2. Processes Involved in Internal Communications Programmes

Internal communications programmes can be split into two categories; those that mainly rely on an in-house resource (either a single editor or a full editorial team) and those where the bulk of the writing and design is farmed out, usually to specialist agencies. In the latter case, the business will usually appoint an internal ‘editor’ who has an overseeing role, perhaps approving story leads and copy, but does not directly produce content. Both types of programme call for freelance copywriting support from time to time, either to cover for editorial or agency staff shortages, or sometimes to provide more long-term help with content. You may even be asked to design, implement and run an entire programme yourself.

Regardless of which of the above categories they fall into, and whether they involve a magazine, an intranet site, or other media (or, indeed, a mix of media), most internal communications programmes have a number of features in common:

• They tend to be initiated and led by marketing departments rather than human resources or finance. This may be because internal communications is usually seen as an in-house extension of a business’s external public relations efforts.
• Depending on the seniority of the editor, it is not unusual for copy (or page proofs) to require approval from one or several senior executives in the business before it can be published.
• There may also be a network or panel of other people in the client organisation, perhaps from different departments around the business, who are responsible for feeding story leads into and gathering feedback for the programme.

Typically, internal communications programmes all follow a similar production process, too, regardless of how frequently material is published:

• Story leads are put forward and agreed upon at the beginning of the production cycle, often in a face-to-face meeting. This may also include a review of activity just completed (usually the last edition of the magazine/newsletter).
• Stories are then researched, usually by interviewing agreed contacts in the business, and written up.
• Once each story is written, it then goes back to the contact for checking and approval. The copywriter is usually in charge of this process.
• At the same time, requirements for any further items associated with the story (such as photographs) are followed up. This task, again, quite often falls to the writer.
• The approved story will then often go through one or two more clearance stages, for example via an in-house editor and a senior member of management, before it can be published.