Policies and Procedures

For journalists, religion writers, columnists and other members of the news media

 

Policies, procedures and general information for news personnel (PDFPDF Format)

  • News media personnel covering the assembly must obtain proper credentials from the ELCA News Service in accordance with ELCA policy. All requests for credentials must be approved by the director of the ELCA News Service. Credentials can be obtained in Room 103D beginning at noon, Aug. 17.
  • Visiting news personnel will work in Room 103D; staff of the ELCA News Service will be housed in Room 103E; and news conferences will be held in Room 103F.
  • Media credentials must be displayed at all times in the newsrooms, news conference room and the churchwide assembly plenary hall.
  • The newsrooms will be open at 8 a.m. throughout the assembly, Aug. 18-23. (On Aug. 17, the newsrooms will open by noon.)
  • The director of the ELCA News Service must approve any materials placed in newsrooms for distribution. The ELCA secretary must approve materials placed elsewhere in the convention center for distribution.
  • The assembly Web site is http://www.elca.org/assembly. You’ll find print, audio and video news releases, photographs, reports and more.
  • Several three-ring binders containing detailed assembly materials are available for reference in the newsrooms. Because the supply of these is limited, please do not remove these from the newsrooms. Reports and proposals that appear in the binders are also posted on the assembly Web site at http://www.elca.org/assembly/report as PDF files.
  • A mail basket assigned to you will be located in the visiting newsroom (103D). Please check your basket regularly. Announcements will be placed there for you; news releases will NOT be printed. You may print your own from the Web site using the newsroom printer.
  • Exhibit Hall E is the assembly plenary hall. Seating for news personnel is reserved in the rows directly to the right of the main stage.
  • You may use newsroom telephones and, for e-mail, Ethernet connections are provided. In the plenary hall you may use laptop computers. Electrical connections are available. Mult boxes are located in the plenary hall news section, at AV platforms in the plenary hall, in the visiting newsroom (103D) and in the news conference room (103F).
  • IMPORTANT: Cell phones and pagers must be silent or turned off at all times inside the plenary hall and hearing rooms during the assembly. Cell phones may be used in the newsrooms, convention center hallways or outside the building.
  • Photography is welcome at plenary sessions and hearings. When shooting photos or video, please limit movement, especially near the main stage in the front of the plenary hall. No cameras will be allowed on the main stage. We also ask that you not photograph voting members while they are voting. Photographs are permitted at worship services as directed by the director for worship. We ask that you not use a flash during the liturgy. Generally, an ELCA news staff member will accompany or assist photographers.
  • We respectfully request that you do not approach voting members or church officials directly for interviews. John Brooks, director, ELCA News Service, will work with news personnel to fulfill interview requests. Please ask newsroom reception staff or John about your interview requests. If a person is willing to be interviewed, the staff will work with you to arrange a time and location.
  • News conferences will be held immediately following plenary sessions in which significant decisions are made. We will notify you of these in the newsrooms and at the news media tables in the plenary hall. News conferences will be held in Room 103F. The first news conference is at 1:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 17, and will feature the Rev. Mark S. Hanson, ELCA presiding bishop, with an overview of the assembly.
  • During this assembly, we will offer live audio and video of news conferences at http://www.elca.org/livevideo on the Web. Recorded versions of news conferences will be posted online later.
  • Beginning Tuesday, Aug. 18, news staff will be available following news conferences to update you on any new information about the assembly agenda, proposals to be considered, and to answer any procedural questions you may have.