tminor
09-25-2002, 01:43 AM
:D I was putting together some resources for a site for association leaders and I realized that some of the checklists could be useful for scapers planning and publicizing rallies. So I changed it around to suit you guys and decided to post it. Hopefully it will come in handy for the October 5th Rallies
Good Luck!
Strategies for Publicizing Your Rally
By Tracey L. Minor
1. Rallies Present Three Opportunities for Publicity.
Advance publicity - The fact that the rally will take place around the worldon the same day is very newsworthy. It has appeal for international,national and local press. Let them know of any special features of your rally. This advance notices gives the media an opportunity to do a lead upstory to the rally and perhaps even promote when and where it is taking place.
Day of the Event Coverage - Let the media know where your event is and have members of your team call news tip lines throughout the day. Designate someone to have information about the Save Farscape Campaign available for any members of the press who are interested. Having a press release for the day of the rally is also useful to articulate why protesters are there and whom the protest is targeting. Since they are usually on deadline and in a hurry, they love prepared materials that answer many of their questions. Material the press likes: fact sheets (FAQs), timelines, a sheet of quotes, and bios. These documents serve you well because they help make sure that
your story is told accurately.
Follow-up coverage - Send the contacts on your media list a follow up press release or letter the informs that of a roundup of what took place at the rally, results, and anything accomplished.
2. Notify The Press as Early as Possible to Increase Your Chance of Coverage - Reporters and crews are assigned stories. If all the reporters or crews have assignments, then your story will not get covered --even if the editor or producer wants to cover it.
3. Use Different Angles For Different Types of Media
Community Calendar - Most cities have one or two daily papers and scores of local neighborhood focused weekly papers that features calendars. Most major newspapers and local week papers have community calendars. They love to announce events! This is a great venue to get more people in your community to attend your rally. Most newspapers need at least a week notice to publish your event. I would if you don't have the exact email of the calendar editor, send your announcement by Fax. If you get your announcement in before the deadline, you are likely to have an 80% chance of getting the rally listed. In most cases, the only reason you might not get your rally listed is missing the deadline or they ran out of space. This is the most
overlooked aspect of publicity of rally coordinators.
Local Community/Neighborhood Angle - Neighborhood weeklies love local angles to stories like ours. If you are a local rally coordinator, make sure the editor of your neighborhood weekly knows about the Rally and your involvement. The fact that someone in the community is involved with an international event is news for local weekly publications.
Global\National Angle - When approaching the national and international press, stress that fact that this event is taking place around the world at the same time - You knew that one :-).
Technology Angle - Most major daily newspaper now have a technology editor or column. The Save Farscape Campaign is unique because most of it is coordinated via the web and email. This topic is popular with the press right now (remember the four times that CNN Headline News has covered us?) Take advantage of that and email, fax, or snail mail a letter to the technology editor of your local daily telling him or her how the rally was planned via the Internet.
Entertainment Angle - As the story evolves you want the local entertainment/arts editor to keep tabs on the "Save Farscape phenomenon"-like Matt Roush does at TV Guide. Find out who that is at the local dailies, radio. So, send updates to them regularly. If they don't cover your effort now, they are likely to do so when they see they this issue is not going away.
Getting Radio Coverage - send emails and faxes to Disc Jockeys and News Contacts. You specifically want coverage during drive time (that's the time people are usually in their cares driving to or from work - 7:00 am - 9:00 am and 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm). These shows have the highest ratings. Being heard on them will definitely get your message heard. A word of caution: DJs often
get the high ratings by making fun of people. Save Farscape is an easy mark.
4. Piggyback On Popular Events To gets More Media Coverage and More Visibility in Your Community - If a popular event open to the public is being held that usually gets media coverage, try to plan your rally around that event. You will reap the rewards in having a captive audience and press on hand.
5. Improve Your Media Coverage Results By Improving How You Communicate with The Them - Email is a great communication tool, but if you do not have the personal email address of the right editor, reporter or producer, then it is likely that your email will not get to the right person in time. Improve your coverage results by faxing the letter or press release to a specific
person. If you do not know who that is, go pick up the paper or visit the web site to find out. Follow up with a call. If you are somewhat intimidated, call after hours and leave a voicemail message.
6. Send Your Press Release, Media Advisory, or Email message as Early as Possible. Optimally you want two weeks, but with this endeavor, that is not possible, so just get it in soon. This allows the media to plan to send a reporter or television crew.
7. Get Your Point Across In The First Sentence or You Will Loose Their Attention - Make sure the main details in your press release, media advisory or email message are in the first paragraph and try to limit your message to five paragraphs. Provide additional materials if they want the "full story."
Find Save Farscape Publicity and Coalition Building Resources At:
http://www.multiculturaladvantage.com/farscapepress/war_room/default.asp:aok:
Good Luck!
Strategies for Publicizing Your Rally
By Tracey L. Minor
1. Rallies Present Three Opportunities for Publicity.
Advance publicity - The fact that the rally will take place around the worldon the same day is very newsworthy. It has appeal for international,national and local press. Let them know of any special features of your rally. This advance notices gives the media an opportunity to do a lead upstory to the rally and perhaps even promote when and where it is taking place.
Day of the Event Coverage - Let the media know where your event is and have members of your team call news tip lines throughout the day. Designate someone to have information about the Save Farscape Campaign available for any members of the press who are interested. Having a press release for the day of the rally is also useful to articulate why protesters are there and whom the protest is targeting. Since they are usually on deadline and in a hurry, they love prepared materials that answer many of their questions. Material the press likes: fact sheets (FAQs), timelines, a sheet of quotes, and bios. These documents serve you well because they help make sure that
your story is told accurately.
Follow-up coverage - Send the contacts on your media list a follow up press release or letter the informs that of a roundup of what took place at the rally, results, and anything accomplished.
2. Notify The Press as Early as Possible to Increase Your Chance of Coverage - Reporters and crews are assigned stories. If all the reporters or crews have assignments, then your story will not get covered --even if the editor or producer wants to cover it.
3. Use Different Angles For Different Types of Media
Community Calendar - Most cities have one or two daily papers and scores of local neighborhood focused weekly papers that features calendars. Most major newspapers and local week papers have community calendars. They love to announce events! This is a great venue to get more people in your community to attend your rally. Most newspapers need at least a week notice to publish your event. I would if you don't have the exact email of the calendar editor, send your announcement by Fax. If you get your announcement in before the deadline, you are likely to have an 80% chance of getting the rally listed. In most cases, the only reason you might not get your rally listed is missing the deadline or they ran out of space. This is the most
overlooked aspect of publicity of rally coordinators.
Local Community/Neighborhood Angle - Neighborhood weeklies love local angles to stories like ours. If you are a local rally coordinator, make sure the editor of your neighborhood weekly knows about the Rally and your involvement. The fact that someone in the community is involved with an international event is news for local weekly publications.
Global\National Angle - When approaching the national and international press, stress that fact that this event is taking place around the world at the same time - You knew that one :-).
Technology Angle - Most major daily newspaper now have a technology editor or column. The Save Farscape Campaign is unique because most of it is coordinated via the web and email. This topic is popular with the press right now (remember the four times that CNN Headline News has covered us?) Take advantage of that and email, fax, or snail mail a letter to the technology editor of your local daily telling him or her how the rally was planned via the Internet.
Entertainment Angle - As the story evolves you want the local entertainment/arts editor to keep tabs on the "Save Farscape phenomenon"-like Matt Roush does at TV Guide. Find out who that is at the local dailies, radio. So, send updates to them regularly. If they don't cover your effort now, they are likely to do so when they see they this issue is not going away.
Getting Radio Coverage - send emails and faxes to Disc Jockeys and News Contacts. You specifically want coverage during drive time (that's the time people are usually in their cares driving to or from work - 7:00 am - 9:00 am and 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm). These shows have the highest ratings. Being heard on them will definitely get your message heard. A word of caution: DJs often
get the high ratings by making fun of people. Save Farscape is an easy mark.
4. Piggyback On Popular Events To gets More Media Coverage and More Visibility in Your Community - If a popular event open to the public is being held that usually gets media coverage, try to plan your rally around that event. You will reap the rewards in having a captive audience and press on hand.
5. Improve Your Media Coverage Results By Improving How You Communicate with The Them - Email is a great communication tool, but if you do not have the personal email address of the right editor, reporter or producer, then it is likely that your email will not get to the right person in time. Improve your coverage results by faxing the letter or press release to a specific
person. If you do not know who that is, go pick up the paper or visit the web site to find out. Follow up with a call. If you are somewhat intimidated, call after hours and leave a voicemail message.
6. Send Your Press Release, Media Advisory, or Email message as Early as Possible. Optimally you want two weeks, but with this endeavor, that is not possible, so just get it in soon. This allows the media to plan to send a reporter or television crew.
7. Get Your Point Across In The First Sentence or You Will Loose Their Attention - Make sure the main details in your press release, media advisory or email message are in the first paragraph and try to limit your message to five paragraphs. Provide additional materials if they want the "full story."
Find Save Farscape Publicity and Coalition Building Resources At:
http://www.multiculturaladvantage.com/farscapepress/war_room/default.asp:aok: