[stylist] News release feedback

Thu Nov 10 21:07:08 UTC 2011

Brad,

Here's a recent release I wrote for my chapter. It's simple but displays
what I mean about staggering info. The immediate info that's pertinant
to the event comes first. Then it briefly details the importance. If you
want to focus more on the reasoning for something, I'd recommend a pitch
letter to be sent to an editor/writer discussing why they should cover
an event. In a news release though, you want to focus on the
event/activity itself. For example, last winter, there was a school
shooting in Omaha. A release covering it didn't go into stats and
history of school shootings, but first reported the facts of the
situation: what, when, where then the how and why. Sorry for such a
morbid example, for some reason it was the first thing to pop in my
head. A pitch letter allows you to focus more on the why and how of a
story. Also, depending on the event/activity you're promoting, a release
should be sent anywhere from 3 to 1 week in advance. With a news
release, it is always good to follow up with a news alert, which is
essentially a bulletin stating what, when, where then a short why.

National Federation of the Blind-Omaha
Breaking Barriers for the Blind
Bridgit Kuenning-Pollpeter, director, media relations
PO Box 241171, Omaha, NE 68124
(402) 350-1735 Omaha at NE.NFB.org
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Bridgit Kuenning-Pollpeter, director media relations
National Federation of the Blind-Omaha Chapter
402-350-1735
Omaha at ne.nfb.org

National Federation of the Blind Awards Employer and Educator of the
Year

Omaha, Neb., Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2011- The National Federation of the
Blind-Omaha Chapter (NFB-Omaha) will award Employer of the Year and
Educator of the Year to local employers and educators for hiring and
accommodating blind employees on Thursday, Oct. 20, 2011, 7:00 p.m. at
College of St. Mary.

NFB-Omaha will present Employer of the Year awards to Skyline Manor and
Elkhorn Public Schools Foundation along with presenting Educator of the
Year to Melinda J. Classen, counselor, Disability Support Services,
Metropolitan Community College, this Thursday, Oct. 20, 2011, 7:00 p.m.
to 9:00 p.m. at College of St. Mary, 7000 Mercy Road, Mercy Hall, room
130.

Employer of the Year is awarded annually by NFB-Omaha, celebrating
employers who have hired people who are blind and visually impaired.
Educator of the Year is a new award to be given this year, recognizing
educators providing exemplary service to blind students. With a 70
percent unemployment rate among blind and visually impaired people, it's
important to honor employers who recognize that blind people have
something to offer, and with 90 percent of blind students lacking
Braille skills, it's equally important to recognize educators who are
providing proper accommodations to blind students, according to nfb.org.

"There's a misconception that blind people can't fully participate in
employment," said Robert Leslie Newman, president of NFB-Omaha. "With
businesses over-looking blind applicants, we believe it's important to
honor those employers who over-look the stereotypes rather than the
people."

NFB-Omaha is a chapter of the National Federation of the Blind, a
national consumer organization of the blind. The Omaha chapter has been
recognizing local employers for 26 years now. NFB-Omaha works to create
fair and equal opportunities among blind and visually impaired people,
which includes building bridges with other organizations and businesses
to foster growth and a new outlook on blindness.

"We're changing what it means to be blind," said Newman. "We want to
shine a spotlight of recognition and appreciation on an employer who
does the right thing by either hiring or accommodating a capable person
who happens to be blind."

For more information about the National Federation of the Blind, visit
http://www.nfb.org/nfb/Default.asp.

For more information about the Employee of the Year or Educator of the
Year awards, contact Robert Leslie Newman, (402) 660- 1743, or
newmanrl at cox.net.
With more than 50,000 members, The National Federation of the Blind is
the largest and most influential membership organization of blind people
in the United States.  Since 1940, we've been breaking barriers for the
blind.  The NFB improves blind people's lives through advocacy,
education, research, technology and programs encouraging independence
and self-confidence.

Sincerely,
Bridgit Kuenning-Pollpeter
Read my blog at:
http://blogs.livewellnebraska.com/author/bpollpeter/

"History is not what happened; history is what was written down."
The Expected One- Kathleen McGowan

Message: 4
Date: Thu, 10 Nov 2011 11:08:40 -0600
From: Brad Dunse' <lists at braddunsemusic.com>
To: Writer's Division Mailing List <stylist at nfbnet.org>
Subject: Re: [stylist] News release feedback
Message-ID: <7.0.1.0.2.20111110110441.05046c50 at braddunsemusic.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"; format=flowed

Thanks for the tips. Seem like common sense. I 
used one of your's as a template :). It was kind 
of a rush/practice. hopefully improvement comes 
with experience and taking a bit more time :). Thanks.

Brad