Fifty Five Reasons to Send Out a Release
Before you contact the media, be sure you're newsworthy.
Related Resources • Basics of PR • Media Relations • Jobs in PR • PR Toolkit • Lots More PR Articles by Scott Lorenz Westwind Communications When should you send out a press release? You want to know my acid test? If it’s newsworthy and if it’s useful to the reader. It’s that simple. There are many factors to weigh when considering the need to send out a press release. As a publicist I have sent thousands of releases over the years and while there are no hard and fast rules, the most important factor is that you’ve got to make sure it’s newsworthy and useful to the reader. Any thing else and it’s just a waste of time for the members of the media. A good press release can accomplish a lot of things too. It can be used to announce information to the public, your investors, the media, your customers and even your competitors about you and your activities. To help my clients determine whether something is newsworthy I compiled a list of fifty-five press release ideas I give to them to get their ideas flowing about their own businesses. Some are for general consumer media and some may not apply to all business types. 1. Announce a new service. 2. Announce a new product. 3. Tie in with a national holiday, a birthday or anniversary. 4. Report a new study of your own and your analysis or forecast. 5. Tie in with a controversy by commenting on it. Read more...

Hulagpos sa Unos

Hulagpos sa Unos is a documentary film on the impact of Catholic Church interventions to the victims of calamities through a relief and rehabilitation program in the Philippines. Created in November 2006 and directed by award winning (best director, 2007 Moonrise Festival) documentary film maker, Geraldine Torres-Brillantes.

Advocacy Campaign Case Study

ADVOCACY CAMPAIGN CASE STUDY: THE ANTI-MINING ADVOCACY PROJECT OF THE PHILIPPINE MISEREOR PARTNERSHIP

By: Eero Brillantes, CEO, Mind Bullet Inc. (http://www.mindbullet.org/)

I. THE CONTEXT

In 2005, The Anti-Mining Advocacy Project was launched by the Philippine Misereor Partnership (PMP) . It is a large group of civil society and peoples organizations being supported by development assistance from the German’s Bishops’ Conference. It was an attempt by anti-large scale mining advocates within members of PMP to share knowledge, networks, and on the ground advocacy experiences. It was likewise recognized that national synchronized activities needed to be done and for the group to establish working links with other big campaigns and foundations like the Alyansa Tigil Mina (ATM), Foundation for Philippine Environment (FPE), National Secretariat for Social Action, Justice and Peace-Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (NASSA-CBCP), and Ecology Desk-Archdiocese of Manila. I was hired to head the advocacy team for PMP.

To me and the team, the challenge was multifaceted. The campaign comes at the heels of a resurgent and energized mining industry with the government itself doing a global marketing blitz. The Supreme Court overturned a previous decision of not allowing international mining companies to perpetuate in the country. Mining and mining applications were mushrooming all over the country.

Armed with limited budget but lots of well meaning organizations and dedicated advocates, a strategy was mapped out to put the brakes on large scale mining and bring groups to the negotiating table.

II. THE END GAME MAPPED OUT

The end game was two pronged. First was to get support from Philippine Bishops to come out with a statement critical of the unabated large scale mining in the country. Second was to leverage the support of Bishops so that the government will engage in dialogue and hopefully concrete commitments are solicited.

III. THE TRIGGER LAUNCH

To trigger the campaign, an anti-mining road show was implemented. Two compelling videos entitled Sa Ngalan ng Mina (In the Name of Mining) were produced and distributed to all campaign members and affected communities. A photo exhibit was also distributed along with the videos. Highlighting these visual presentations were the celebrated anti-mining struggles of communities in Didipio, Nueva Viscaya, Mt. Canatuan in Zamboanga Del Norte, and Rapu Rapu Island in Bicol. (The anti-mining videos and photo exhibit were done by award winning video film maker Geraldine Torres-Brillantes).

IV. ACCELERATOR ACTIVITIES

Representatives of affected communities, especially the indigenous peoples, went on a national media blitz to drum up support for the campaign.

Tactical awareness and mobilization activities at the level of affected areas in around 78 provinces were done through out the year.

Support from Metro Manila came from Catholic Schools with strong environmental protection advocacies.

The roadshow went on for about a year. By that time, community level opposition was already gaining critical mass in many areas. Through the combined efforts of PMP, ATM, like minded groups, and affected communities themselves, the stage was set to put into motion the demand for a dialogue with government.

V. IMPLEMENTING THE END GAME SCENARIO

The PMP campaign staff sought the assistance of NASSA-CBCP, the social action arm of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, and also a member of the PMP, to spearhead the dialogue efforts.

By that time, the CBCP through a pastoral statement reiterated its call for the care for environment and for government and mining companies to become accountable for the destruction of communities with large scale mining activities.

In March 10, 2006, at the Traders Hotel in Manila, NASSA-CBCP conducted a National Mining Forum, attended by social action directors and staff representing many of the affected communities. It was also during that forum that an important side meeting was scheduled. A selected delegation of Philippine Bishops met with President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, Speaker Jose De Venecia, along with some cabinet secretaries. Incidentally, March 10 also marked the anniversary of the passage of the Philippine Mining Act.


The dialogue resulted in the following:

1. A review by the legislature of the Mining Act of 1995
2. Creation of the Bastes commission to review and recommend courses of action on the issue of fishkills and pollution done by Lafayette Mining in Rapu Rapu island, Bicol.
3. Direct assistance to communities affected adversely by large scale mining.


VI. ENFORCEMENT OF AGREEMENTS

As of this writing, the enforcement of the agreements are being done through the Office of the President and the NASSA-CBCP. In turn, NASSA-CBCP updates the PMP and other campaign stakeholders. While this constitutes a very important track, other campaigns and initiatives are ongoing at the international, national, and community levels. The struggles of affected communities continue.

Free On-Line Clipping Service Launched

March 24, 2008

Mind Bullet launches Free Daily On-line Political and Current Affairs Clippings

Mind Bullet Inc. (http://www.mindbullet.org/), the market positioning and public relations consulting group, has launched its political and current affairs monitor on-line at (http://www.newsmonitoring-mindbullet.blogspot.com/) . It is an internet based clipping service on major news and current affairs as seen in today’s on-line newspaper editions. It aims to help decision makers and business leaders make intelligent analysis of current events through a one stop navigation portal.

Newspapers scanned daily include the on-line editions of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Philippine Star, Manila Times, Manila Bulletin, Daily Tribune, Malaya, Business Mirror, Business World, Abante, Abante Tonite, Pilipino Star Ngayon, and Philippine Journal.

Specialized and topic specific editions of the online-clipping services are currently being sent to selected clientele including the offices of Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano (Graft and Corruption, Education Issues), Sen. Pia Cayetano (Health and Environment), Cong. Maria Laarni Cayetano (Education, Political) Cong. Teofisto TG Guingona III (Power and Electricity), Cong. Maria Evita Arago (Water, Political).

Eero Brillantes, Mind Bullet CEO, says that the on-line monitor serves many purposes. He says the foremost function is to make key judgments based on trend tracking and news analysis. Tracking also serves as early warning for potential political flashpoints or opportunities. Key staff of clients are likewise able to fast track their familiarization of policy issues by learning the policy and political environment and the different stakeholders involved.

The online monitor can be accessed through http://www.mindbullet.org/ and http://www.brainbang-mindbullet.blogspot.com/.

David Meerman Scott

The http://www.webiknow.com/ blog is the official blog of David Meerman Scott, an online marketing and public relations guru. I have read his book "The New Rules of Marketing and PR". Its a very practical book and is a goldmine of web sources about re-tooling marketing and public relations in an on-line environment. It is also incisive as it provides "in your face" analysis of emerging PR realities amidst time tested theoretical and traditonal banalities held sacred by practioners of the craft.

It is with this that two websites are put forward. http://www.davidmeermanscott.com/ and http://www.webinknow.com/

Transcript of President Arroyo’s interview with Joe Taruc of DZRH on the ZTE deal last 23 February 2008

(EXCERPT)

TARUC: Isa sa mga nasa isipan pa ng ating mga kababayan at ang pinag-uusapan ngayon tungkol doon sa broadband contract. Ano po ba talaga ang malinaw na nangyari dito? Ito po ba ay kinansela, sinuspinde o ano po ba ang talagang estado nito, Madam President?

PGMA: Alam mo Joe, talagang para sa akin, una sa lahat, hindi ko gusto ang katiwalian. Ang taumbayan galit sa katiwalian, ganoon din ako. Galit din ako sa katiwalian. Kaya itong proyektong ito, oras na may pag-uusap na may anomaliya ay agad-agad kong kinansel na, ah ano, agad-agad gumawa ako ng hakbang para kanselahin. Ang isa sa mga hakbang na ito ay kailangang kakausapin muna ang gobyerno ng China dahil sila naman ang ating pinakamalaking ah, pinakamalaking market ngayon sa export. So, at hindi lamang iyon, dinagdagan natin ang pondo ng Ombudsman para lalong mapalakas ang kanyang bantay kontra sa kurakot at direkto tayong kumilos diyan sa sinabi ko sa iyo na, yung tinanong mo sa akin pala na tiyakin na masusing subaybayan ang lahat ng ganoong proyekto ng mga mamamayang tumatanod para makasiguro na walang katiwaliang mangyayari.

TARUC: Ibig sabihin kanselado na iyong broadband project?

PGMA: Kanselado na yun matagal na. Oras nga na may sumbong sa akin, tinignan ko na yung paraan kung paano kanselahin. Nasumbong sa akin the night before the signing of the supply contract, pero hindi pa naman kasi but that was only one of many signings. So, e papano mo naman maka-kansel the night before meron kang ibang bansang kausap? Isang gabi. So tinuloy ang signing pero sa unang pagkakataon kinausap ko na agad yung pangulo ng China para sabihin sa kanya na kailangan kanselahin yung proyekto.

TARUC: Naunawaan naman nila?

PGMA: Sa umpisa hindi masyado, nagulat, pero sa pangalawang pag-uusap ko sinabi na naiintindihan niya at magkaibigan pa rin tayo kahit na kakanselahin yung proyekto.###