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Media Tips

Newspapers
Try the local papers in your area, including those for the surrounding towns. The small papers tend to publish short articles of interest to the community. Try often to send photos, with information identifying persons in the photos.

Types of articles
Meeting announcements
Besides including the time, place, and date, and include a brief sentence or two about the program. If you have speakers, name them and the organization that they represent. Be sure to mention somewhere in the article that you are a member of the General Federation of Women?s Clubs (GFWC).

Awards Presentations
Articles about awards presented, such as scholarships, student service, monetary awards from fundraisers make great press for local papers. Have the president pose in the picture with the recipient.

Projects
Write articles on projects, such as entertaining the elderly at a nursing home on Make a Difference Day, building a house for Habitat for Humanity, and participating in a walk-a-thon.

Press Releases
Send short paragraphs on upcoming events and special meetings.

Membership Drives
Write up an article that summarizes the activities of your club and your goals. Send it out just before you have an open house for your club.


Magazines
Include articles on projects in your community along with photos when writing for magazines. Deadlines are usually months ahead of time for magazines, and articles are often placed on a first serve basis, so get articles in early.

Radio
Send press releases and articles in the form of public service announcements. Be sure to alert them that it is a public service announcement.

Local TV
Some towns have public access TV, with a scroll board that announces community activities. Use this to announce special events or club meetings.

Library Display
Most libraries have glass cases that you can reserve for free for usually a month. Create a display with photos, memorabilia, shirts, pins, and newsletters of your club. Include contact information and brochures.

Web Sites
Create a Web site for your club. Go to the GFWC/CT Web site for details on how to do this. Use the Web site to publicize activities, provide background on your club, and for meeting and contact information. Include the Web site address on all correspondence.
Use the GFWC/CT Web site to publicize upcoming club activities.

Brochure
Create a brochure about your club that you can pass out at special events, meetings, and social gatherings. Include items such as a list of accomplishments, information about meetings, history and ideology of GFWC, a list of programs, and contact information. This can be easily laid out on a letter size piece of paper set up as a tri-fold, and can be either single or double-sided.

Poster
Create a poster of your club that includes photos, small articles, and other types of advertising. Use at club functions and to decorate tables and booths at fairs and fundraisers.

Fliers
Create one-page fliers on your club and hang them on bulletin boards in your library and grocery stores, and any other stores that will allow it. An easy way to provide contact information is to put it on the bottom of the flyer in repeat fashion and clip it, so that someone interested can peel it off of the flier with one hand. Also use them as handouts for special events and fundraisers.