Last time I talked about being recruited as Media Specialist by AARP-Maryland/
Right.
Today I want to mention a few of the things I did after that.
Okay.
First of all, I was Media Specialist for only one year of the several I served on the state level. After that, they created the volunteer position of State Communications Coordinator and appointed me to that.
I could have had a Media Specialist reporting to me, but I continued to fill that function.
So, one of the first things I started was a newsletter for AARP-Maryland.
I wanted, for one thing, to let all the AARP Maryland chapters know what all the other chapters were doing. And eventually what chapters in other states were doing.
I wanted other chapters to do their own publicity — I’ll get to that later — but for starters I would do it. I developed a list of local newspapers and their addresses.
And when I knew of some activity by another chapter — and my own, of course — I would send the appropriate newspaper a press release about it.
What was that you said about helping other chapters do it them selves?
Right. We would hold workshops where the leaders of other chapters would attend. And I would explain how they could go about it. Nowadays there are more efficient ways of doing it. High-tech ways. But back them I would explain with flip charts.
And handouts.
It’s always good to leave them with something to remind them of what we discussed.
For instance?
Well, for instance I would tell them about the five W’s.
Let’s see. That’s Who? And What?
Right. I’d tell them to be sure to tell the newspaper editor about their event in terms of who, what, when, where, and why. Get all that basic information in the first sentence or two.
Why is that?
Because newspapers have only so much space for your precious news item, so you want to make sure the important info is up front. If they cut the rest of your deathless prose you will still tell the readers what they have to know.
I’ll say a little more about that next time.