1. Jumpstarting Local Media Relations: Telling the Texas TAP Story

2. Introductions, Objectives What’s new with TAP PR Dealing with the Media What is Newsworthy? Telling the TAP Story Tactics that Work Overview of TAP PR Materials Q&A Overview

3. Objectives Introduce you to the new PR efforts Offer insight on how to use the new materials and how to deal effectively with the media Rapport and relationship building with the media Understand what the media is looking for and how you can increase the odds of receiving coverage Introduction to news values and how to turn a press release into a story worth covering How to ensure that your spokesperson is quoted Compelling media story telling focuses in on current trends and issues in your space while underscoring your key messages.

4. Edelman Public Relations Aggressive outreach effort Support for recruiting efforts for the program New eye-catching, tailorablematerials Messages Fact Sheets FAQ TAP Brochure Foundational Presentation Building awareness of the Texas TAP program will be key to our continued success. Spreading the News What’s New with TAP PR

5. The Give & Take Dealing with the Media The “Give and Take” Understand what the media wants Understand what you want Establish a rapport Change your mindset about the media Set a goal Know your messages Make it timely, relevant, in synch with news values Have visuals Remember that you have an agenda, and so does the media. Understanding your agenda and theirs will help you to get your story placed.

6. Understanding News Values

7. Getting Attention What interests the media? Violence Sensationalism/The Unbelievable Scandal Controversy Conflict Sex Novelty/Uniqueness/Weirdness/Oddities Money issues and trends: Extraordinary Value/extraordinary cost savings/something that impacts a wide number of consumer pocketbooks or business bottom-lines Being first/premiere/breakthroughs/innovations Celebrity Crises, including, but not limited to-- Broad health impact/disease or illness/cures/pandemics, Acts of God/Severe Weather/Disasters Extraordinarily Cute Factor (especially for visual mediums)—babies, kids and cute fuzzy animals Geography: National, regional or global impact—local impact for local news.

8. Value To the community: It is an investment in Teachers which ultimately benefits the students, who can eventually become productive citizens Localization If you have a district in your local market with a success story, you have a great chance at coverage If you are attempting to sell in the idea at your district, using a nearby district with a success story as an example of how TAP works can interest media Firsts For many districts that are just joining the TAP system, the program launch could be a first in the market. TAP Newsworthiness Which news values does TAP invoke?

9. Pictures Say So Much Other useful tactics Using Visuals: Show and Tell Consider a rally to kick off you program Engage your teachers AND the kids (the cute factor) Have your superintendant ride in on a Harley Set program goals and make a challenge “If X teachers complete the program, I’ll do X” (something outrageous) Celebrate milestones Open your classrooms Build relationships Plan a calendar of media opportunities Introduce yourself and your program with desk-side briefings Point to other trends and issues in education for which you can become a valued resource

11. deliver your core messages during interviews

12. Enables you to keep it “tight and concise”Know How to Say It Setting Your Agenda

13. Messages Fact Sheets FAQ TAP Brochure Foundational Presentation TAP Public Relations Tools

15. Useful in developing media materials

16. A guide for your spokesperson

17. Keeps your outreach efforts unified across the TAP network

18. Consider them “take aways” for the mediaThe Core of Your Story What is a Message Document?

20. Great, quick reference for media

21. Bulleted benefits of the system

22. Enables media to quickly digest details

23. Useful with pitch letters and other media materialsTAP At-A-Glance The Fact Sheet

25. Supplemental leave-behind

26. Quick reference for media

27. Useful with pitch letters and other media materialsAnswers at your fingertips FAQ

29. Memorable, colorful, supporting graphics

30. Helps you to “show” as well as “tell” your story

31. Re-enforces your call to actionThe Leave Behind TAP Brochure

33. Details system with stats and success stories

34. Use success stories in pitches as relevant examples that system worksIn-Depth Program Details Foundational Presentation

35. For more information about Texas TAP PR, please contact: Keri McDonald kmcdonald@utsystem.edu (512) 771-2863 Contact