Media Outreach Guide - CDC

Section 1: Basic Media Relations:SectionBuilding1: IjtrpducgionPublicityMaking the RightConnectionsThere is a great variety of media sources,including: Daily and weekly newspapers Radio stations aimed at specific agegroups TV stations broadcasting in differentlanguagesTo identify the media contacts you’llwant to reach with information aboutyour child injury prevention activities,begin by identifying and prioritizing yourbest media prospects. For instance,you may want to get messages aboutthe importance of child safety seats toparents of young children. To do so,you’ll want to think carefully about allof the different sources of news in yourcommunity and determine where parentsturn for information.Media Contact ListOnce you have identified the media thatyou want to reach, create a detailedmedia contact list or database. An upto-date contact list is an invaluabletool, because media professionals oftenchange beats and positions. Keep notesnext to each contact’s name to helpidentify specific issues that reporter likesto cover.For each media professional, youshould have the following information: Name Media affiliation (for example, TheMiami Herald or The Boston Globe) Job Title (for example, Healthy Livingsection reporter) Phone number (office and cell)5 Email address Mailing address Beat or topic of interest Date of last contact Articles that have generated fromcontactIt’s best to update your contact list atleast twice a year to keep it current.Often, when a reporter you have built arelationship with is planning to changepositions, he or she will let you knowbefore the change. You can always makecontact with a station or a publication’soffice and request updated information.How to Make Contact:Action Steps1. Call the Reporter: Introduce yourself,and state why you’re making contact.Ask the reporter if he or she is ondeadline. If so, find a time to call back.2. Have a Good Story: Plan out what youwant to tell the reporter carefully. Youshould know your topic well and beready to answer any questions.3. Plan a Good Strategy: Don’t use thesame news angle or story for everymedia outlet. Tailor your pitch tothat specific media outlet or reporter.Provide new and fresh ideas aboutyour activities and events related tothe preventing child injury.4. Be Ready to Respond: When localor national stories break on childinjury of any kind, consider writing anopinion piece on the importance ofprevention in your community.5. Keep Your Word: Building a goodreputation with media professionals isreally important. If you promised thatyou would follow up with a reporterProtect the Ones You Love

6. Send a thank you note: Whether bymail or by email, express thanks whena reporter covers your story.Some journalists prefer talking on thetelephone, while others are comfortablereceiving information via e-mail. You’lllearn how to best communicate withdifferent media professionals as you buildworking relationships with them.Your Media ContactChecklist:information for stories on child injuryand prevention tips? Are you prepared to respond to newsstories about child injury when theybreak, such as stories about a localchild involved in a drowning or amotor vehicle crash? Before you call a reporter, do youcheck your media contact list to makesure you are reaching out to the rightperson? Have you practiced your telephoneor personal approach to mediarepresentatives so that you can bebrief and have information that canhelp reporters make sense of theissue(s)? Before you email important materialsto a reporter, are you sure thisperson likes to work with emailTo wrap up Section 1, refer to thecorrespondence?following checklist each time you prepareto reach out to the media and see if your When you make follow-up calls,do you have good additional factsanswer to each question is “yes”:or a new story angle to encourage Have you thoroughly outlined waysjournalists to cover your event?that you can create newsworthy If a journalist agrees to do a story,events that highlight the importanceare you truly prepared to answerof preventing child injury?questions and provide materials and Are you ready to offer local orregional news angles and backgroundChild Injuries Are Preventableappropriate spokespeople?6Section 1: BasicIjtrpducgionMedia Relations: Building Publicitywith local statistics, for example,keep your word and keep his orher deadline in mind. Also, keepbusiness cards on hand when you seereporters, and constantly remind themthat you’re a source of information forfuture stories.

7Protect the Ones You LoveSection 2: Publicity Tools, Samples,Section 1:andIjtrpducgionChecklists

Publicity Tools,Samples, and ChecklistsWriting for the Media:Know Your AudienceNow that you have a media strategy,you are ready to develop press materialsfor your community’s initiative. Whenyou write for the media, the key goal isto produce well-written materials withstrong messages or story angles. Toachieve this, write in newspaper styleor use the inverted-pyramid format.Media professionals are used to readingmaterials that start off with the mostcrucial facts; namely, the “who, what,where, when, and how” information.This is followed by supportinginformation.Writing in this style will help you andthe media. When space- or time- is at apremium, and a news release has to beedited, chances are the last paragraphswill be cut off. By placing your mostimportant facts near the beginning, you’llhelp make sure they make it into thenews.Is Your StoryNewsworthy?In addition to producing well-organizedmaterials, remember that yourprimary goal is to provide newsworthyinformation. When writing pressmaterials, ask yourself, “Is this storynewsworthy?” The media will cover yourstory or event if it looks like one of theChild Injuries Are Preventablemost important or interesting topicsscheduled that day. To make your storymore interesting than others you shouldinclude at least two of the followingangles: Local interest New information Interesting personalities or importantpeople to your community Hot topic Timing/special historical day Human interestAlso, be brief, accurate, and to thepoint. Reporters only pay attention tocredible and interesting stories, and yourjob is to provide them with compellingfacts so they can clearly see the “news.”One easy way to create a news angleis to tie your story to a new statistic,local celebration, anniversary, or uniquecommunity program. Since nationalnewspapers, as well as TV and radiostations, cover national news thoroughly,many local media outlets limit themselvesto local news stories.Localizing your press materials willincrease your opportunity for storyplacement. News about your activitiescan be localized in several ways,including by state, region, or community.Once you create several local newsangles, you can focus on presentinginformation in a way that compels themedia to cover your story.8Section 2:1: PublicityIjtrpducgionTools, Samples, and ChecklistsSection 2

Section 2: Publicity Tools, Samples,Section 1:andIjtrpducgionChecklistsPutting Together aPress KitPress materials, like press releases,media advisories, backgrounders, andfact sheets can be compiled in a folderto create a press kit. Press kits can besent to media outlets before an event orcan be distributed at press conferences.This compilation of materials also canbe distributed electronically or posted onyour organization’s website.The goal of a press kit is to providebackground information that canhelp reporters develop their stories.Press kits should contain up to tendocuments, including one or two pressreleases, a fact sheet, and biographiesof spokespersons or featured speakers,among other pieces. Here are briefdescriptions of the recommendedcomponents (a backgrounder and factsheets that you can use can be found atwww.cdc.gov/safechild):Backgrounder/Overview: A one-pageoverview that summarizes the missionand objectives.Fact Sheet: A one- or two-pagedocument that includes anecdotal andstatistical information that can helpreporters develop in-depth articles. Factsheets should include short paragraphsand also reference ways to find out moreinformation about a topic.Media Advisory: This documentannounces an upcoming event and,like a press release, covers the “who,what, when, where, why, and how”.Media advisories serve as reminders ofhappenings and should be sent abouttwenty-four hours before an event.9Press Release: A press release, ornews release, provides members of themedia useful, accurate, and interestinginformation about any newsworthyactivity. The first paragraph shouldanswer all the important questions - who,what, where, when, why, and how.Typically, press releases are emailed toindividuals in a media contact list. Pressreleases can be sent for the purposes ofannouncing news conferences or events.On some occasions, some or all of apress release’s content will be reprintedin a news vehicle.Feature or Human Interest Story: Thesestories are newsworthy, but are relativelytimeless and can run any time. They arelonger in format, which allows reportersto more thoroughly explain complexissues or state a point of view.Highlights of Upcoming Events:This brief listing provides up-to-dateinformation on programs relevant toyour activities. This is usually sent to thecalendar editor. Check with the mediasource on deadlines for submittingcalendar items.Biographies of Spokespersons:Biographies should include only three orfour paragraphs on the event’s featuredspeakers or media spokesperson(s).Photographs: You can include ahigh-quality, 5 x 7, glossy black andwhite print, or make a note on theaccompanying media advisory stating ifand where electronic photographs areavailable. Electronic photos are ideal forsmall weekly, monthly, and newsletterpublications. Ask the publicationin advance if you can send photoselectronically and, if so, in what fileformat they prefer. Daily publicationsProtect the Ones You Love

Quotable Quotes: This one-pagercontains a list of remarks thatspokespersons or influential communityleaders have made about the importanceof preventing child injury. Editors canuse these quotes in news stories withoutrequesting permission. The quotes alsoserve as an endorsement of the initiative.Letters of Community Support: Lettersthat endorse the Protect the Ones YouLove initiative or stress the overallimportance of helping ensure thatchildren stay safe and injury-free canhelp reporters realize the strength of theinitiative.Speeches: Copies of speeches deliveredby spokespersons or well-knownsupporters of child injury preventionefforts may increase the opportunity fornews coverage.Press Releases —FundamentallyImportantOutreach ToolsA press release is the most efficientand economical way to attract mediaattention. Press releases have anestablished format. A template thatyou can follow is included on page12. To help you develop your ownpress releases, keep these basic formatguidelines in mind:1. Date Instructions:“For Immediate Release”“For Release Before [date]”“For Release After [date]”“Embargoed Until [date]”Child Injuries Are Preventable2. Use one of the latter three if yourpress release is of a time sensitivenature: For example, if you areholding an event, you will want to usethe “For Release Before [date]” andmake sure you include the date forevent registration. Also, ensure thatyou are sensitive to media deadlinesand send your release out well inadvance. If you want to distribute therelease early but do not want it to bepublished until a later date, be sure toindicate that at the top of the releasewith “For Release After [date]”or “Embargoed Until [date]”. Forexample, “Embargoed Until 11 a.m.EST, Wednesday, July 23.” Receivingthe embargoed press release givesreporters a heads-up on upcomingnews that allows them to develop alonger, in-depth news story or featurepiece by a certain date.3. Headline: Write an attention-grabbingheadline. Make it benefits-oriented(explain why it would be of interest tothe local community) and descriptive.4. Contact Information: Include as muchinformation as possible here. Makeit easy for the media to contact you.Include your office phone number,cell phone number (if you have one),address, company name, fax number,e-mail address, and website URL.Include the hours you are available atthe listed phone number(s).5. Content: This is the meat of yourpress release. Again, be brief,accurate, and to the point. Write abenefits-oriented story that highlightsthe “news” for the editor or reporterwho will be reading the release. Thefirst paragraph should answer all theimportant questions - who, what,where, when, why, and how. Use the“inverted pyramid format” to answer10Section 2:1: PublicityIjtrpducgionTools, Samples, and Checklistsand large media outlets may send theirown photographer or cameraperson toevents.

Section 2: Publicity Tools, Samples,Section 1:andIjtrpducgionCheckliststhe following questions: What is theevent or news? Why is it being held?Who is involved? What is the localangle? Where is the event takingplace?6. Ending Your Press Release: The endof your press release is shown byadding ### or (THE END) to the lastpage of the release. If the release ismore than one page, type the word“MORE” at the bottom center of thefirst page.7. Use Standard Newspaper Style:Use standard newspaper stylewhen writing your release. Keepparagraphs short with an average offour to five lines or 60 words. Avoidjargon. Instead, use layman’s termsor easy to understand explanations.Include: The Protect the Ones YouLove boilerplate at the end of all pressmaterials. The boilerplate, which is ashort paragraph that provides a brief,standard overview of the initiative,reinforces the main point of theinitiative. Use the following approvedboilerplate in your materials:Protect the Ones You Love: ChildInjuries Are Preventable is a CDCinitiative to raise parents’ awarenessabout the leading causes of child injuryin the United States and how they canbe prevented. Working together, we cankeep our children safe and help themlive to their full potential. For moreinformation, visit www.cdc.gov/safechild,and for more about CDC’s work in injuryprevention, visit www.cdc.gov/injury.11Creating anEmail-ready PressReleaseA talented press release writer cancapture the media’s interest within afew sentences. Web experts advise thatyou have only 10 seconds to makeyour point. Here are some pointers toremember when you are writing yourpress release to send via the Internetor e-mail: Utilize the release as a teaser to enticethe reporter to visit your website. Introduce the press release in theemail subject line with information thatidentifies what the release is about. Don’t send the release as anattachment; send it to your contactswithin the body of the e-mail. Provide a contact name, telephonenumber, e-mail address, and URLfor additional information above theheadline or at the bottom ofthe release. Use bulleted points to convey yourkey points.(Source: Wilcox 2001)Protect the Ones You Love

[Place on your letterhead]EMBARGOED UNTIL [insert date]Date:Contact:Telephone:E-mail:Website:[Insert organization name] Hosts [Insert event name] as Part of Initiative to Keep Children Safefrom the Leading Causes of Childhood Injury[Insert city/state] - To encourage all Americans to protect the children they love fromunintentional injury, [insert organization name], [announced/will host/organized, etc.] [insertevent name]. The event will take place at [place] on [date] from [time] until [time/ a.m. orp.m.] and is open to all interested members of the public.According to [insert your spokesperson’s name], the (event/activity) is an opportunity toinform parents and caregivers in [insert city/state] about ways to prevent [drowning .],one of the leading causes of child injury in the United States.The event is being held as part of Protect the Ones You Love: Child Injuries Are Preventable,a CDC initiative to raise parents’ awareness about the leading causes of child injury in theUnited States and how they can be prevented.Event activities will include [insert one or two lines with more details about yourevent/activity, if needed].More than [statistic] U.S. children are injured each year as a result of [injury type], and[statistic] children die as a result of their injuries.“Data show that [number] children suffer each year from injuries that could havebeen prevented, and some even result in death,” said [insert name of organizationspokesperson]. “Our goal is to reach out to our community and encourage everyone to takesteps to protect the ones they love. When people know the prevention steps they can andshould take to make child injury less likely, they’ll be more equipped to help children live totheir full potential.”For more information, go to www.cdc.gov/safechild.###About the Protect the Ones You Love: Child Injuries Are Preventableinitiative: Protect the Ones You Love: Child Injuries Are Preventable is a CDC initiative toraise parents’ awareness about the leading causes of child injury in the United States and howthey can be prevented. Working together, we can keep our children safe and help them liveto their full potential. For more information, visit www.cdc.gov/safechild, and for more aboutCDC’s work in injury prevention, visit www.cdc.gov/injury.Website links: [Insert local website address] http://www.cdc.gov/safechildChild Injuries Are Preventable12Section 2:1: PublicityIjtrpducgionTools, Samples, and ChecklistsSample Local/Community Press Release

Section 2: Publicity Tools, Samples,Section 1:andIjtrpducgionChecklistsCreating a Media Advisory/Photo OpportunitySimilar to a press release, a mediaadvisory is a one-page announcementinforming the media of an opportunityto send a photographer or TVcameraperson to an event. A mediaadvisory, which is sometimes calleda photo op (opportunity), should bereleased one day before a planned eventto announce that the event is occurring.It should highlight ways the media cancapture the major visual elements of anewsworthy event. A media advisoryshould include the following information: Media contact; An appealing headline; Bullet points that cover the who, what,where, when, and why format; A sentence indicating names ortitles of individuals available forphotographs; A short paragraph with keybackground information or any specialinstructions for the media; and The Protect the Ones You Loveboilerplate.On the next page, you’ll find a mediaadvisory template to use as a guide.13Protect the Ones You Love

Section 2:1: PublicityIjtrpducgionTools, Samples, and ChecklistsMedia Advisory Local/Community Template[Place on your letterhead]FOR IMMEDIATE n-oriented Headline Summarizing the EventWho: Provide the names and titles of person who will attend the event.What: Briefly describe the event.Where: Provide the name of the building, suite number, street address, and city.When: Include the date and tim

Putting Together a Press Kit 9. Press Releases — Fundamentally Important Outreach Tools 10. Creating an Email-ready Press Release 11. Sample Local/Community Press Release 12. Creating a Media Advisory/Photo Opportunity 13. Media Advisory Local/Community Template 14. Section 3 . Communicatio