Basics

What is the difference between a Group Hometowner and Individual Hometowner?

A Group Hometowner allows you to send news about a group of people. It involves uploading a spreadsheet full of your students' details and creating a customized news story template. It then delivers each newspaper a press release about all of the students from their coverage area.

An Individual Hometowner lets you send news about one person at a time. It's best used when one person accomplishes something that their peers do not. To create an Individual Hometowner you will need to simply copy and paste the text of your story and then target the person's hometown.

What can I use the readMedia to announce?

You can use it any time you have news that is geographically specific to an individual or individuals. Common uses include things like graduation announcements, Dean's lists and matriculation. You'll find examples in the Sample Templates section.

What kind of publications does readMedia send my news to?

readMedia creates personalized student achievements on readabout.me and also delivers a press release to students' hometown newspapers. It also sends your news to websites like Patch that focus on news specific to a town, city or community.

How will newspapers receive my hometowners?

Newspapers will receive stories by their preference of either email or fax. While most media recipients get stories by email there are still some that prefer fax transmissions.

Does readMedia’s name appear in the dateline of every hometowner I send?

Yes, newswire services all use a standardized dateline with the name of the wire included in it. 

What's the difference between a logo and letterhead?

A logo is a small image that goes onto the online version of a story for some additional branding. A letterhead is a banner image that spans the top of a news release. Letterheads are only included when a recipient receives a story by fax.

My Account

How do I upload a logo into my account?

Go to the My Account tab and click on Logos. Then just find the image on your computer and upload it. You can have as many logos as you may need inside your account. You'll just want to select the one you'd like to use while drafting your template.

Can I change the address that emails to my students will come from?

Yes. Go to the My Account tab and click on Email Settings. You'll be prompted to enter the name and email address you'd like to use. After you verify the new address by email your emails to students will come from the address listed here instead of the one tied to your user account.

Can I add another user to my account?

The administrator of your account can add up to 2 additional user accounts. If you need to add more than the allotted 3 user accounts, contact a readMedia representative at customerservice@readmedia.com or 518-429-2800.