Campaigns to End Violence against Women and Girls - Virtual ...

the campaign, press releases can also be sent out to others beyond the media –
campaign partners, allies, donors, even members of the target audience (such as public
officials, lawmakers).
Main elements of a press release
� Headline reflecting the main message; you can include a sub-headline to enrich the
theme, but both headline and sub-headline must be as short as possible
� Press release date (highlighted), names and contact details of campaigners who can
speak to the media
� Lead paragraph with the most important information (who, what, when, where, why,
how), or a related human interest opening story that grabs attention.
� Background paragraph with evidence-based information about the problem, possibly
including statistics and quotes. The more hard data you have the better.
� The solution and action your campaign calls for, i.e. the key campaign messages
� Brief description of your campaign
If you want to give reporters extra time to study your information (e.g. when you
announce the publication of a report), or to make sure the story does not appear before
a certain date, you can “embargo” the information – i.e., the reporter may read the
information earlier but cannot make it public before the official release date. In such a
case, include the phrase "HOLD FOR RELEASE - EMBARGOED UNTIL [DATE AND
TIME]".
A good example for a press release is included in the European Women’s Lobby kit for
activists.
Illustrative Campaign Press Releases:
� UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Launches Campaign to End Violence
against Women (United Nations Department of Public Information, 2008).
Available in English.
� UNIFEM Goodwill Ambassador Nicole Kidman to Announce Results of ‘Say
NO’ Campaign (UNIFEM, 2010). Available in English.
� Safe Schools, Every Girl’s Right Campaign (Amnesty International, 2008).
Available in English.
Press conferences
Press conferences are an indispensable tool for getting media attention. They can be
organized by campaigners to present issues related to the campaign to journalists.
When can a press conference be useful?
� If the stories to be told at the press conference are of major social interest, and
perceived as such by media representatives.
� If there is something important to announce, preferably linked to a significant event,
e.g. at the launch of a national campaign, or when the campaign has achieved a
significant milestone, e.g. a draft law on domestic violence is scheduled for
discussion in parliament.
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Campaigns December 2011