HUD's Web Publication Procedures and Style Guide

Section 3: Rules About Content

M. Translations (Internet Only): The most-used web content for citizens on www.hud.gov is translated for espanol.hud.gov.

1. When new pages are developed, notify the Departmental Web Managers, who will determine if they should be translated.
2. If content that has been translated is changed significantly - updated or expanded - in English, notify the Departmental Web Managers so it can be translated for espanol.hud.gov.
3. Do not translate content on your own, without approval of the Departmental Web Team. HUD is striving for consistency in translations.

N. News Releases (Internet Only): News releases are posted only at the request of Public Affairs, in Headquarters, or the officially designated Public Affairs Officers (PAOs) in the Regions.

1. Whenever possible, the national news release will serve as the only news release on a particular subject. So, for example, if a news release announces grants, then the state pages will link to the national news release to showcase local grant recipients.
2. If Regional PAOs choose to alter a national news release to give it local emphasis, then they are responsible for ensuring that any subsequent changes to the national release are picked up in the local release.
3. On state pages, links to both local news releases and national releases about grants will appear on a "Grant Announcements" page. The Grant Announcement's page will be the first link under "highlights" on the front of the state pages during grant announcement "season," and it will be a link on the "Local Newsroom" page.

O. Photo Galleries: "Photo Galleries" are slide shows that showcase the many ways HUD funds help communities. They are photo essays with short captions. The goal is to do a photo gallery for every state. In some cases, a state may have several photo galleries, organized by city or region. Photo galleries also are appropriate for Headquarters pages.

1. The technical support contractor must resize photos for photo galleries for state pages. Regional Web Managers should submit the photo in full size (whatever format was used by the digital camera, preferably 1024X768) and allow the contractor to resize them.
2. Well-written captions are extremely important. Write at an elementary reading level. Avoid citing specific HUD programs by name or number, since program names and numbers are not meaningful to the audience.
3. Captions should be no more than 250 characters.
4. Captions must contain both the city and state name.
5. Photo galleries normally should be 5-10 photos.
6. Each photo in a photo gallery must have well-written alt tags, describing the photo.
7. Choose a selection of photos that, when grouped together in the photo gallery, are interesting and show the breadth of HUD’s programs. Avoid a series of photos of buildings. "Before and after" shots are a good way to show buildings. Photos with people in front of buildings or playing at community centers, etc. are good.

P. Print Publications: Print publications must be posted in PDF format or reformatted so they are web-friendly. Print publications must follow the same approval processes of any other web document. Information contained in PDFs must also be posted in a text file, to ensure that it is accessible.

Q. Newsletters: Print materials do not read well on computer screens. If a HUD office prints and distributes a hard copy newsletter and, as a secondary way of distributing it, wants to post that newsletter on the website, we will post it in PDF format. The office must provide a "soft" copy of the newsletter to post. If the office wants to publish a newsletter on the web as the only or primary way of distributing it, then it must go into the HUD template and be published as a web page. Again, information contained in PDF files also must be posted in a text file, to ensure it is accessible.

R. Terror Alert Level - The terror alert level will be posted only on the front page of the national hud@work website. If specific regions or cities are at a different alert level, it will be noted in that box. Employees only have to check one place - the front page of hud@work - to find out the alert level. The Departmental Web Managers will update the terror alert level based on a) notification from the Office of Security and Emergency Planning, b) notification from the White House or a notice on the White House website, or c) notification from the Department of Homeland Security or a notice on the Homeland Security website, whichever comes first. If the alert level is changed after normal working hours, the status will be updated on hud@work as early in the morning as possible, the next working day.