Help users view a news or press release
News page
When to use this template
Use this to publish news or press releases on the Buckinghamshire Council website. Add your news as a child page to the News index.
When not to use this template
You can use the news template to help users find other content such as:
- guidance or information about council services
- policies and strategies
- helping users complete a task or a series of tasks
- a time-limited campaign
- an event listing
Policy, guidance, campaigns and events should have their own pages on our website. You can use the news template to tell people about these things, but a news page shouldn't be the only place that users can read about them.
How it works
This is a simple template designed for single news items.
You'll need to enter:
- a title
- date of publication (this will show above your article so users know how recent the news is)
- a brief introduction that explains what the article is about
- your article or press release
You can also include:
- contact details (email and telephone) of someone who can give people more information about your news item
- links to more guidance or tasks, such as an application form
- a link to a campaign page
Using our style guide
We follow the Government Digital Service (GDS) style guide. These standards have been researched and developed by central government.
The Buckinghamshire Council style guide has been adapted from GDS style. Using consistent structure, formatting, spelling and grammar helps our users read what we publish.
Images
You can add images to your news page. Images can help the user to:
- feel like the news is relevant to them (context)
- understand information in a different way (as in a diagram)
Remember that not all users can view images. Your images should support the text rather than explain the text. Make sure that anything you want the user to read is in the body text, not in an image.
Always describe images for people who can't see them.
Quotes and speech marks
If you're using quotes in your article, make sure they are formatted correctly. This makes it easier for readers to identify the text as something that somebody said.
In long passages of speech, open quotes for every new paragraph, but close quotes only at the end of the final paragraph.
Use "double quotes" in body text for direct quotations.
Use 'single quotes':
- in headlines
- for unusual terms
- when referring to words
- when referring to publications
- when referring to notifications such as emails or alerts
Put quotes inside the inset text component to make them easier to view.
Help and support
Contact the webteam via ServiceNow if you need to:
- ask a question
- get help with writing content
- make a suggestion for something we need to include in this guidance
You can find more guidance on writing content in the content design resources in the GOV.UK Service Manual.