Alert the Media: Publicizing Literacy Events at Your School


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Brenda Power

Local media love literacy events at schools -- who doesn't enjoy images of happy children reading and writing? But haven't we had enough stories about principals kissing pigs on rooftops? Here are some tips for contacting media to attend your events and bring positive publicity to your literacy programs that are ongoing and innovative, rather than one-time stunts.

In deciding when to approach the media, understanding a bit about how people get their news might be helpful. A recent Pew Research Center survey of three thousand adults demonstrates the value of reaching out to different media sources with information about your outreach programs:

One-third of eighteen to twenty-nine year-olds said they enjoy keeping up with the news.
Only 28 percent had read a newspaper the day before the pollster's call, but print media continues to be the most important source of news for the best-educated and most affluent audiences.
The local, not national, 11:00 p.m. television news was the biggest source of television news information for adults.
Morning radio programs reach more people (e.g., commuters) than television or newspapers.

These statistics show that there are many ways to reach your local community through the media, and that there is no one single "best way" to ensure that your message reaches a larger audience.

Literacy Newsletters and Flyers

The easiest way to spark interest in your events is to regularly mail out copies of your literacy newsletters or flyers announcing events to local newspapers, television stations, and radio stations, highlighting what you think will be newsworthy. Make a master list of local newspaper, radio station, and television station addresses. Always address any correspondence to the "Education Reporter." Local media have such a large regular turnover in staff that it usually isn't worth the bother to try to figure out the name of the current education reporter.

News Releases

If there is a special event you really hope will receive coverage, you might send a news release to local media. News releases are often used to announce events on morning radio programs, and smaller newspapers will print them almost word for word if space allows. Larger newspapers will use them as a start for gathering information for their own stories.

News releases can also snag the interest of television news programs. Your ability to get a local news crew interested in an event at your school in large part is determined by the size of the community you live in. Competition is fierce in large cities for news time -- it's much easier to get coverage in smaller communities. But you might be surprised at what local stations find newsworthy.

The release should be limited to one page in length, and it should include:

date, location, and title of event in first paragraph (preferably in the first or second sentence)
second and third paragraphs that explain why the event is important (preferably including a quote or two from an organizer -- don't be shy about quoting yourself!)
a final sentence that includes the name and phone number of a contact person for the event

Don't forget to add the local free "penny saver" newspapers to your mailing lists. Often these newspapers are more widely read than the public realizes, and their small staffs make well-written news releases on local events particularly attractive to them.

For more on writing quality news releases, you can read this quick guide on the web:

http://www.publicityinsider.com/release.asp

One of the handiest free tools on the web for publicity is the "Instant Press Release Generator," which includes options for print or web-based formats:

http://www.ducttapemarketing.com/Instant-Press-Release.htm

Op/Ed Essays

Beyond news releases, you might also consider writing an op/ed essay for your local or state newspapers. If your op/ed piece is published, you will have parents and citizens with many different perspectives reading your words. These include folks who may vote on your local school budget. Legislators considering state and national literacy reform initiatives will also see your viewpoint. If you want your writing to be read (and you can't afford to rent a local billboard!), no outlet has a greater reach than your local newspaper. The following tips can help get your opinions published.

Have a local angle.

The op/ed is much more likely to be published if your points are directly connected to local concerns. Write up a brief draft of your op/ed. Then look daily for letters to the editor or feature stories published about the issue you want to write about. Send your op/ed within a day or so of the publication of the letter or feature. Reference the local story in your lead.

For example, if there is a front-page story extolling the virtues of a new reading program, you can cite that in your op/ed about quality reading instruction locally. A letter to the editor that mentions a fine multi-age teacher can be used to support your own op/ed on why multi-age instruction is a good option for students and teachers. Op/ed editors are always looking for editorials with a local angle; they already have far more well-written editorials available from nationally syndicated writers than they could ever use.

E-mail, fax, and use regular mail to submit your work.

It's hard to know which form of communication is used most readily by your local op/ed page editor, so use all three. Many op/ed editors especially like e-mail submissions, because they then have your essay in electronic form. Information for submission is usually right on the editorial page.

Fact check, and provide fact-checking references.

An op/ed piece is more likely to be accepted if you include some facts to back up your points -- a few statistical references are particularly appealing to editors in backing up your opinions. But make sure you do your own fact checking. Rather than just referencing a professional journal, it's better to include the name and phone number of the researcher in the article. The same goes for facts from national organizations -- include a name and phone number that is accurate. Many media organizations have recently been criticized for poor fact checking. They will appreciate the accuracy of your work if you include names and phone numbers for cross-referencing. A bonus from good fact checking -- often editors will use the names listed for interviews for a future feature about the issue you're writing about.

Include the right information in your cover letter.

You need to state on the cover page that your essay has not been published or submitted elsewhere, and sign the cover page. Newspapers can't publish any op/ed without this signed statement. Even if you've e-mailed your submission, you'll need to drop off a signed hard copy of the cover page disclaimer. You should also include a brief (one sentence or less) description of yourself -- where you reside and where you work.

Tie content to events and holidays.

Education writers might be more interested in a schoolwide letter exchange program near Valentine's Day or an initiative involving recycling near Earth Day. Link your news release and literacy program to an upcoming holiday, and it is more likely to be pulled from the reporter's pile. Timing the release to be received one to two weeks before the event is about right for helping the reporter get it on their calendar.

Keep it short.

Most op/eds are limited to 500 to 800 words. It's important to stick to the limit. If you go over it by much, your work will not even be considered. And if a longer op/ed is accepted, you run the risk of the editor making cuts that muddle the points you were trying to make.

If you're thinking about reaching out to local media, you might start by brainstorming with your colleagues a list of issues in your school that are most important in the coming year and that are most likely to require some education of the community. Decide which programs would be best publicized by news releases and which are also suitable for an op/ed essay.

For example, if you're implementing a new assessment program or science curriculum, a positive op/ed early in the process has the potential to build support and diffuse criticism later. News releases and op/eds in tandem with regular classroom newsletters sent home can do a lot of important work in building support for school innovations.