GETTING THE WORD OUT

1. GETTING THE WORD OUT A short guide to publicizing youth related events

2. Prepared byThe Seven Stewards Group of the 2006 Leadership Southeast Vermont Project

3. in collaboration withHelp Empower Youth!Youth Initiative of Windham County

4. Why do I need this? OK, so you and your group or organization is doing GREAT stuff for young people in your area -- but do others know about it? The more others know about the great stuff you do, the more they are going to value it and support you in doing it.

5. How’s this going to help? We’re going to give you some proven tips for getting the word out through papers, radio and TV stations. We’ve also done some leg-work for you and have names and phone numbers of people you can contact to get the word out.

6. What’s “publicity” look like? There’s several basic types -- each tells your story in a different way: • Calendar of events listings • Press releases • Feature articles • Radio & TV announcements • Radio and TV feature shows • Website publishing We’ll cover each of these separately.

7. Calendar of Events Listing The easiest to do!

8. Calendar of Events Listing Almost every local paper has a Calendar of Events column. Some run this daily, other papers run it every few days. It informs the public that something is happening, but doesn't provide detailed information.

9. Calendar of Events Listing A listing is short and to the point: • day and date of the event • what the event is • where it is • cost (if any)

10. Who do I send it to? See our resource list for names, e-mail addresses, etc. for sending your release in. Most papers want events calendar information at least a week before the event.

11. PRESS RELEASES Short and to the point

12. Press Releases A press release announces an event or something that is real news. It lets the public know brief details so they can come to the event, or it announces something special about your group or organization that you are proud of.

13. Press Releases A press release needs to: • get the point across quickly -- no more than 250 - 300 words; • have enough details, but not too many (more about this in a minute); • be about something more interesting than the same old thing everybody else is doing.

14. Writing a Press Release A press release should be like a pyramid: the point some details maybe a quote or two something about the group

15. Writing a Press Release The first paragraph should tell the reader all they need to know • the event, the date, the time and place, and the purpose; • the honor or award you’re bragging about and who it is from.

16. Writing as Press Release The second paragraph can fill in a few details: • what the event is about, or what it hopes to accomplish; • why this award or honor is unique and what it is about.

17. Writing a Press Release The third paragraph can be a quote from someone involved -- but don’t do this if it sounds lame • the quote gives a personal opinion to generate excitement , and fills in a few details along the way; • quotes almost always begin with “I am very……”

18. Writing a Press Release The fourth paragraph can fill in more details about your group or organization • this should not be information critical to getting your word out; • it fills in what you’re about; • if an editor needs to cut your press release, this is the stuff they will cut.

19. Add a picture! Take a great, dynamic looking, picture to send in with your release: • readers scan pictures first, and a great picture will get them to read your news; • digital photos in jpg or tiff formats are easiest for papers to run, but if all you have is a print, try sending it in anyway -- sometimes a paper will scan it in.

20. How do I put this together? • Gather your information • Read several newspapers to see how other people do it • Imitate them! It really is that simple.

21. Who do I send it to? See our resource list for names, e-mail addresses, etc. for sending your release in. You can send a press release to many papers. They will treat it like any news item and not mind that other papers are running it too.

22. LEGAL STUFF Important for you to know!

23. Legal Stuff There’s no good place to put this, so we’ll cover it here just to warn you -- • if you are talking about someone, you may need to have their permission first. If that person is under 18 you may need their parent’s permission. • This is even more important if you are running a picture of someone! • Yeah, it can be a pain, but you still need to do it. • And yes, get it in writing.

24. FEATURE ARTICLES Longer “human interest” articles that are unique

25. Feature Articles A feature article needs to: • be about something truly unique, and show something about how people in your group interact with the community; • focus on personal actions, or how people have changed because of what you do; • not trash anybody else in the community (newspapers need to please ALL their readers!).

26. Writing a Feature Article Most papers run feature articles -- they are the human interest articles on the inner pages, usually at the top of a page. Read several of these before you try writing one to get a feel for what they contain.

27. Writing Feature Articles Get your idea together • make sure it is unique to your group or organization; • think about how you would tell the story to someone; • make sure you focus on what people did and how people were changed.

28. Writing Feature Articles Write a first draft • the first sentence should grab people’s attention; • it should be about a person, not an event, • it should talk about emotions as well as facts; • aim for 300 - 500 words.

29. Writing Feature Articles Have someone not involved with your group read your draft • be open to their feedback, even if they find it not too good; • listen to what they think would make it more interesting; • remember -- this is not about news, it is about people.

30. Writing Feature Articles When you think you’ve got it done, call the paper and ask if you can send it to the features editor for their review. Many papers will be happy to give you hints on how to make it better.

31. Add a Picture! Yes, pictures help here too. The best ones show individuals interacting with each other.

32. Who do I send it to? See our resource list for names, e-mail addresses, etc. for sending your release in. Papers want their readers to think that a feature article is unique to that paper. So send your feature to only one paper. If they don’t run it, then trying sending to to a different paper.

33. Legal Stuff (again) Yes -- you may need to have permission to write about people, and may need permission from the parents of anyone under 18. Yes -- it is best to get permission in writing from parents.

34. RADIO ANNOUNCEMENTS Real short and to the point

35. Radio Announcements Radio announcements should be: • only 30 to 60 seconds long; • filled with only necessary information.

36. Radio Announcements Most stations want you to send them copy for their announcer to read. Some stations will let you record your own announcement -- call and check with them.

37. Writing Radio Announcements Keep information to the minimum: • name of organization or group • name or kind of event • place • day and date • time

38. Who do I send it to? See our resource list! You can send radio announcements to several stations. They will treat it like any news item and not mind that others are broadcasting it too.

39. TV ANNOUNCEMENTS Those banners scrolling across the screen

40. TV Announcements Public Access TV stations are pleased to run announcements • some have programs dedicated to showing events that are happening in the area; • others scroll information across the bottom of some video footage of local scenes.

41. TV Announcements You can get more information into a TV announcements than a radio announcement. BUT -- you may not be getting to the audience you want to get to.

42. Writing TV Announcements Write these just as you would write a radio announcement • name of organization or group; • name or kind of event; • place; • day and date; • time.

43. Who do I send it to? See our resource list! You can send TV announcements to several stations if they cover your area, since the announcement is news.

44. RADIO AND TV FEATURE SHOWS Talk Shows

45. Radio and TV Feature Shows Commercial radio stations, and public access TV stations, usually do talk shows. These are 15 or 30 minutes long, and involve one or several people talking with someone from the station.

46. Radio and TV Feature Shows These shows are usually in a question and answer format. Talk shows usually have an interviewer who asks the participants to talk about what’s going on, how they like it, what they see the problems might be, and so on.

47. Radio and TV Feature Shows The interviewer is frequently someone from the station -- almost always on radio shows. Public Access TV can provide interviewers from the station, but will be open to letting you make your own show. You’d provide the interviewer and the participants.

48. Radio and TV Feature Shows Several participants are better than just one. More people provide greater variety, and can jump in if one person freezes up. Three or four people are best -- more than that and it gets too confusing.

49. Radio and TV Feature Shows These shows can be GREAT if the participants are comfortable talking to people: • interviewers will go over in advance basic questions they plan to ask; • but the participants need to be able to “think on their feet” since the interviewer may decide mid-way to ask a different question.

50. Radio and TV Feature Shows And let’s be honest -- these shows can be DEADLY if the participants sit there saying “ummmm………”