The program of Explorer posts matches the interests of young adults with the resources and adult expertise of their participating organization. Your Explorer post leaders might use the following ideas when planning a well-balanced program around Exploring's five areas of program emphasis: career opportunities, leadership experience, life skills, citizenship, and character education.
1. CAREER OPPORTUNITIES: Programs that develop potential contacts that may broaden employment options. Activities that boost a youth's self-confidence and help him or her experience success at school and work.
SUGGESTED TOPICS: Research the background of radio, television, newspapers, magazines, and corporate communications; find out how corporations deal with public relations and how they relate to journalism and broadcasting. Plan programs on careers in magazines, newspapers, corporate publications, radio, TV, publishing, and freelance writing. Discuss the education, skills, and training needed for these careers.
Review the variety of careers in public relations: agency, corporation, nonprofit, association, and education. Plan programs that show the many public relations functions: planning, program development, research and analysis, writing and editing, public speaking, and media relations.
Research the variety of careers in broadcasting: writing, research, editing, proofreading, circulation, engineering, photography, and teaching. Plan programs on careers in news, advertising, public service, cable television, radio broadcasting, and freelance work.
2. LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE: Programs that help youth develop leadership skills to fulfill their responsibilities in society. Activities that provide exposure to different leadership traits.
SUGGESTED TOPICS: Review local and federal regulations, licensing of radio and television stations, public relations ethics regarding communication programs; discuss programs, newspaper articles, radio and television promotions, and how communications affect the day-to-day activities of individuals and the public. Study the effect of the news media on the community, state, and nation. Review ethics, privacy issues, freedom of the press, and broadcasting regulation. Study the history and development of radio and television. Plan a program on the purposes and programs of The National Association of Broadcasters.
3. LIFE SKILLS: Programs that help youth develop physical and mental fitness. Activities that provide opportunities for youth to experience positive social interaction.
SUGGESTED TOPICS: Plan fitness and exercise programs or first aid programs for workers; learn about aerobic exercises and ergonomics for office workers and publish an information folder; secure speakers on mental and emotional fitness and promote this event using the news media and television. Study the effect of public relations on health care.
4. CITIZENSHIP: Programs that encourage youth to develop the skill and desire to help others. Activities that provide opportunities for youth to gain a keen respect for the basic rights of others.
SUGGESTED TOPICS: Publish a newsletter or provide media coverage for a local event with churches, hospitals, community organizations, or youth groups. Serve on a public relations committee with the local Explorer post; create a newsletter for your Explorer post; create a radio or television public service announcement promoting the Exploring program. Coach Boy Scouts wishing to earn the Journalism merit badge. Serve on the newspaper staffs of local and national Explorer events. Assist with projects by the Society of Professional Journalists or Public Relations Society of America.
5. CHARACTER EDUCATION: Programs that help youth develop skills necessary for making ethical choices. Activities which provide opportunities for fulfilling one's responsibility to society as a whole.
SUGGESTED TOPICS: Develop programs for the elderly, disabled, youth groups, churches, and community organizations using communications formats; do a public relations project for a local community organization; plan a parent-Explorer function for disadvantaged children such as a clothing drive or a trip to the local zoo using the media. Provide radio-TV, journalism, and public relations projects to assist the elderly, disabled, low-income, and disadvantaged people.
A successful press conference takes planning and attention to detail. Here is a guide to help you:
Announce in advance what the format of the press conference will be and how much time will be allotted for questions:
"We will have statements from Mr. Smith and Mr. Jones about the current situation in gymnastics and then we will open the floor for questions. All parties will be available for further questions after the press conference."
Or
"Mr. Smith and Mr. Jones will be available for ten minutes only. They will make a short statement about the current situation in gymnastics, take some questions, and will have to leave at 10:20 A.M. to catch a plane."
Most of the media will relax if they know they will have plenty of time for an interview. Or, if they don't, they will go right to the heart of the matter in the question-and- answer phase. If the media know in advance how much access they will have to the speaker, they can plan their questions accordingly.
If there is any lull in the press conference, cut it off. If the parties can stay for questions later, announce it to the media and give a time frame.
If the subjects can stay for questions after the formal part of the press conference, try to separate these so groups can gather around for more face-to-face communication. Many times the writers will ask their best questions in this format, rather than sharing information with the broadcast medial. If the subjects will be available for a certain time period after the formal press conference, be sure and announce it to the media.
Have a handout or press release explaining what is happening. It can be in press release or fact sheet form, but it should explain what is taking place, the names, spellings, and titles of the speakers, and the name of the media contact for the organization. Other information can be added in a press packet, but be sure to have one central piece that explains what the press conference is all about.
If possible, either have file footage on hand or know where the television networks or stations can obtain it. This can help round out a story and avoid multiple requests. Remember, television is a visual medium and a "talking head" will not be enough. This can make the difference between a thirty-second newscaster voiceover and a one-and-a-half to two-minute feature.
Try to have a parking area for the media, especially for television trucks. Arrange this in advance and let the media know beforehand where to park. When arranging parking for TV media, keep in mind they have heavy, expensive equipment to carry. If you can't arrange for them to park at , or close to, the front door, arrange for a shuttle or cart, if possible, to transport heavy equipment.
Give the media and the speakers simple directions on how to find the location of the press conference. At the site, have plenty of signs directing the parties to the appropriate room.
If this is a press conference, restrict the audience to media and invited guests. Hotel guests, interested bystanders, and fans should be guided elsewhere. If this is an open gathering at which the public is invited to sit in during the press conference, alert the media to that fact.
A press conference properly done will generate publicity for an organization by bringing the parties together. It can be handled so that television and radio reporters and press reporters function in a cooperative environment.
A press conference can be a very beneficial event, both to the organization and to the media, if handled correctly. It can also help build a solid and trusting relationship between your organization and the media.
You will need a head table, a podium, and enough chairs for everyone at the head table, and nametags in front of each speaker. Set up a microphone at the podium and in front of each person at the table, if possible. Have at least two mikes: one for the narrator and one at the head table that can be passed around between speakers. The narrator should stand or sit to one side to direct questions and coordinate questions from the media to the speakers. The narrator should also open and close the press conference.
The head table should be on a riser at least twelve inches high (preferably eighteen inches) and should be carpeted and draped to minimize the noise. The microphones will pick up noise around the head table, and carpeting and draping will cut down on this interference. Seats can be placed in front of the head table theater style, with middle aisles and aisles on the sides to allow for traffic. If needed, set up a television camera platform in the back of the room on the same level as the head table to enable television cameras to shoot the podium from above the heads of the reporters. The room should have a horizontal layout to enable the cameras to get closer to the action. If the room has a vertical arrangement, set up a spot in front for cameras or a platform in the middle of the room for camera positions. Reserve a specific area for television camera positions. Reserve a specific area for television cameras that will give them access to the podium without blocking the writers.
Radio and television media need access to a multi box (a multi-outlet power box) to be able to get the audio from the mike system, and there also should be a multi box available for video cameras. Position the multi box at the camera platform at the back of the room to eliminate the need for microphones at the head table. Hook the multi box into the head table public address system, and test it well in advance of the press conference to make sure everything works.
Have a table near the entrance or in back of the room for handouts and press releases.
To give photographers a good shot, the media coordinator can make use of banners. A simple banner of the team or organization on the wall behind the podium will provide a good backdrop for still and video photographers. Take care that the banner is not so cluttered that it distracts the viewer.
In front of the podium, position a circular logo about twelve inches in diameter of your Explorer post.
If the press conference is very large, a microphone for the audience might be needed.
For a multilingual press conference, a translator might be necessary. Check into the possibility of simultaneous translation by nearby firms in the area who might also provide headsets to the media and speakers.
Do NOT let the media set up helter-skelter. Television cameras go in the back of the room on the platform with the freedom to roam without tripods. Set up tape recorders near the multi box in the back of the room. Do not allow television cameramen and still photographers to block those behind. Have a game plan and instruct the various members of the media to their area. If a presentation will be made that requires the lights to be turned off, alert the television cameramen not to turn on their camera light. (Try to arrange to have the scene lit for television use yourself. Otherwise, each television outlet will set up its own lighting directly in front of the featured speaker, probably blocking someone's view and causing confusion when each television reporter or cameraman thinks he or she "has enough"...regardless of whether the news event is over.)
In short, let everyone know what is happening, where it will happen, and when it will happen. They can plan accordingly and minimize the confusion that is always present during a press conference.
Clarity, a straightforward and concise writing style, accuracy, and a correct account of the facts are essential to writing a good news release. In most cases, the media will rewrite your release to fit their style, but you still must present the information as clearly and accurately as possible.
The best way to write a good news release is to follow the journalistic method of the inverted pyramid. The inverted pyramid style of news writing puts the most essential information at the beginning, followed by items of decreasing importance:
Public service announcements (PSAs) are noncommercial messages that the broadcast media air at no charge to keep their audiences up-to-date on important public events and issues.
Because Learning for Life is a nonprofit organization, it has more opportunities to air PSAs than might be available to a corporation or other type of for-profit enterprise. Many radio and television outlets have public or community service directors who are responsible for producing and scheduling public service announcements. It is best to contact the stations directly to get their advice and assistance before creating your post PSA. Such advice can be invaluable for developing a usable announcement.
You can easily produce your own post PSA. Simply take a color slide that is an interesting representation of what you are promoting, develop a brief script, and submit both to the public service director of a local television station. Shorter spots are easier for the station to schedule, so consider keeping the copy to 10 or 15 seconds long. Also be sure to note station lead times and deadlines.
Bacon's PR and Media Information Systems (332 South Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60604, 800-621-0561 or 312-922-2400 [in Illinois]) has a variety of useful services. A series of complete reference books cover the following areas:
Making news isn't a complicated process. It is, however, a full-scale effort that requires careful planning, well-managed execution, and ongoing attention to detail. As a result, every publicity campaign should begin with a detailed plan.
Your post can create news in several ways. Here are some examples: Stage an event; work with a newspaper, radio, or television station on a mutual project; arrange an interview with the post Advisor; announce award winners in the post; tie in to a well-known week or day, such as a School-to-Career Fair; organize a tour; develop a community calendar.
A situation is newsworthy if it has at least one ingredient that appeals to a person's human interest. Some elements that make an event newsworthy include the following: When it is new (e.g., announcing a new Young American Award); when it is novel (e.g., identical twins earning the council Outstanding Explorer Award); when it is directly important to a large number of people (e.g., starting a new program to fight drug abuse); when it pertains to the future (e.g., planning for Explorer leaders to attend the upcoming Explorer program conference); when it relates to a famous person (e.g., the mayor addressing your Explorer post).
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