Download - Recruiting for KOHP
Our Vision – Healthier Kansans living in safe and sustainable environments.
Recruiting for KOHP
Main Topics
Our Vision – Healthier Kansans living in safe and sustainable environments.
Earned media basics Earned media toolsTips for working with the media
Earned MediaFree Media coverageValuable!News storiesEditorialsLetters to the EditorPublic Service Announcements
Our Vision – Healthier Kansans living in safe and sustainable environments.
News ReleasesProvides a story to reportersIf well written, paper may print it
exactly as written.Keep adjectives (exciting, valuable,
etc.) in quotes “This important event...,” said Mary
Write in inverted pyramid – most important information first
Keep to 1 page if possibleOur Vision – Healthier Kansans living in safe and sustainable environments.
News ReleasesRelease must have news value
If it doesn’t, it will hurt your credibilitySend 3 – 5 days before an event or day of
an announcement Earlier for a weekly paper
Proofread carefully Grammar and spelling mistakes will get
your release ignoredInclude at least one quote
Our Vision – Healthier Kansans living in safe and sustainable environments.
Sample News ReleaseNEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Cindy WintersMay 1, 2008 785-296-8150 & [email protected]
Physical Activity Key to Decreasing Arthritis PainWorksite wellness initiative aimed at helping the Kansas worker address chronic diseases
TOPEKA, KS – Although nearly 563,000 adults in Kansas* who have arthritis are painfully aware of their symptoms, many still do not know there is something they can do about it. As part of National Arthritis Awareness Month in May, Kansans who have pain and activity limitations due to arthritis are encouraged to work with their physician to become more physically active. Research has shown that pain and activity limitations can be reduced with 30 minutes a day of physical activity most days of the week.“Being more physically active is probably the single best thing a person with arthritis can do to reduce their pain,” said Roderick Bremby, Secretary, Kansas Department of Health and Environment. “Even with small increments of increased physical activity, a person with arthritis can decrease their pain, increase their flexibility and get a better night’s sleep.” “Thirty minutes a day can seem daunting and overwhelming for a person with arthritis,” said Cindy Winters, KDHE Arthritis Program Manager. “Breaking the half hour of exercise into smaller amounts over the course of the day can still have the same positive impact in reducing pain.”Winters dispels the myth that exercising can cause further joint damage.“When you’re moving through physical activity, blood and other vital nutrients are getting pumped into the cartilage in your joints, keeping you flexible and strengthening the muscles around the joint to protect it,” Winters said.Research continues to bear out the benefits for people to be more physically active, including those persons with arthritis. Studies have shown that a person who is physically active at least one to two times a week will save an average of $250 annually.** Among working-age Kansans, 20% report having doctor-diagnosed arthritis.* In this decade alone, arthritis has cost the state of Kansas $1.1 billion, $700 million in direct medical expenditures and $400 million in lost productivity and premature death.*KDHE is currently in the process of developing a worksite initiative to address not only the impact of arthritis but other chronic diseases in the workplace. Arthritis self-management programs have been proven to reduce medical expenses including insurance premiums and decrease absenteeism because of disease-related complications.
###*2007 Kansas Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data**Wang, F. McDonald T., Champagne, L.J. and Edington, D.W. Relationship of body mass index and physical activity to health care cost among employees. JOEM 2004;46:428-36.
Letters to the Editor
Can be written by anyoneThis is the place for opinionOrganize different people to send
lettersGive them the topic and a few
points to stressCould organize a campaign to send
a different letter weeklyOur Vision – Healthier Kansans living in safe and sustainable environments.
Editorials
Written by a newspaper’s editorial board
You can request a meeting with the editorial board to ask them to write about an issue or event
Request must stress why readers would care about the issue
Must prepare and know the facts for a meeting
Our Vision – Healthier Kansans living in safe and sustainable environments.
Guest EditorialsGuest editorials are written by an expert
in a particular areaFind an expert to submit an editorial on
arthritisWho would be an expert in your area?
Our Vision – Healthier Kansans living in safe and sustainable environments.
Public Service Announcement (PSA)
PSAs are free adsGenerally from non-profit or govt. Address a community issue or
public health/safety messageAired whenever station wants
Could be 3 a.m.
Our Vision – Healthier Kansans living in safe and sustainable environments.
Requesting a PSA
Contact radio station community relations, public affairs or program director
Convince him/her of the value of your message
Have PSAs written so you are ready to go when they say yes
Our Vision – Healthier Kansans living in safe and sustainable environments.
Creating a PSA
Length 10, 15, 20 or 30 secondsWrite a PSA like you speak –
conversationallyPSAs need to get attention and
make a point quicklyThink about radio ads that you pay
attention to (probably not many)Read it out-loud and time yourself
Our Vision – Healthier Kansans living in safe and sustainable environments.
Web sites
Are there Web sites locals visit frequently?
Can you post information?Is there a local business that might
support your cause by adding information to their Web site
What are other Web ideas?
Our Vision – Healthier Kansans living in safe and sustainable environments.
Pitching your story
Briefly convince them why this is important Statistics Anecdote - interesting, amusing, or
biographical incident Be enthusiastic/passionate about cause Highlight news value
why readers will care Keep it brief!
Our Vision – Healthier Kansans living in safe and sustainable environments.
When Reporters Call You
Return calls quicklyFind out their deadlineFind out what info. they need and
call them back Take a few minutes to gather your thoughts
OK to say “I don’t know”Don’t try to wing it
Our Vision – Healthier Kansans living in safe and sustainable environments.
Final Thoughts
Most reporters want to get the facts right
“Good News” is often appealingReporters time is limited, respect
thatBeing friendly and polite goes a long
way
Our Vision – Healthier Kansans living in safe and sustainable environments.
Key Points
ConciseFactualTimely
Our Vision – Healthier Kansans living in safe and sustainable environments.
Our Vision – Healthier Kansans living in safe and sustainable environments.
Contact Information:Ginger Park, MSKansas Department of Health & EnvironmentTobacco Use Prevention [email protected]
www.kdheks.gov