Sample Media Work Plan
Month-by-month Strategies and Tasks
Get the Most from Your Local Media
With the Sample Media Work Plan below you are just a click away from media outreach success for your Awareness Month activities! This plan is designed to help local groups focus media attention on Art Beyond Sight Awareness Month and the issue of art for people who are blind and by artists who are blind, as well as to assist Art Beyond Sight organizers in reaching out to their local media to obtain event coverage. Adjust this plan to your own issues and events and be sure to make full use of the other resources on the Public Relations page.
Objective #1: Focus media attention on the issue of art for people who are blind and visually impaired, using Awareness Month as a hook.
Tasks:
- July: Develop key messages to integrate into all press materials and talking points for spokespeople. See our sample materials for ideas.
- July: Develop a press list. Make a list of all the TV and radio stations, including college- and university-affiliated stations, local daily and weekly newspapers, and magazines. Then call and ask for the name of the editor, reporter or producer who covers education or cultural issues. Also get telephone, fax, and if possible, e-mail addresses for these people Be sure to add "Assignment Editor" to your list at all stations just to make sure nothing slips through the cracks.
- August: Collect personal stories about young blind artists and exemplary teachers, librarians, and volunteers for use in creating human interest stories. Be sure to get the person's permission to send the story to the press, and ask if you can include their address and phone number, so interested reporters can call them directly for more information.
- September: Send an editorial memo (a written memorandum with specifics about an issue editors and reporters can use to develop their own stories) to all education/culture editors of local newspapers and family publications. See our samples for ideas.
- September: Send an editorial memo to all TV and radio producers interested in issues related to education/parenting and follow up with phone calls.
- Late September: Send human-interest stories to media interested in publishing them.
- October: Write an Op-Ed (Opinion-Editorial, a piece written by a member of the community who has a particular point of view) about art education and art-making activities for the blind or visually impaired, to be signed by a local spokesperson or celebrity, and work to get it placed in the newspaper. Call the Editorial Page editor to see if he or she is interested in receiving a piece on art for blind people.
Objective #2: Obtain publicity for Awareness Month and your institution.
Tasks:
- Perennial: Branding is critical for publicity. Always use the term "Art Beyond Sight Awareness Month" rather than "Awareness Month." Also trade on Art Beyond Sight's name by mentioning it as the organizer of Awareness Month.
- August: Send save-the-date announcements to local publications.
- August/September: Send announcement and activity ideas to the editor of your local newspaper's "kids' page" or contact local Newspapers in Education staff.
- September: Create video PSAs (public service announcements) with local spokesperson(s).
- September: Send Art Beyond Sight human-interest stories to all interested reporters. In addition to supplying article ideas on blind children and adults, write articles about volunteers at your organization, or outstanding staff. (If you have planned a special honoring some of these people during Awareness Month, be sure to do a press release on that, with human-interest information on each honoree.)
- September: Send an editorial memo about Art Beyond Sight Awareness Month to columnists interested in education and culture.
- September: Work to get a local anchor or reporter on a morning or talk show to mention or promote Art Beyond Sight Awareness Month.
- October: Have the kids in your program create a huge thank-you card to send the week after Art Beyond Sight Awareness Month in appreciation for a good story. You might even contact the reporter to see if he or she would host a group of kids from your program so they can see what it's like to work at a TV or radio station, or a newspaper office. Maintaining press relationships once an event is over will help you the next time you are looking for some publicity.
- November/December: Stay in contact with reporters who produced stories. Contact them to see if they'd be interested in doing a follow-up story.
Objective #3: Focus media attention on Art Beyond Sight Awareness Month events.
Tasks:
- Plan your event with the press in mind. Some things to remember:
- Include good visuals. Make full use of Art Beyond Sight materials. Be sure your event has lots of color and action, and signs or banners with your program name and "Art Beyond Sight Awareness Month" prominently displayed.
- Choose two or three spokespeople. They might include a teacher, a parent or volunteer, a prominent member of the community, or an articulate youngster. Make sure your spokespeople have the messages you've created and are familiar with all aspects of the event.
- Sign up reporters and identify them with badges or nametags as they enter your event so everyone knows who they are. You also might want to assign volunteers to stay with reporters, to introduce them to people, explain activities and answer questions.
- September 15: Send a media advisory (who, what, where and when) that will serve as an invitation to reporters on your press list. If you have a news service bureau in your community (Associated Press, United Press International, Reuters), be sure to fax a copy of the advisory to the "Daybook Editor."
- September (two weeks before your first event): Call all reporters/editors/producers who were sent the advisory to make sure they received it and find out if they (or someone from their media outlet) can make it to the event. If they are unable to make it, ask if you can send a news release on the day of your event. Many news outlets may be willing to your print your press release, although they are unable to send a reporter to an event.
- Write a news release as soon as all event details are nailed down. The news release is written like a news story, but has the advantage of being written from your point of view. It should contain quotes from important people, background on your program and Art Beyond Sight Awareness Month, and always contain your top three messages. It should be no longer than two pages double-spaced. It must list a contact person, and daytime and evening numbers. Because you will distribute the news release at your event, it should be written in the past tense.
- Put together a press kit. You will only need as many kits as the number of reporters you think will show up for your event-but be sure to have a few extras. Sometimes press show up with more staff than they originally said they were bringing, and you want to have a press kit for each person from the publication. The kit should, at the least, contain the news release, a one-page background sheet on your program, and the Frequently Asked Questions about Art Beyond Sight.
- Distribute press kits at a "press sign-in table" at your event.
Adapted with permission from the National Educators Association
