Where Science & Media Meet: from the lab to the street by PRESS4TRANSPORT

Virtual Press Office to improve EU Sustainable Surface Transport research media visibility on a national and regional level

Where Science and Media meet: from the lab to the street. Communicating research and innovation results through targeted press releases

Virtual Press Office to improve EU Sustainable Surface Transport research media visibility on a national and regional level

PRESS4TRANSPORT is funded by the European Commission's Directorate-General for Research under the Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development (FP7).

NOTICE

This guide provides project coordinators of Sustainable Surface Transport initiatives with practical support on how to effectively communicate their results to the media and the public at large. This publication was produced by the PRESS4TRANSPORT consortium on behalf of the European Commissionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Directorate-General for Research. The European Union, the European Commission or any person acting on their behalf are not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, use of the information contained in this guide, nor shall they be liable for any loss, including consequential loss, that might derive from such use or from the findings of the guide themselves. Although the authors exercised all reasonable efforts to ensure the accuracy and the quality of the contents of this publication, the Consortium assumes no liability for any inadvertent error or omission that may appear in this publication. Created by: PRESS4TRANSPORT Consortium Coordinator: Cybion Srl Responsible Scientific Partner: Deborah De Biase - Cybion; Maria-Laura Franciosi - European Journalism Centre. 2

INDEX OF CONTENTS 1.

Why do SST research results need a press release?

General considerations

How to write an SST press release

The language of SST press releases

To whom to send the press release

When to send the press release

In brief…Do’s and Don’ts

Annex I: each news has its own media

Annex II: Dissecting an SST press release

16 3

1 . WHY DO SUSTAINABLE SURFACE TRANSPORT (SST) RESEARCH RESULTS Organisations involved in research and innovation projects in the Sustainable Surface Transport (SST) field, whether at national or European level, and especially if they are small or medium enterprises, need to know how to inform a wider audience of the results they have achieved. Highlighting specific projects which demonstrate the future of mobility and the potential benefits to our increasingly knowledge-based society will raise awareness that the grass is greener next door. This will in turn encourage others, and especially decision-makers concerned with transport policies, to spring into action and help Europe’s transport sector to enter the future. The approach to spreading information stems from the conviction that local and regional sustainable surface transport (SST) projects impact upon the life of EU citizens. Such projects (your projects!!) therefore ought to have greater exposure in the pages of national and local media, reaching both the general public and specialised press, as well as beyond, including Web 2.0.

This can be done by an effective press release. This guide offers a number of ways to help maximise an organisation’s efforts in writing and sending press releases about results of SST research projects, with a focus on press. In any case, when trying to communicate results to the media, you will have to pay attention to two external factors. • •

the reluctance of newspaper editors, whether broadsheets or tabloid, to engage in subjects considered too far removed from the everyday life of their readers. the competition from other companies and other topics to occupy the limited space in major media.

Hence the importance of well conceived press releases to convince editors to publish SST related stories. The Press for Transport (P4T) consortium set out to facilitate publication of Sustainable Surface Stories through the development of a Virtual Press Office (VPO), a free online portal that identified local and regional SST projects in order to distribute information related to their progress and goals. The Press Releases used as examples in the present guide are taken from it. http://www.press4transport.eu/vpo/todo.php

2 . GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS Media penetration for local and regional SST projects is significantly low. This is mainly due to the difficulty journalists have in convincing their editors of the importance of the topics suggested for their audience, especially when dealing with mainstream generalist press. A quick look through the pages of motoring publications is enough to observe that they are full of articles about or even heavily influenced by multinational manufacturing and other industry. SST research does not receive much coverage in the press apart from controversial schemes such as the introduction of congestion charges in cities such as London or Stockholm. Generally, industry trade magazines are largely dominated by the brands of major corporations and the national press is scarcely interested in local or regional projects being conducted in other EU member states. It is therefore necessary to respond to the challenges presented by limited coverage by learning how to write a successful press release, even when your project cannot count on the support of a well known brand

3 . HOW TO WRITE AN SST PRESS RELEASE

THE TOPIC IS CRUCIAL Concentrate on making your topic appealing: be up-todate, unique and concrete!

When you compose a press release, please remember these THREE GOLDEN RULES : 1. Identify the key message (PILOT4SAFETY Project Kick-off: example of how to announce a project kick-off which may be a story in itself) 2. Aim to convince and do not exaggerate (Kassetts will save SMEs money: here the essential message is provided in the title and plays on one of the citizens' main wish: money saving) 3. Make sense (How to rescue urban logistics: this is a straightforward story that everybody can understand) You should also remember to: 1. Address topicality: if possible choose a topic that is timely and fits in with other stories that are happening or about to happen. If for example a research will help reducing fuel consumption during a period of fuel price increase, the story will be far more interesting to editors. 2. Focus on uniqueness: if your project has a "unique" element, base your story on it. Media are more likely to publish information on a subject that has not already flooded the screens of their editorial staff. The uniqueness of a particular topic can add significant value to your article. Let the car do the talking! is an example of an unusual story that can attract an audience. 3. Solely deal with relevant topics and results: media releases and articles are all the more effective when there is something substantial to reveal or where the everyday reader receives enough concrete information that is digestible. An article at the outset of a project would be more challenging to promote to the media, unless the objectives of the project are quite ambitious and will have an every-day effect on Europeans (e.g., electric cars or buses). 4. Use projects that have reached conclusions or have relevant concrete results. The successful story of Pro-motion. 5. Find a “catchy title”. The headline is important: it must be short and contain the most important information. A good headline is a short headline – one line is the maximum length. This will attract the journalists' and targeted readers' attention as they scroll through their email messages (and they receive innumerable e-mails every day!). No to Noise is a good example of a catchy title where allitteration is used to attract the attention of the reader to a special vehicle designed to prevent vibrations. Listed below are several titles that evoke interest while suggesting the subject of the press release: All eyes on sustainable speed; Electric Evolutions!; Back to the future in 2030: citizens' experiences in cycling and walking... with a vision; Green fever: How to measure the environmental impact of transport?; Driving me sane? Yes with eCoMove and fuel optimisation!

Clearly highlight the connection between the real world and the benefits of your research/results for the everyday life of the audience; examples such as Ventotene’s Zeroemission Island can be used to demonstrate real life applications to the public 7. Provide the audience with concrete examples: Focus on the benefits and on technology (tangible, useful, everyday life)instead of science (theoretical, difficult). Take for example the development of an automotive interface that allows cars to communicate with the road and other vehicles to ensure safety and efficiency, mainly explaining the applications and benefits while acknowledging the technological breakthroughs entailed. Let the car do the talking. 8. Be essential and concise. Present the results or crucial information in the first paragraph. This should address the six basic questions – who? what? why? when? where? and how? 9. Surprise the editor: the “surprise” element must also be taken into consideration. Something that can amaze or astonish the appropriate audience is more likely to be covered by the media. A title such as Full Green Ahead is likely to lure readers into opening the message and discovering its contents. 10. Contextualize the message by providing a connection to the news agenda and a link with other projects or ongoing policy briefly described; in the inclusion of best practices, technical studies, impact assessments, forecasts or other kinds of material. 11. Give references and evidence: make references to other stakeholders or institutions funding the project or involved in it. This will give you more credibility with the media. 12. Personalize the message: when addressing generalist media, it is usually better to link a story to individuals rather than to an organisation. Covering stories dealing with organisations is relevant mainly for specialised media. In the case of SST, for example, it might be the activities of scientists and their research (or the people who manage the project if they have an interesting experience to tell) that would interest a greater number of users and/or consumers. A perfect way to personalise any message is by including an interview with one or more individuals from the research project itself. If a prototype of an electric car is sent to take part in an eco-friendly race, this is certainly a story destined to make waves. And the scientists who have been working on the project might provide good insights into the reasons for developing that particular project. And when you talk to them you might find unusual aspects of their thinking that will make the impact on the readers. 13. Do not create a one-size-fits-all press release in order to cover all targets at once: the personalization and a linguisticconscious approach are essential. Press releases addressing specialized press should be worded differently than those addressing mainstream media or regional press. 14. Do not exceed one page: don't fill your story with useless details, resulting in long and boring text. 15. Whenever possible enrich your text with an image, diagram or graph that can facilitate comparisons. And add plenty of concrete examples, Electric cars: sustainable mobility in Ventotene, a zero-emission island; Let the car do the talking; TransNEW: A new project will open Europe's transport to its Eastern borders. 7

4 . THE LANGUAGE OF SST PRESS RELEASES

THE LANGUAGE DOES NOT DEPEND ON YOU

Speak the journalists' (and the readers') language. If you are addressing ordinary citizens and mainstream media fit the style to the targeted readers.

Project coordinators often provide journalists with the information they have regardless of the language of the media (and therefore the audience) they wish to target. Write press releases in as many languages as possible in order to reach a wider audience: if you have selected a multinational general audience (therefore not specialists) and you wish to reach it through mainstream generalist media, allocate part of your budget to translation. Distributing press releases in as many languages as possible means that the information on a project is more likely to reach a wider and differentiated audience. If you have not enough money for translation, define your target on a national level so that you can focus your effort to reach it.

Do not take for granted that your audience understands English: If you are targeting the national press, avoid using English, unless you are addressing English-speaking countries. Although the press releases are composed to be easily readable, that does not eliminate the possibility that the user is unable to read English. A linguistic-conscious approach is essential, either through initial composition or secondary translation. Even if the individual press releases are tailored on a project-specific basis and targeted to a particular audience, the language used (English only) would remain a serious obstacle.

Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t presume your audience will understand you: if you choose to communicate to a mainstream audience, be as clear as possible, either omitting or explaining all technical terms.

5 . TO WHOM TO SEND THE PRESS RELEASE

MEDIA SELECTION IS A STRATEGIC ISSUE

When you send a press release remember to: • Identify your target • Think of who might also be competing with you • Select your contacts well Do not send indiscriminately, each topic has its target audience and media 1.

Ask yourself what is the news value! When selecting your target audience ask yourself who would benefit from your story, i.e. what is its "news value". An editor could ask why it would be beneficial for his publication to cover a particular issue. This important criterion has been and is the key factor behind P4T’s dissemination actions. It has determined when and where the articles produced by the P4T team were distributed, whether they were sent to all journalists on the media list, or just regional media or, for example, solely specialised media. For example, would a new project researching a futuristic dashboard providing efficiency through the utilization of an implemented touch screen interest everybody or purely the specialised press concerned with car design? Avionics: optimal cockpit display design to improve safety. 2. Evaluate the national sensitivity to the topic: when selecting a national audience, remember that the enthusiasm for a topic may vary from country to country. For example, if you are presenting the results of international maritime projects you might choose a country such as Denmark which for geographical and economic reasons is particularly interested in the topic. This point has been confirmed for example by the interest of the local press in Italy for the project of a retro looking electric car replacing horse carriages for tourists in Rome" BOTTICELLA, the Electric powered vintage carriage in the city of Rome: experimentation phase at launch! Likewise, a conference on maritime safety in Helsinki will generally not appeal to automobile-centric press from Greece. 3. Differentiate your media list: apart from traditional media such as TV, radio and newspapers, you should also include in your target list important (in terms of readers) but unconventional media – such as free newspapers, company magazines, newsletters, web magazines, websites, blogs and social networks. An example of an article good for all is Green fever: how to measure the environmental impact of transport. Another good example: Driving me sane? is suitable for the general public. 4. Confine announcements for events and conferences to specialists as well as journalists in the periphery of the event location when targeting local and regional media: the announcement of conferences has minimal impact with the general press although it can be relevant for specific trade publications . Especially with conferences, press releases must be sent out well in advance in order to give potential attendees time to consider and organise travelling. When reporting on a conference or event that has already expired, promote significant results or announcements that were made rather than the event itself. E.g. International Maritime Incident and Near Miss Reporting Conference

MANTAINING RELATIONS WITH THE PRESS IS TIME WELL-SPENT

Relationships with the journalists: 1.

Initiate a relationship based on trust and mutual respect with journalists or editors of media: editors are gatekeepers for providing information on any media. Initiating contact with them and gaining their interest greatly improves the chances for media penetration. Keep them informed when you have noteworthy news to be sent. But try to avoid swamping them with useless information! The journalists' interest is often proportional to their knowledge of the topic, to their relationship with the source of information and to an evidence-based experience of the company/institutions and of the results. It has been seen that journalists are more willing to publish articles from sources of information they can trust. 2. Direct contact: When possible, invite the media to visit your premises and interview your peers directly. The greatest exchange of information can take place in your laboratory. The news value from such a visit is highly enhanced for journalists who can report about their experience on location, sharing it with their audience. This personal contact tends to be very much appreciated by journalists since in this way they will be able to find their own personal angle to the story. What journalists want to avoid is to publish a story that will appear with the same exact wording in another publication. They want to be able to give their own touch to a story and the only way to achieve this is to put people in contact so that they can talk to each other. The good journalist will then be able to discover some angle that nobody else has discovered and make it the focus of the article. No press release, however well thought and well written, can replace the personal touch of the journalist. 3. Be proactive: Mention key events and interesting developments relevant to the content of your press release. Get two for the price of one, cover the necessary subject while promoting future relevant events at the same time. Rationalising Traffic: Solutions for urban logistics at Paris workshop. 4. Distribute to specific journalists: if you decided to address the generalist media, identify specific journalists who are dealing with SST issues in the mainstream media.

6 . WHEN TO SEND THE PRESS RELEASE

THE DISSEMINATION IS NOT A MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE!

Limit the amount of press releases sent each day to avoid spamming your recipients.

Time your Press Release with external events of similar nature: whenever possible, the distribution of press releases should coincide with external events of a similar nature. The event in question should therefore be considered as the launch-pad of a much more articulated reportage which will certainly interest the reader because of its many faceted angles. If, for example, there is a debate or a vote at the European Parliament on â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Eurovignetteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, and your press release deals with a system of streamlining the payment of road tolls, dissemination should be timed with this events.

Use the subject field wisely: make it clear in the subject whether your press release is news related or an invitation to a conference.

7 . IN BRIEF... "DO'S & DON'TS" Below is a simple table listing the fundamental Doâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s & Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ts when composing a press release

Doâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s !

Build your press release on "newsy" results! Concentrate on

making your topic appealing: be up-to date, unique and concrete

Be as clear as possible, either omitting or explaining all

Don'ts !

Presume your audience will understand you and the relevance

of your results

Use text only without pictures, diagrams, graphs and figures!

technical terms

Disseminate several press releases a day and spam your

! Write press releases in as many languages as possible in order to reach a wider audience

recipients ! Assume every press release interests the members of your

! Accurately target the media according to the topic of the press

media database

release

! Take for granted that your audience understands English

Initiate and maintain cooperation with journalists or editors of

media to maintain interest

Confine the announcement of conferences and meetings

preferably to specialists and the periphery of the event location when targeting local and regional media

Distribute, whenever possible, press releases which coincide

with external events of a similar nature

! Expect the majority of journalists to respond to questionnaires or requests for feedback

! Let the journalists wait too long for your feedback if they ask you for clarifications

Communicate about projects that have been completed yet lack

any concrete results of relevance to a wider European or national audience

Annex I EACH NEWS HAS ITS OWN MEDIA

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Annex II This is an example of a final press release. This section will dissect the different parts of the document and explaining its composition as an example that can be applied to any SST research project

! !

" "

An innovative system will reduce the urban impact of refrigerated distribution

The title above says it all in a nutshell. The recipient will know what the subject of the research is i.e. creating a sustainable system for distributing refrigerated goods in an urban environment. The headline should be enough to interest those legitimately drawn to the subject field even if it is not particularly catchy. This case is definitely targeted towards specialised press.

Summary: A prototype for urban hybrid distribution of refrigerated perishable goods with low environmental impact is being tested in Rome and Valencia.

The summary should be short and precise while still putting forth the essence of the story. In this instance, it is clear that a prototype hybrid vehicle has a double use. Not only does the vehicle run on electricity (for short distances) but the refrigerators used to transport perishable goods are also powered by the same electricity. Like a typical hybrid vehicle, for long distances it is powered by traditional fuels. The locations of the experiment are also clearly stated in the summary, presenting the reader with a sense of geography and the scope of the research. The summary is included to provide an instant and easy to read overview of the project covered in the press release. This is considered a very useful tool for journalists who have limited time and must filter what is and what is not important for their media. In our view a summary is vital for every press release, it helps the author focus on what the core of the story is and subsequently finalise the remainder of the document. It is consequently significantly helpful for the recipient.

! ! ! !

" " " "

The traffic of goods in cities produces 20% of the CO2 and up to 60% of suspended particles emissions, with refrigerated distribution causing the greatest environmental damage. A solution has been found through the EFRUD project aiming at creating a hybrid prototype with a low impact on emissions and noise and improved efficiency for distribution of perishable goods in cities.

The first paragraph introduces the problem to be solved, i.e. traffic produced by refrigerated transport vehicles and the environmental impact of such transport methods (both due to transport and refrigeration). Since refrigerated transport of perishable goods has been found to have the greatest environmental impact, due to fuel emissions and the use of compressors for refrigeration, a system to reduce this impact by 20%-30% was found through the use of bimodal vehicles using electricity for distribution of goods in cities and fuel when circulating outside the urban area.

Once the problem has been identified, the next paragraph acknowledges how the project at hand aims to approach the situation. In this case it is through the development of a prototype hybrid refrigerated vehicle to be used in urban scenarios. Another characteristic of the prototype developed by EFRUD is the on-board diagnostic system which is able to detect the driving style, monitor the refrigerating system and inform the driver about energy consumption and emissions when not using electricity. The data is then sent to a control centre which measures the environmental impact, use of energy, cooling and driving styles and provides corrective measures. An e-learning platform will also be created to train drivers to save energy.

The press release should continue going deeper into the research conducted by the project by explaining its methods (the electrical system is used not only to power the vehicle but refrigerating as well), showing real world applications and interaction between users and the hardware tested. Think of the catering service for schools, the supply of biological food, drugs and biomedical items to hospitals and pharmacies, the transport of highly perishable farm produce such as dairy and meat. It is clear why this urban distribution system is set to have a good impact on consumers with foreseen reduction in transport costs, environmental impact and increased energy efficiency.

Further detail is then dedicated to illustrating the sectors and other real world applications that would benefit from using the project at hand.

! ! !

" " "

The system is now being tested in two cities, Rome and Valencia. They were chosen because of their climate requires greater refrigeration effort. Rome will see the prototype used in several delivery situations while Valencia will analysed mostly by simulation. Subsequently, the systemâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s potential will be evaluated and general guidelines will be established for a possible launch of this new model of refrigerated distribution in 2014.

This section provides additional details concerning the setting of where the project is being tested on either a local or regional scale. It also notes the timeframe of the research: whether it has yet to be launched, it is in the middle of testing, or is coming to an end, etc. The EFRUD project, which is funded at 50% through the LIFE European Union programme, is coordinated by the Italian CONSORZIO TRAIN (Consortium for Research and development in innovative transport) and the Spanish group ITENE (Technological Centre for Packaging, Transport and Logistics), plus the Italian Fondazione METES and Rome Municipality. The municipality of Valencia (Comunidad Valenciana) is also set to participate. EFRUD has a budget of 1.5 million euros.

At the end there is space related to stakeholders and/or members the consortium as well as funding, including figures in euros. For more information please contact: John Smith, Director smith@eu-project.eu +32 2!222 3344 www.efrud.info

At the bottom of the document it is imperative to include all possible contact details: name/s, phone number/s, email address, website. 18

Virtual Press Office to improve EU Sustainable Surface Transport research media visibility on a national and regional level

PRESS4TRANSPORT is funded by the European Commission's Directorate-General for Research under the Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development (FP7).