Telling your

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Telling your Great American Cleanup Story to
the Media January/February 2002
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Key Messages for 2002

• 1. The Great American Cleanup is Keep America
  Beautiful in action. This amazing effort is the
  largest grassroots program in the nation with
  the goal of improving our communities and
  therefore our quality of life.

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Key Messages for 2002

• 2. These are just some of the more than two
  million volunteers taking part in Keep America
  Beautifuls Great American Cleanup in more than
  12,000 communities across the country. With our
  volunteers and sponsors, the goal of keeping
  America beautiful is possible.

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Key Messages for 2002

• 3. Now more than ever, as people search for a
  sense of community and try to express their
  individual responsibility, they can join together
  with family, friends and neighbors to create a
  cleaner and safer environment. We welcome
  volunteers in all our Great American Cleanup
  activities.

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Key Messages for 2002

• 4. This year, we are planting Liberty Gardens
  as part of Keep America Beautifuls Great
  American Cleanup. They are a living tribute to
  the memory of those lost in the events
  surrounding September 11 and a patriotic
  expression of pride in America.

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5 Oughtas of media interviews

• 1.
• Oughta be prepared.
• Know your key messages and rehearse them with a
  colleague.
• Bring props, visuals
• and sponsor products.

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5 Oughtas of media interviews

• 2.
• Oughta be concise.
• State your main point up front.
• Avoid yes or no answers.
• Never say no comment.

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5 Oughtas of media interviews

• 3.
• Oughta get personal.
• Use anecdotes, real examples and colorful
  language to give your story a human face.

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5 Oughtas of media interviews

• 4.
• Oughta control
• the interview.
• Use the bridging technique come back to your
  key messages.
• Dont be afraid to repeat your key messages.

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5 Oughtas of media interviews

• 5.
• Oughta show
• your enthusiasm.
• Relax and tell your story.
• You have a great story to tell.

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Survey SaysTennesseans Prefer Receiving
Environmental Information via Newspaper
Radio/TV Mail Minority respondents
prefer receiving environmental info via
neighborhood meetings and places of
worship.Low-income respondents prefer places of
worship and public announcements on community
bulletin boards. Division of Research
Education, Metro Health Dept., Davidson County.

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10 Tips To Get More Publicity

• 1.
• Go beyond the beat reporter.
• Set up meetings with editorial page editors --
  bring your best volunteer.
• Call special sections editors for springtime
  environmental stories.
• Contact weekend producers and assignment editors
  at TV stations.
• Establish media partnerships with community
  affairs offices to promote your activities.

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10 Tips To Get More Publicity

• 2.
• Localize news.
• Tie your local activities to national events and
  issues.
• Highlight real people from the community in news
  pitches.

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10 Tips To Get More Publicity

• 3.
• Think visually.
• Suggest or provide pictures and graphics.
• Send photos or videos to TV stations to
  demonstrate visual nature of your story.

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10 Tips To Get More Publicity

• 4.
• Use numbers.
• Reporters love statistics and other recent data
  they can use.
• Give quantitative results from last years
  activities to illustrate your success. Use them
  to show that youre part of a statewide
  national program.

119,155,920 pounds of bagged litter
47,390 miles of streets cleaned
12,793,830 pounds of clothing collected
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10 Tips To Get More Publicity

• 5.
• Recycle your results.
• Send your newspaper coverage to Radio/TV.
• Offer the script of a radio interview for an OpEd
  piece.

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10 Tips To Get More Publicity

• 6.
• Get in the rolodex
• Create a rolodex card identifying you as an
  expert on community improvement issues.
• List your communitys accomplishments and topics
  on which you can comment.

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10 Tips To Get More Publicity

• 7.
• Bring on the kids.
• Cameras love kids.
• Stage a Great American Cleanup event such as a
  litter-free sporting event or tree/flower
  planting.

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10 Tips To Get More Publicity

• 8.
• Go Live.
• Ask a local TV or radio personality to do their
  report or show from your Great American Cleanup
  event site.

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10 Tips To Get More Publicity

• 9.
• Create news.
• Conduct a poll or informal survey.
• Present results and their relevance to your
  community to your local media.

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10 Tips To Get More Publicity

• 10.
• Dont give up.
• If youre rebuffed, try a different reporter or
  another angle for the story.
• Persistence pays off.

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5 Ways to Celebrate Your Sponsors

• 1. Use sponsor products in a creative, visual
  way
• - Create a paper towel tower
• - Decorate a volunteer with Wrigley gum to
  distribute.
• 2. Take action photos of volunteers using sponsor
  products.
• 3. Invite sponsor rep to join in activities and
  interviews.
• 4. Create a clean team of sponsor employees
  wearing company T-shirts to participate in
  events.
• 5. Arrange tables with sponsor materials with a
  big thank-you sign at Volunteer Recognition
  Events.

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Before you begin

• Take Interesting Photos

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When youre done

• Take Interesting Photos