HINTS FOR YOUR MEDIA ANNOUNCEMENTS

The News

The local newspaper is one way to tell your community all of the good things that are happening in your program.  Below you will find a list of hints that will help you get the word out.

1. Get to know the newspapers in your area.  Do they appear weekly or daily?  Weekly newspapers need news all the time.  They will print any good news and do so quickly.  Even so, it is best to write the article so that even if the reader gets the news next week, it will not seem like old news.  If your local newspaper appears weekly, they are less likely to print long articles.  When articles appear, they may be long after the date of the event.  Keep this in mind as you compose your article.  Avoid words such as “yesterday” or “next week”. 
2. Keep the contact information for your local newspaper’s school news editor on file.  You should have the name and/or title, telephone number, and email address.  Check every year since the news editor may change.  If you are lucky, the email may just go to the school news letter – no name mentioned – so that, even if the person changes, it is always possible to contact the school news editor via the same email address.
3. Address a brief note to the newspaper mentioning the contents of the article.  Attach your article to the email rather than putting it in the body of the email.
4. Provide a heading for the article.  The newspaper may change the heading, but your heading says what you think is important about the article.
5. Double space the article and provide sizeable margins.
6. Indicate the end of your article with    --30--.
7. Below the article, provide your contact information:  Name, title, address, telephone, email.
8. If your article contains a photo, include the cutline at the bottom of your article, below your contact information.  A cutline will tell who is in the photo, from left to right, or by rows.
9. Newspapers use digital technology so save time and money by sending digital photos.  They can crop and change color to black and white more easily with digital images.  Photos enliven your article, so try to use this tool.  Weekly newspapers will use the photo, printing an abridged article in the space below with the cutline information.

Additional Suggestions

• Write a brief article recognizing students who receive an honor or award as well as those who perform well in a contest such as a national language exam.   Give a short description of the award or contest and then list the winners.  Don’t stop there.  Print a copy for the principal, superintendent, and/or school committee.  Have a portion announced in the morning bulletin.
• Use a few facts from the International Week quiz for the morning bulletin or as a teaser in the school’s newsletter.

Whatever you do, remember the three F’s – fun, facts, and photos.  They are the ABC’s of your media coverage along with your contact list.