PR Seminar for educators and news media

Delsea Regional High School in Gloucester County, New Jersey hosted a public relations seminar for Gloucester County schools and news media outlets.

Here are the notes provided following the successful session. Anyone wanting more information may contact larry@larrylitwin.com. Much of what was discussed is availble in Litwin’s two books available on www.larrylitwin.com, digitally from Amazon for the Kindle, iPad and iPhone and at better book stores everywhere.

Public Relations Seminar Notes – December 6, 2010

Speakers  – M. Larry Litwin, APR, Fellow PRSA, Rowan University Associate Professor, Public Relations/Advertising

John Barna, Editor, Gloucester County Times

Resources:

Website – www.larrylitwin.com.

Student Resources Heading – handouts pertaining to audience engagement

Workshops/PowerPoints Heading -numerous detailed PowerPoints that contain information relevant to what we do every day.

Books – The ABCs of Strategic Communication by M. Larry Litwin

The Public Relations Practioner’s Playbook by M. Larry Litwin

Questions – How to Best Share Story and Get Media Attention?

How to Market Press Releases

How Do Schools Know Appropriate Person?

What is Hierarchy of Each News Media?

65-85% of news is PR generated

Keep media list up-to-date

#1 – Relationship – Develop relationships

#2-Knowing News

#3 Knowing Deadlines

Accuracy, Timeliness

Accessibility

Communicate from inside-out

Patch.com (AOL initiative – community journalism) – opportunity for schools to celebrate community – West Deptford will be soon included.

Make videos available to news – Jim Six – handles video content from GCT

School Budget Questions

How can schools sell budgets with 2 % cap?

News release approach

Electronic release (multi-platform approach – blogs, twitter, Facebook)

Need strong, strategic message – short message

Sit down with reporter before school board meeting where budget is released.  Give them the information and then follow-up

Remember information on website – 30% do not scroll to bottom of page – important message needs to be at beginning

Public education #1 commodity

United front from teachers and administrators

Turn around negatives and make them positives

Strategic message for seniors – Support education for your grandchildren

How can schools inform public without information seeming like a threat?

1.  Share reality of what will happen if budget does not pass.

Identify Yes Voters

Labor Intensive – but relatively new (for school communicators) One-to-One (1-1) Marketing is effective

2. Gaining, maintaining and enhancing public support as we move forward is just one of our challenges. Our taxpayers must be reminded, “We are in this together.”

No voters will come out to vote, so it is important to get as many people as possible to vote.

Day of Election – Get volunteer organization to bring voters to polls

Vote By Mail – Identify college students especially those away at school

Suggestions/ Considerations

Story ideas to consider – What is unique about the event?

Message

Audience

Channel for communication – where does audience get their information

Timing

And don’t lose sight of the purpose (why you are communicating the message)

Be persistent,  but pleasant

Monday – 3 PM – good time to contact media – looking for stories for week

Anniversary Dates are important to media – schedule an activity on an anniversary date

Reporters use Facebook for ideas and stories.

Know where information is going.

Strategic tweets – direct to website or Facebook

Plan your event for the fifth (5th) Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday of month – you stand better chance for coverage

No municipal or board meetings are planned for 5th day of month

To comment: larry@larrylitwin.com