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Getting media publicity for the visit

Your legislator’s visit is an opportunity to tell the story of your school’s successes and needs to a larger audience via the news media.

Here are some suggestions for working with your local news media to cover the school visit.  For more assistance, your Education Minnesota field staff can put you in touch with the Education Minnesota Public Affairs Department.

1. Make arrangements with your school administration for reporters to come to the school and cover the legislative visit.
2. Contact your local print and electronic media to announce that the state senator or representative from your area will be visiting your school, and invite them to cover the visit.
3. Consider writing a news release that contains the details (time, place, etc.), but also make a personal call to the reporter or editor if possible.
4. Make the contact at least two weeks in advance of the visit, to give the media outlet enough time to publish an advance article and to plan coverage.
5. If your local newspaper accepts stories and photos submitted by the public, recruit members to write up a report of the visit and take pictures. These can also be used for local newsletters and websites and Education Minnesota publications.
6. Identify a union spokesperson, such as the president, to talk to the media, give them an overview of the visit and answer questions.

Interview tips

If you’re the one who will be interviewed by the media, take some time to prepare. Things will go more smoothly if you:

• Write down your main points and rehearse them in advance – mentally or with a practice partner.
• Return to the same three or four points at every opportunity during the interview.
• Remember that you don’t have to answer the specific question the reporter asked. You can turn your answer back to your main points.
• Speak calmly and with forethought – don’t feel you have to rush to say something.
• Plan in advance how you’ll handle interruptions. You can say, “I’ll address that in a minute, but first I want to complete this thought.”
  

December 20, 2010