Engaging the Media

How to Use the Media Relations Templates

You may already have a personal contact with the media; someone known to your organization, or who regularly covers local issues in your community. If not, phone your local media outlets in advance to find out the name of the individuals who should be receiving the information.

Several templates of documents for your use with the media are presented below. We suggest that the introduction letter, media release, public awareness campaign fact sheet, FAQs about literacy and adult learner story/profile be sent to the media as a complete package at least six weeks before the launch of your campaign. Media preferences will depend on the particular habits and competitiveness of the media in your community. (In Timmins, for instance, both newspapers ran stories before the public awareness campaign so that one would not have the story before the other. In Hamilton, media said they would have preferred to receive the material a long time in advance).

For best results, we also suggest that you phone the media after you send out the kit and to encourage the media to cover the public awareness campaign. See the Media Checklist for specific information about the follow-up phone call.

The templates provided in the media relations templates section are briefly profiled below. Click on any of the titles to go directly to the corresponding template.

1. Introductory letter (HTML) • View in PDF (8k)

This letter is the introduction to the media kit. Please complete the local information, customize as necessary, print it on your own letterhead and make sure you have contact your information on the letter.

2. Media release   • View in PDF (9k)

Again, customize with the correct local information. Please note that the “quote” from an adult learner should be changed to reflect what your adult learner spokesperson has said. If you do not have an adult learner spokesperson, delete the paragraph.

3. Public awareness campaign fact sheet  • View in PDF (10k)

This fact sheet is specifically for the media and is meant to give a quick factual overview of the public awareness campaign and events happening in your community. You will need to customize it. If you have several events, you may want to include separate fact sheets on each event.

4. FAQs about literacy (PDF only - 93k)

This document is the same as the FAQ sheet in the community partners information package and gives background information about literacy. Please include local statistics and local contact information.

5. Media alert about launch   • View in PDF (8k)

Add local information and send it two days before the launch. Follow up with phone calls to ensure that the alert has been received and to get commitment from the media to cover the activities you have planned.

6. Follow-up media release  • View in PDF (10k)

Add local information and send out as quickly as possible after the public awareness campaign to report results. Send this release to specific reporters who have covered the launch, as well as to the general news editors/assignment editors.

7. Adult literacy story (PDF only - 147k)

Customize the adult learner story with your own local information. If you do not have a learner who is willing to be involved, you should not include this story in the media kit.