RAO Hot Topics Blog Series: Effective Press Releases and Media Relations

RAO Hot Topics Blog Series:

Effective Press Releases and Media Relations

Erin Lawrimore, University of North Carolina-Greensboro, SAA RAO Steering Committee Member

A key to gaining media attention for your archival work is effective media relations. Inviting local reporters who cover education, cultural heritage, or history-related topics for a meet-up or tour of the archives is a great way to establish a relationship. With a relationship in place, press releases will carry a bit more clout.

Even with an established relationship, however, you need to make sure that your press release is a good one. Here are a few tips for ensuring your press release will catch the attention of a busy journalist:

·         Be sure that what you have to say is really newsworthy and impactful. Don’t flood reporters’ inboxes with notes about every event, activity, or acquisition.

·         Keep your release short and factual. Aim for 500 words or less (definitely keep it to one page!), and include links to your website for additional information.

·         Focus on your opening sentence - your sales pitch. It needs to contain all of your critical information (who, what, when, where), and it needs to convince the busy reporter to read on.

·         Don’t forget to include contact information (name, email, and telephone number)!

 Think about reporters’ deadlines and schedules before emailing a press release. For instance, many print and television reporters will appreciate releases early in the morning as opposed to the afternoon. Print magazine journalists typically plan out feature stories months in advance of publication. Be sure to send your press release at the optimal time for the particular media and event.

Finally, if a reporter does report on your event or activity, follow up with a “thank you.” Let him know how the event went or what the lasting impact of the activity has been. This will give the reporter a sense of how you fit in to the greater community – your impact and influence. Also, this can be an incentive to report again when the next big story pops up!

RAO Hot Topics Blog Series Special:

Happy Electronic Records Day!

Rachael Dreyer, SAA RAO Vice-Chair

 

RAO wishes you a very happy Electronic Records Day!  This year, October 10^th marks the third year that this “holiday” has been observed; it emerged as a way to raise awareness of the critical role that electronic records occupy in daily life, as well as for archival professionals. 

As RAO archivists, you’re well aware of electronic records’ importance, we know.  In addition to pondering how you’ll provide access to the digital media among your collection—something that contributes to many sleepless nights!—your mind instantly tunes into those stories in the news about electronic records’ failings or successes; your brain lights up with pleasure when your doctor or dentist pulls up your electronic health record; and you’re happiest when discussing the finer (stickier?) points of born-digital preservation with your colleagues.  Congratulations, you’re already celebrating electronic records on a daily basis!

What are some other ways to further embrace the digital revolution in the archives profession?  Please share your strategies, methods, techniques, and even questions you are exploring in the comments section—we’d love to hear how and what you are doing to promote and preserve electronic records as archival materials at your institutions!