ACC Newsroom

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What types of college activities/achievements are newsworthy?
    Media are typically interested in stories that are unique, relevant to society, current and those that will have a broad impact on a community. News is a business, and generally a story that has broad appeal to a wide audience will be considered for coverage. However, there is no guarantee of coverage. Ultimately, the media are their own gatekeepers.
  • Why won’t the local newspaper cover my program?
    Media cover stories to inform the public; they are not in the business of promoting. However, they rely on advertising costs to fund their operations. As such, promotion is not a news function, but an advertising opportunity for the media. Information is a news function.
  • Whom do I contact for media publicity?
    Alexis Patterson
    Media Relations Coordinator, Public Information & College Marketing
    Tel: 512.223.7596 Fax: 512.223.7833
    apatter1@austincc.edu
  • What news warrants a news release or news conference?
    News releases and media advisories are often written to promote an ACC program, event, grant, Board of Trustees action or new facility. News conferences are arranged primarily for larger events like a campus ground-breaking or grand opening, or breaking news event.Smaller news items like faculty accomplishments may be better publicized through a news brief published on the ACC homepage under News and Announcements. Please contact
  • Alexis Patterson
    Media Relations Coordinator, Public Information & College Marketing
    Tel: 512.223.7596 Fax: 512.223.7833
    apatter1@austincc.edu
  • How do I go about inviting media to my class?
    Please contact :
    Alexis Patterson
    Media Relations Coordinator, Public Information & College Marketing
    Tel: 512.223.7596 Fax: 512.223.7833
    apatter1@austincc.edu
    for assistance with media.
  • If media suddenly show up to my campus, what should I do? ACC is a publicly funded college and as such, media have the right to visit our campuses. Classes and normal campus operations however, should not be interrupted by media. To best accommodate visits by media, please contact Alexis Patterson immediately.
  • Alexis Patterson
    Media Relations Coordinator, Public Information & College Marketing
    Tel: 512.223.7596 Fax: 512.223.7833
    apatter1@austincc.edu
  • How do I access ACC’s public information?
    Please visit the Open Records webpage at the ACC Newsroom.
  • Does ACC have a student newspaper, and, if yes, do you offer advertising space?
    Accent, the award-winning Austin Community College student newspaper,
    strives to provide an ethical, socially responsible, well-rounded,
    fair-minded and independent student press. We are dedicated to providing
    opportunities for students to learn and gain experience producing media
    content, while teaching them to become life-long contributors to society.
    Finally, we offer ACC’s faculty, staff, students and surrounding community
    with a complete source of information about student life.Accent is published 12 times per academic year and is distributed across
    seven ACC locations in the Austin area to a student population of 65,000 as
    well as hundreds of faculty and staff.http://www.austincc.edu/accent/MAIL ADDRESS:
    Accent
    Office of Student Life
    Austin Community College
    Rio Grande Campus
    1212 Rio Grande St.
    Room 101.1
    Austin, TX 78701OFFICE HOURS:
    Monday to Friday
    9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

    Phone: 512.223.3114
    Fax: 512.223.3086
    E-MAIL:
    slaccent@austincc.edu