FamilyFed Editors’ Guidelines

Welcome, Familyfed editors! Please refer to FFWPU Grammar Practices guidelines when you are editing for Familyfed.org, in addition to the Familyfed-specific guidelines below.

Channels

Identify the story’s channel and make sure it has the necessary components, listed below.

Upcoming Event

  • Title – event name

  • What & So what (Why should people attend this event? What is the gain?)

  • Where (City & Venue), When

  • Price

  • Contact information

  • Registration link or form

Featured Message

  • Speech title – if not provided, give it one!

  • Introduction: speaker’s name, date, location (city and venue), occasion of speech, brief overview of topic

  • Full or edited transcribed speech, separated into sub-sections with subheadings

  • At least 1 good image of speaker, preferably images of audience as well

On This Day

  • Voice: in between informative and blog style, add punchy lines and phrases here and there

  • For church events, take from TWIH as reference, tparents.org

  • Word count: 200-400 (for lesser holidays or church historical events)

  • Word count: 600-900 (for more significant holidays or church historical events)

Last Week Today

  • Title: Your Weekly Update – [Date (Month, Day)]

  • Featured Video (Vimeo Link)

  • Static intro: Every week the National Ministry Team compiles stories and important upcoming events in a quick weekly update video. Here is what we cover this week:

  • Topics separated by two spaces – topic heading, blurb, link to read more/register, if available

  • Excerpt: This week, your weekly update covers [list of all topics covered] …

This Week in History

  • Title – theme based on historical items

  • Introduction: This week in history, [Month] [Day]-[Day]:

  • Bullet point list of historical items and their dates, in parentheses

  • Bullet point list and all item headings in present tense

  • Items separated by two spaces

  • Heading and description for each item

  • Edited photos with captions

  • Static outro: This Week in History briefly lists significant events in the history of the Unification Church, the lives of the Founders, and world events that are momentous to Unificationists. Most items are marked according to the solar calendar. Items marked “H.C.” correspond to the Cheon-gi or Heavenly Calendar, which is based on the lunar calendar. This installment covers the week of [Date] – [Date].

  • Excerpt: This week in history, [list of all items in present tense without dates] …

PeaceTV/HJ Global News

  • Enter vimeo URL in “Featured Video” option

  • Title: brainstorm and collaborate on a title with Editorial team

  • Intro: “This week, iPeace TV features…(add updates here)”

    • List of top items featured

    • Summary of regional news

  • Static conclusion: “To sign up for the e-weekly update video, visit en.ipeacetv.com and look for the “register” tab at the top-right and follow instructions.”

True Peace Magazine

  • Static text:

IPeace TV released its [Month] issue of True Peace magazine, a monthly electronic publication that highlights True Parents’ words—past and present—and news from around the world. 

Thank you to everyone who contributed to this month’s issue and to making True Peace Magazine a source of inspiration and a venue for sharing good news, novel ideas and success stories.

The [Month] issue of True Peace magazine is now available for download. The True Peace magazine editorial team is preparing for the next issue and beyond. Be sure to read the great stories and look out for next month’s issue coming soon.

  • PDF link

  • Photo of current issue

Year in Review

  • Title of resource at the top

  • Slideshow or image

  • Description and purpose

  • Download/purchase button

 Interviews

  • Who to interview

    • Main subject(s) — who is the story about?

    • Secondary character(s) — family, friends, people close to the topic, professionals, experts

    • Tertiary character(s) — onlookers, participants

    • Quotes should be presented in this order

  • Introduction

    • Capture the essence of the person externally (name-spelled out, title, job, family, where they live, etc.) first and briefly before transitioning into the interview topic. Highlight what is unique about this person.

  • Questions

    • Phrase questions respectfully and sensitively, while still piquing the interest of the reader and getting to the core of the interview’s potential as a story. Be as specific and direct as possible; elaborate, but not wordy.

    • Always use open-end questions (avoid yes/no questions)

  • Editing the interview

    • Use quotes that capture emotion, belief and opinion. Avoid informational quotes that can be written into the story (e.g. “We are planning for the rally that’s happening in New York.” → “We are so excited for the upcoming rally and have reached out to so many people who are very inspired to participate.”)

    • Delete filler words and cut out extraneous details (e.g. “I believe. I believe you will succeed.” → “I believe you will succeed.”)

    • Keep parts of the interview that support the key purpose of the interview. Help achieve a voice of passion, depth and clarity/conviction even if the interviewee is a poor speaker. Make sure the interview inspires and touches the reader. Build up to an epiphany moment if possible.

  • Alternate workflow for interviews:

    • Write Article → Audio Narrative → If powerful turn it into a video. (e.g. writing a book and turning it into a movie).

 Editing Interview Do’s and Don’ts

  • Interviewer do's—don't ask a question, form the question into a statement; ex. "Tell me about your experience at this workshop." This will illicit more than a "yes" or "no" answer.

  • remove the "so"/"and"/"uh" at the beginning of an interview, especially in a transcription of an interview.

Legal

Submit articles with the following sensitivities to the legal department for checking before you post:

  • Articles dealing with properties, estates, dwelling places, especially relating with True Parents or church-owned properties

  • Articles dealing with appointments and new positions, especially happening in Korea or outside of country

  • Articles dealing with financial figures, non-profit vs. profit in relation to the Unification Church

*Please also be sensitive when dealing with potential posts about ongoing political campaigns or current public figures. In one 2016 case, a candidate’s affiliation with the Unification movement was used unfairly by the media as a basis to attack that candidate.

For the time being–especially at the height of a presidential election season–it is recommended to refrain from publicly disclosing political affiliations without due consideration by and reflection with an editorial or institutional supervisor first.

 

Line Editing

All articles must undergo the following editing checklist:

  • Is there a clear “what”, “so what” and “now what”?

  • Are all people mentioned given full name and title upon first mention?

  • Is the location in which the story takes place clearly stated?

  • Are all terms defined with public language? See Vocabulary.

  • Are all acronyms spelled out fully upon first mention?

  • Is there a positive, constructive spin on the topic?

  • Is the flow of the story clear and organized, with adequate transitions between thoughts/paragraphs?

  • Are quotes phrased in proper English?

  • Linking and hyperlinking: Editorial will create hyperlinks during review of a post connecting older posts to the current post, hyperlinks directing readers to other HQ and affiliate websites, or to third-party websites accordingly.

  • Do a final grammar and punctuation check

 

Speech Editing

All speeches must undergo the following editing checklist:

  • Is the speech public-friendly?

  • Are sensitive, internal topics removed or rephrased?

  • Is it edited to sound less like spoken word and more like written word?

  • Do ideas flow logically? If not, reorganize the speech.

  • Does the speech have a title? If not, give it one.

  • Is the speech broken up into subsections with subheadings?

  • If by True Mother, was edited speech first approved by Korea?

Publications

TEXT

  • Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon

  • When used alone always: Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon

  • When used with Rev. Sun Myung Moon, then: Rev. and Mrs. Sun Myung Moon

  • Or Rev. Dr. Sun Myung Moon and Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon

Events

  • If she is the Keynote Speaker and referred to in text only without a photo: Always first listing before other speakers or entertainers

Photos

  • If she is the Keynote Speaker and a photo is used:

  • Photo must be first (to the left, or above other photos)

  • Head must never be smaller than other heads

  • Photos must be supplied (or approved) by FFWPU Design Department. Never googled photos.

editorialManish Saluja