Launching the Campaign

The week of February 16 - 22, 2003, Raise Your Voice – A Week of Action, will serve as the launch of the campaign – a time to secure interest from the media and to generate excitement among target audiences.

During the launch week, we’ll be implementing a coordinated media relations program. This will include outreach to key national media outlets, including top-tier radio shows, network morning news programs, and national print press, including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post and USA Today. Even more importantly, with your participation, we will reach key journalists in media markets across the country with information about the campaign.

We know that many campuses have event plans in place and we have included an overview of additional launch strategies in the section below. We strongly urge you to plan events as part of this week. However, to build a strong buzz for the campaign launch, we need students to also reach out to local journalists as part of our coordinated media outreach program. Here’s how.

In the sample materials section of this resource guide, you’ll find a template media outreach document and a fact sheet about the Raise Your Voice campaign. Print and complete two copies of the template document to facilitate your contact with the media. (Keep one copy for your files. More on this in a moment.) You’ll note that the document asks you to identify a key issue your campus is engaged with, to give an overview of the student perspective, and most importantly, the action students are taking.

Once you’ve completed this document, take it with the fact sheet about the campaign to local journalists. That’s right. Take it to local journalists. In addition to issuing a press release about campaign activities, we urge you to find time between 10:00 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. during the Week of Action to drop by local newspaper offices and television stations to visit with journalists. Ask for a quick two-minute opportunity to say hello and to share the background on the campaign.

Use your media list to identify the key contacts at each outlet. In some instances, while you may not be able to speak with a journalist, you can leave the materials with a representative. Ask for the name of someone you can follow up with after your visit.

The template document asks media to (a) consider a lengthier visit with you to discuss key issues students are addressing in communities today, (b) cover campaign events, and (c) write or produce a local story about the Raise Your Voice campaign. Underscore that this is what you are asking for when you talk with a journalist.

As noted above, please keep a completed copy of the template document. When you have campaign events, please take photos and video footage. When you earn local media coverage, please keep copies of any articles or coverage. This spring, we plan to gather these materials from across the country for use in a potential public display and media event in Washington, D.C. (See our Raise Your Voice in the News page for the online coverage we have collected so far.)