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How to upload a UToday story using the University of
Calgary workbench tool (for professional communicators)
Getting Started
As you get ready to submit your story:
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Use Firefox, Safari or Chrome web browsers. Do not use Internet Explorer.
Make sure your story is signed off and approved.
Assemble all the photos you will need to accompany the story. Pictures should be at
least 775 pixels wide (for the display position at the top of the story) or at least 400
pixels wide (for the standard position on the right-hand side of the story).
As you finish: Communicate with the UToday Editor!
The tool provides an easy way to send a heads-up email directly to the UToday editor with
important information about your preferred date and time of publication, etc. Please be
sure to use this feature each time you file a story! Instructions appear on Page 8, under the
heading Second-Last Step.
To begin, log into the UToday site.
1. Add the UToday URL to your browser : http://wcm.ucalgary.ca/utoday/user.
2. Click the yellow Log in button.
3. You will be taken to the CAS
login screen. This looks very
much like your MyUofC login.
Enter your IT username and
password.
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STEP A: “CREATE ARTICLE,” ADD HEADLINE, DECK, SETTINGS,
TEXT CONTENT
Begin by clicking My Workbench > Create Content > UToday Article.
1. Under the Article Details tab, type the Article Headline and Article Deck.
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2. Cover Image is the field where you can add a
photo to display across the top of your article.
LATER STEP: We recommend that you focus on
text for now, save your work, and then add
photos in STEP B (on Page 5).
Article Settings
Click on the words “Article Settings” and a new window opens up, controlling how and
when the story will be displayed.
1. Issue Date: Choose the date you want the story to be published in the UToday
email. Leave it blank if you’re not sure.
2. Section, Section Order: Choose which section of the email the story belongs in, and
the order of appearance. If you’re not sure, leave the default settings.
3. Article Media: If you have a slideshow, video, audio or Storify component to your
story, check the appropriate box(es). This brings up a graphic flag that alerts
readers to the existence of multimedia content. Note: this widget does not give you
the ability to add actual multimedia content to the story. Contact the UToday Editor
if you would like assistance adding this content.
4. Article Media Thumbnail: For the UToday Editor’s use only (adds content to the
Multimedia widget on the UToday web page).
5. Article
Tags: If you
would like
“Related Links”
to appear at the
bottom of your
story, enter the
tags here. See
About UToday
guide for tagging
instructions and
protocols.
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Add text content
1. Click on Article Content tab.
2. Byline: Type “By Your Name”
3. External Link: Use this field only when you wish to direct readers from a UToday
headline to another website. In other words, this story does not contain any new
content, it merely links to another site. Copy and paste the URL in the External Link
field. Note: This field does not function the same as a Related Link.
4. Body: Add story text here. If you’re copying and pasting text from a Word
document, it’s recommended that you “Clear Formatting” from the Word text first.
5. Click the “Yes, I confirm” check box confirming you have approval for your story.
You will not be able to submit your article unless this box has been checked off.
6. Save the story now.
7. Once the story has saved, click on the “Edit Draft” tab to continue editing.
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STEP B: ADD IMAGE TO THE TOP OF THE STORY
1. If you have a large, wide photo you’d
like to display across the top of your
article (as opposed to down the right
side), return to the Article Details
tab.
2. Click on Choose File under Cover
Image to find the photo on your
computer. Note: your photo must be
minimum 775x360 pixels.
3. Click Upload to attach the photo to
the article. The tool returns to the
Article Details tab.
You now have two crops to make: 4. The UToday Cover Photo, and 5. the UToday
News Thumb.
4. UToday Cover Photo: This crop will determine how the photo displays at the top of
the story. Double-click on UToday Cover Photo, and a separate crop box will appear.
Drag the cursor to adjust the crop area. When you’re finished the crop, click Save. You
will automatically be taken back to the Article Details tab.
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5. UToday News Thumb: This crop will create the thumbnail that is automatically pulled
into the UToday email and UToday web page. Note: the thumbnail image appears in the
ratio of 3:2, so the crop will be slightly different than for the strongly-horizontal Cover
Image. Double-click on UToday News Thumb, and a separate crop box will appear.
Drag the cursor to adjust the crop area. When you’re finished the crop, click Save. You
will automatically be taken back to the Article Details tab.
6. Fill in the Caption field. Copy the complete caption, and paste it into the Alternate
Text field (for greater search engine visibility).
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STEP C: ADD IMAGE TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE STORY
1. Click on Article Assets tab.
2. Image(s). This field adds photos to the right-hand side of your UToday story. The
tool functions much the same as the “Cover Image” photo tool, described on Page 5.
3. One difference: As you crop the UToday General Photo – which controls how the
image displays in the story itself – you’ll notice that the tool lets you crop to any
dimension, allowing the display of a vertical image.
4. UToday News Thumb: Controls the thumbnail image automatically pulled in by the
UToday email and UToday web page. This crop is constrained to a 3:2 dimension.
Note: If the email doesn’t “see” an image in the Cover position, it will pull the first
photo from the Asset position
5. Caption, Alternate Text: Follow the same instructions as appear on Page 6.
6. Add a New File: After you attach
one photo, the Image field
automatically creates a Choose File
button to add a second photo, and
then a third photo, and so on.
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7. File Attachment(s):
Add a .pdf to a UToday
story. Click on Choose
File, browse to the .pdf
on your computer, and
Upload.
8. File Information: Once
the .pdf is uploaded,
right-click on the name of the image to copy the URL. The URL can now be added
into the text of the story as an embedded link.
STEP D: SAVE AND FILE STORY TO UTODAY EDITOR
1. Click on the yellow
button Save at any
time during the
writing/editing
process, or when
you’re done.
2. Once you have saved a
story, you can find it
under My Drafts in
your workbench. To
open the story again,
click on its Title.
3. SECOND-LAST STEP: Please use this field! The Revision log message is a key tool
for communicating directly with the UToday Editor. This field appears just
underneath Article Settings. What you type here is emailed to the editor in an
automated notification. Just before you send a story, please list your preferred day
of publication, the time of day (i.e. “in the email,” or “can publish immediately,” or
“cannot be published before 1 p.m.”), and any other suggestions or considerations.
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4. LAST STEP: To send a completed story to the UToday Editor, first go to the View
Draft tab. When you click on the yellow button Apply, it will send the story from the
My Drafts queue to the Needs Review queue – where it will be visible to the editor.
STEP E: TROUBLESHOOTING TIPS
1. FORGOT HOW TO DO SOMETHING? Contact the UToday editor at
[email protected]
2. TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES? Fill out a short webform for the web designer at
https://wcm.ucalgary.ca/utoday/admin/workbench/support
3. ERROR MESSAGE WHEN YOU TRY TO ADD A PHOTO: This can happen when you
try to add a photo to a story for a second time. For example: you first uploaded a
photo into the “cover” position, didn’t like it there, removed it, and tried to upload
the same photo into the “asset” position. The system thinks the image is a duplicate
and rejects it. WORKAROUND: Give the photo a different name before re-uploading
it.
4. SYSTEM CREATES A DUPLICATE STORY, THEN WON’T LET YOU SAVE: This can
happen if you “save” twice in succession, too quickly. Contact the web designer, who
will delete the duplicate, freeing up the original version:
https://wcm.ucalgary.ca/utoday/admin/workbench/support