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Section 4. Getting the Word Out - Communications ToolsIn this section ... 4.1 Local MediaKelly & Salerno Communications, Inc. will be leading the over-arching national media campaign which will provide support for your local efforts. The media in your area will play a key role in getting your message to the public. Your local newspapers and radio stations offer a variety of ways you can promote "And Thou Shalt Honor…" and your coalition's mission and provide a possible means for recruiting other members and partners. As with forming your coalition, the key question to ask yourself when targeting the media is "Who (talk show host, reporter, radio station's audience) would or should have an interest in the issue." Those are the contacts you need to make. Public Television StationsContact your Public Television Station's outreach coordinator and solicit their participation in your coalition. Public Television Stations involve themselves in community events regularly. However, they have many programs to promote. They may not yet be aware of "And Thou Shalt Honor…" Tell them about the series and ask them to work with you to develop a local program that will tie in with "And Thou Shalt Honor…" The local program format may vary, but the goals are to raise awareness of caregiving issues and to promote awareness of local services. The Public Television Station can assist your coalition in many ways in addition to producing a local program. For instance, they can promote your coalition activities in the station's monthly program guide; they can run on-air public service announcements; they can open their facilities for meeting space; they can assist you in gaining media contacts. They may be able to provide your coalition with space on their Web site. Your relationship to your Public Television Station is symbiotic: you are helping to build an audience for their program, and they are helping to promote your coalition's activities. In many communities, the Public Television and Public Radio Stations are joint licenses. If this is true in your community, work with both of them to coordinate their efforts. The radio station could develop its own local programs about family caregiving issues, as well as include this topic in its regular programming. Also, it can include announcements of your meetings in its community calendar. In communities where the Public Radio Station is not a joint licensee with the PTV station, you should still attempt to get the station's cooperation and support. Getting your PTV station to run the series is crucial. Newspapers1) The Press Advisory
Make sure your press advisory includes basic contact information: names, addresses, phone numbers, fax numbers, email addresses, and your organization's web address if you have one. Also, send your press advisory well in advance so that interviewers can have time to get in touch with you and write up an actual story for the paper. See the example below.
2) A Community Notice Publishing a community notice is simple and easy and a free service offered by most newspapers. Community calendars are designed to promote events. Look at your local community events section to determine the proper format because it may vary from paper to paper. In general, however, the notice must be brief, to the point and include contact information. It is a good idea to list your phone number and an email address. Give your notice a short title - something that will grab the readers' eye. Also, make sure that you contact your newspaper to find out when they need the notice. SAMPLE
3) Letters to the Editor The Letters to the Editor section of your newspaper provides an opportunity to express your views about issues and events in the community. A letter to the editor is also a means of drawing attention to your coalition, its activities and its mission. You will want to come up with a title for your piece - something to attract the editor's eye. Use the body of your piece to express your concerns, views, and ideas. Make sure you provide your contact information or your coalition's contact information for publication as well. SAMPLE
Radio Stations1) Public Service Announcements Many radio stations broadcast Public Service Announcements (PSAs) as a free service to the communities in their listening area. PSAs are notices about special events that benefit the community and are meant to promote not-for-profit organizations such as hospitals, hospices, schools, and local government agencies. PSAs announce community events, community meetings (including educational meetings open to the public), school programs, etc. To take advantage of this service, you should first write a PSA as you would want it read on the air. (See example below.) Hint: Keep it brief, as announcers will likely use your PSA to fill in time between commercials or news segments. Contact the station's public service director to find out their guidelines regarding PSAs before writing your PSA. Identify your coalition or committee, describe your PSA, ask how often the PSA can run. The station may want to edit the PSA for length or content in which case you should work with them to make sure the PSA still contains the salient information. Try to convince the station to run it a few times a day, especially during drive time and especially as the date of the event approaches. Sample 30 Second PSA: e Are you a caregiver? If you are helping someone who cannot take on day-to-day activities alone, then you are. Because caregiving can creep up on you, many people are caregivers and don't even know it. The Mason City Coalition of Caregivers (MCCC) will have a display in front of Julie's Salon on Main Street in Mason City this Saturday from 8am until 5pm. They will be passing out information about caregiving and who to contact if you are a stressed caregiver in need of relief or think you may be in the beginning stages of caregiving. The display attendants will be happy to answer any questions you may have. For further information about this Saturday's event, please call MCCC at (515)-555-5499. Also, be sure to watch "And Thou Shalt Honor…," a series about caregiving and caregivers on PBS Channel 4 this fall.Sample 20 Second PSA Are you a caregiver? The Mason City Coalition of Caregivers (MCCC) will have a display in front of Julie's Salon on Main Street in Mason City this Saturday from 8 until 5. Information on caregiving will be available and display attendants will be happy to answer questions. To learn more about this event or "And Thou Shalt Honor…," a PBS series addressing family caregiving that will air this fall, call (515)-555-5499.2) Radio Talk Shows Try to arrange a brief live interview on a local radio talk show. Many radio stations announce local events during their morning show. Radio stations often intermingle talk with music during traditional drive time (morning and evening rush hour). Call the producer, give a description of your mission and the programs you are undertaking. Suggest that caregiving is becoming a "hot-button" issue and that you would like to provide some speakers for a program. Ask if you should provide questions for the announcer to ask. Suggest two or three spokespersons who could address the wide range of caregiver needs and available services in your community. Remember to contact both AM and FM stations. Local Cable Community TV Most cable companies operate a local access station for community programming, including announcements and in-studio talk shows. A community event would be any program that your coalition sponsors to promote caregiving and "And Thou Shalt Honor. Find out what their guidelines are for using the channel and use this medium. 
In addition, your local government may have a cable access channel that is used by elected officials and government agencies to provide information about government services and community events. Contact your local Councilman, Supervisor, Selectmen or Area Agency on Aging to discuss your coalition's activities and possible coverage they can provide- whether filming your event or interviewing experts from your coalition or partners. Resources Kelly & Salerno Communications is managing the national media campaign for And Thou Shalt Honor… that is designed to stimulate intensive coverage of caregiving issues at the time of the program premiere Fall 2002. Concentrated coverage in print, television, radio and Web media at this time will provide momentum to help the public focus on these difficult issues. Kelly & Salerno is working closely with national media and will also be placing extensive coverage in local media across the country. To contact Kelly & Salerno:
Adina Barnett
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