The Aftermath

• Your media list should also include influencers

• Be sure there are no duplicate on your media list

• Keep your list updates, news professionals move around

• Follow individuals on your list’ social media

• Post your media advisory on your social media channels

Follow up, follow up, follow up. Sending your advisory to the right people with a compelling subject line is the first step. But, reporters’ inboxes get flooded with advisories every day. The critical next step is “pitching” your event—following up to make sure the right information gets seen by the right people at the right time. There’s a routine to this, if you can make time do it.

• TV newsrooms have two meetings a day to decide where cameras will be sent, one around 8:00am or 8:30am, and one around 3:00pm. The producers who make these decisions start with a “daybook,” or calendar of options, which is put together by the Assignment Desk at each station. Your goal is to make sure you’re in the daybook. • Newspaper reporters generally have a big weekly meeting, and also run ideas for stories by their editors throughout the week. They need plenty of lead time in order to fit your event into a busy schedule.

The Aftermath

Immediately after your event, send out photos and video and follow up. No matter how well prepared you are, sometimes not one reporter makes it to an event in person. You could have been bumped by a fire, a traffic accident, or the President. Send photos to reporters and photo editors at local papers and TV stations as soon as possible. If you have links to compelling, short videos, then consider sharing those as well. Reporters may be glad to have and promote these on their social media accounts, even if they don’t write a full story.

Post good photos and video to social media, tagging the participants, involved organizations, and the media. Consider posting a summary on a public Facebook page and sending that around to your list. Send out a news release (four-five short paragraphs featuring quotes from key participants/organizers) and post it on your website and social media. Send a news release around that includes the contact info of some of the event’s notable participants if they are available to give interviews as a follow up.

You will be surprised how many outlets pick up the story afterwards, especially if you have provided everything they need.

CONTACTS:

Angelo Greco (917) 499-2688 angelo@trillmulticultural.com Tkeban X.T. Jahannes (404) 944-1615 tjahannes@ncnw.org ICYMI: Black Women Leaders & Allies from Civil Rights and Reproductive Justice Organizations Join Forces at Steps of U. S. Supreme Court in Solidarity To Urge Congress to Pass Voting Rights Legislation and Protect Reproductive Rights for Women WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Wednesday, September 15th the NCBCP Black Women’s Roundtable and National Council of Negro Women convened over 40 national civil rights, reproductive rights, women’s rights, labor and social justice organizations to partner for a Black Women Leaders & Allies Call to Action in support of Voting Rights & Reproductive Justice at the U. S. Supreme Court—in a unified voice calling for the passage of the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and for Congress to swiftly move to protect the reproductive rights of women that is under attack in Texas and across the country. The Call to Action included a National Call-In Day with the goal of mobilizing national and state-based partners ’members and networks to call their U. S. Senators to advocate for passage of federal voting rights reform and protection of women’s reproductive rights. For more information about the Black Women & Allies Call to Action go to BlackWomenTakeAction.org. SEE QUOTES FROM SEVERAL BLACK WOMEN LEADERS & ALLIES WHO PARTICIPATED BELOW: National Coalition on Black Civic Participation and Black Women ’s Roundtable Melanie L. Campbell, President and CEO of The National Coalition on Black Civic Participation and Convener, Black Women ’s Roundtable states, “Black women stand at the intersection of voting rights and reproductive justice. It is not an accident that we are standing at the steps of the U. S. Supreme Court right now in solidarity to demand our rights are protected. Historically, for Black people, we have always had to depend on federal protections of our voting rights through the Voting Rights Act. Further, as a woman, our reproductive rights have been protected through Roe v. Wade. Today, both our voting rights and reproductive rights are under attack and the U. S. Supreme Court has failed to protect those constitutionally protected rights. So, we have brought together the voting rights and reproductive movement to join forces to demand the U. S. Congress do their jobs to protect our rights now!” National Council of Negro Women It is time for women and people of goodwill everywhere who believe in the promise of this nation to stand up for democracy. Elected officials must be held accountable to the will of the American people - a majority of whom oppose voter suppression and support a woman's right to choose. We cannot preserve what is best about America by caving in to a misguided minority, no matter how vocal they are.” -- Janice L. Mathis, Esq, Executive Director of The National Council of Negro Women. National Women ’s Law Center “It is hardly a coincidence that the same politicians trying to recreate the gender roles of the 1950s are also trying to recreate the voting restrictions of the 1950s. Avoiding accountability at the ballot box emboldens them to pass such extreme and unpopular restrictions on abortion like SB8, and a healthy, participatory democracy is our greatest shield against theseSAMPLE assaults on our collective freedom. With such an unprecedented campaign to force our country backwards, it is incumbent for Congress to take immediate and swift action to defend our access to abortion and the ballot.” --Fatima Goss Graves, President

and CEO of the National Women ’s Law Center

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NEWS RELEASE TIPS

• Put out your news release within 24 hours, if possible

• After 3 days old is too old

• You can build the framework of your news release before the event occurs.

• Always get accurate quotes from the participants to insert into final copy

1. Journalist, reporters, talk show host like true stories.

2. Is your story for television, radio, and/or print? Consider public radio and public television as well. Most televisions now have segments of their daily news and weekend programming that focus on the community or soft news information.

3. Keep your pitch short and in conversation, in an email, or a text message (Look up elevator speech).

4. Be specific, tell the newsroom or reporter why your story would be of interest to viewers, listeners, readers.

5. Let them know the story is time-sensitive and you plan to follow up with them.

6. Don’t write, email, or text your opinion. Save that for the actual interview, quote, or sound bite.

7. Feel free to send attachments but also within the email, write that you have attached pictures, a document, etc.