do so.

    Photographing or Interviewing Students
    In order to protect the privacy of LCPS students, please contact the CCO prior to making a media visit to an LCPS school. 

    Photograph Credit
    Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) copyrights and retains the rights to all photographs and videos that it produces. Those wishing to use a photograph or video produced by LCPS must contact the Communications & Community Engagement Office (CCO) to request permission prior to its use.

    Photo credit must also be used for photographs copyrighted and owned by LCPS.  Appropriate photo credit should read as follows:

    “Photo Credit: All Rights Reserved. © {Year} Loudoun County Public Schools.”

    Election Day Coverage
    All LCPS buildings are CLOSED on Election Day each year. Any schools used as polling locations are listed with the Virginia Department of Elections. All media inquiries for coverage at polling sites should go through the Virginia Department of Elections media office.

    School Board and Open Meetings
    The media are invited to attend all open meetings of the Loudoun County School Board (see Credentialing). Media may film and/or record these meetings. To avoid disruption of the meeting, reporters and photographers are advised not to approach Board members, guest speakers, or members of the audience in the Board Room or the hallway or lobby outside the Board Room during the meeting. Interviews must be conducted outside the Administration Building in the designated media area or in rooms pre-arranged with CCO staff. Copies of the Board agenda, informational items, and other meeting materials are available online on BoardDocs, which can be accessed on the LCPS website.

    Media are encouraged to arrive well before scheduled meetings in order to set up equipment, conduct sound checks, and confirm meeting locations. In an attempt to minimize disruption and maintain meeting decorum, access to meeting rooms may be delayed if the meeting is underway. Media members are expected to be self-sufficient and not rely on LCPS for sound or video equipment.

    Credentialing
    Members of the media are asked to contact the CCO for credentials prior to visiting any LCPS facility or school, or when attending a School Board or other Open Meetings. To obtain media credentials, contact the CCO at (571) 252-1040 or LCPSMedia@LCPS.org. You will need to present identification certifying that you are a working member of the news media in order to obtain media credentials.

    Press passes are limited and are typically granted only to working journalists from commercial publications covering the event or meeting. Freelance reporters may be asked to produce a letter of assignment or evidence of previous or current assignments from a media outlet prior to receiving media credentials. 

    Emergencies
    It is LCPS practice to work as cooperatively as possible to supply accurate and timely information to the public in an emergency, including its impact on students, teachers and staff members. LCPS will provide information to media outlets in such emergencies provided the release of information does not jeopardize the emergency response activities, or conflict with federal privacy laws, law enforcement investigations, or the safety of students or employees. During an emergency, media may not be allowed inside affected school buildings or facilities, and in such cases will  be directed to a designated external area at the site of the emergency to allow full access to the site by emergency response teams. 

    During an emergency, all media calls will be referred to the CCO to allow the crisis response team at the site to give full attention to relief efforts. LCPS will work as quickly as possible to provide accurate information to the public through a spokesperson, written releases or news briefing.

    Information Sources for Loudoun County Public Schools

    NEWSROOM (Archived media releases)

    Website page to be created

     

    PUBLICATIONS (LCPS Stories and Articles)

    https://www.lcps.org/Page/247508  

    Follow LCPS on Social Media

    https://www.instagram.com/lcpsofficial/

    @LCPSOfficial

    https://www.facebook.com/LCPSofficial

    https://www.linkedin.com/company/loudoun-county-public-schools

    Helpful Links

    LCPS Fact Sheet:  https://www.lcps.org/Page/235155

    Guide & Directory:  https://issuu.com/lcpspio/docs/2022-2023_guide_directory_for_web

    LCPS Dashboard:  https://dashboards.lcps.org/extensions/Dashboards/SchoolProfiles.html

    https://dashboards.lcps.org/extensions/Dashboards/Dashboards.html