Part A - Society for Public Health Education

For additional information on various media outreach tools, refer to the next section,“Communicating the Coalition’s Messages: Tools, Strategies, and Events.”Communicating the Coalition’s Messages:Tools, Strategies, and EventsIn this section of the toolkit, you will find information and resources that can helpyou communicate your coalition’s messages. The information and resources shouldbe customized to meet your needs. This toolkit’s resource directory also givesyou links to a wealth of materials, some of which (such as curricula and videos orDVDs) can be purchased and others that are free to download and that can be usedas is or customized to meet your community’s needs.Media ToolsMedia tools are an effective way to communicate your coalition’s messages. Beforecontacting a reporter or editor, you should determine the type of media toolsthat would be most appropriate for each media outlet that serves your community.You should also determine the type of media tools that would best promote yourcoalition’s issues and events. Typical media tools include press releases, letters to theeditor, op-eds, newspaper editorial board meetings, and advertising.Press Releases© 2007 Society for Public Health EducationA press release is one of the most common media strategies. It is a written alertmost often used with the print media to announce a new program, an organizationor coalition position, or a special event. The press release tells the reporter the who,what, when, where, and why of a story or event. This information helps the reporterdetermine whether to write an article or otherwise cover your news. Your pressrelease should grab the reporter’s attention and convince him or her of the issue’snews value.All press releases should include the coalition’s name, contact person and information,release date, headline (i.e., short phrase summing up the essence of therelease), and body (i.e., the who, what, when, where, and why). Remember to keepyour sentences and paragraphs short, use plain language, and provide quotes fromcoalition members (if possible). Finish your release with a “tag,” which is usuallyone paragraph of boilerplate (standardized text) about your coalition. At the end ofthe release, use a centered “###” to denote completion.Part A: An Educational Toolkit for Health Educators77