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PR Tips and ToolsWordthe

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Spreading

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What is Public Relations?“Public relations helps an organization and itspublics adapt mutually to each other.” – Public Relations Society of America

Because public relations (PR) encompasses manydifferent tasks, its definition can vary widelydepending on whom you ask. The field caninvolve everything from lobbying efforts andcoalition building to charity campaigns and mar-keting research, but most often it’s associatedwith “media relations” or “publicity.” Now morethan ever, the media is the fastest and most cost-effective way to get the word out about a cause,product, service or event. This brochure focuseson how to work with various media outlets*and how to establish a mutually beneficial rela-tionship with them. For more information aboutPR visit www.prsa.org.

*Industry jargon is bold and underlined on firstreference throughout this text. Definitions are inthe PR Terms Glossary on the back cover.

What is Advertising?Advertising is defined as “a paid form of com-munication,” and therefore differs greatly fromPR. When you pay to have your message pre-sented—you control the look, tone and contentcompletely. On the other hand, when workingwith the editorial side of a media outlet youhave less control over the message, but gainmore credibility with the consumer, via theimplied support of the reporter. If your organiza-tion has a healthy budget and is interested inadvertising, see page 8.

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN ADVERTISING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS

How Can PR Help Your Club?Looking to increase/decrease interest in a breedor communicate some of its unique attributes?Trying to prevent restrictive dog legislation fromaffecting your breed/town? Want to publicize anew class being offered or new community pro-gram? Hoping to gain new club members or anaudience at an event?

If you answered “Yes” to any of these questions,then you should be working with your localmedia. The media is a great vehicle for reachingout to the public with your messages. A strongrelationship with them will help ensure that yourclub has the opportunity to play a leadership rolein securing the continued approval of dog-relatedactivities and the rights of dog owners.

Getting StartedBefore you begin, establish a goal and if you areworking on behalf of a club or group, make sureeveryone agrees on that goal. Decide what thebest way to accomplish the goal is and determinewho’s doing what. Who has the time, the desireand the skills best suited for various tasks, such

AKC VICE-CHAIRMAN DAVID C. MERRIAM BEING INTER-VIEWED AT THE AKC/EUKANUBA NATIONALCHAMPIONSHIP DOG SHOW.

THIS PRINTAD, APPEAREDIN NATIONALMAGAZINESAS PART OFAKC’S BRANDAWARENESSADVERTISINGCAMPAIGN IN2004.

Message / Visual Control

Cost: $$

Cost: Time

Credibility

ADVERTISING

Total

High

Medium

Low

PUBLIC RELATIONS

Minimal

Minimal

Medium-High

High

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as writing, public speaking, graphic design, andthe ability to relate to a specific audience (petowners/general public/exhibitors)?

Getting the Word Out: Media RelationsYour first communication with the media is oftenthrough “press materials” – press releases,media alerts and/or pitch letters. Even if youfirst speak with them on the phone, reporters arelikely to ask you to mail, fax or email more infor-mation. Your goal in preparing press materials isto provide that information in a timely mannerand in an easily understandable format. Highlightan angle that makes your story unique or rele-vant and choose the best vehicle for your mes-sage.

PRESS RELEASE: For an announcement requiringdetail and background on a potential story, a pressrelease is usually the best format. It should providethe most important information that a reporterwould want to know and should be limited to twopages. The key to a successful press release is pre-senting the information objectively, highlightingonly what’s relevant, and keeping the most impor-tant facts up top. The lead paragraph should con-tain only the “who, what, when, where and why” ofthe story. If the headline and first few paragraphsdon’t grab the reporter, he/she won’t keep reading.

MEDIA ALERT: To seek media coverage andattendance for dog show or field trial/test orstand-alone event that requires a briefannouncement of event, date, and location – usea media alert. Media alerts work well for eventsthat are virtually self-explanatory and offer goodvisuals that will appeal to photographers and TVcamera crews. Don’t forget to include a contactnumber, including a “day-of” event number, suchas cell phone. Send the alert a day or two beforethe event to get short-lead media (TV, wireservices and daily newspapers) to put it ontheir assignment schedule. You can also send amedia alert weeks in advance to submit a “calen-dar listing” about your event. These entertain-ment or weekend calendar sections are oftencompiled much earlier than the rest of the news-paper and include a listing of upcoming events.

PITCH LETTER: If you have a pitch – an ideaabout a specific topic you want the media tocover – use a pitch letter. This one-page letteroutlines a story idea and why it’s relevant to themedia outlet’s audience. It’s a less formal way toseek coverage and is an ideal alternative to apress release for ongoing topics not tied intospecific events (such as therapy dogs, howpuppy buyers can find a responsible breeder,etc.). It is particularly appropriate for long-leadmedia.

FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: EXAMPLES OF A PITCH LETTER, PRESS RELEASE, AND MEDIA ALERT.

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In addition, a well-written letter to the editor cangenerate media exposure. It differs from the afore-mentioned documents in that your goal is to haveit published verbatim, attributed to you ratherthan a reporter.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Writing a letter to the edi-tor of your local paper is a quick and easy way togive your club some visibility. You can write inresponse to any article you see in the paper(whether you agree or disagree) or just to expressa viewpoint on a public issue, such as how peopleshould find a responsible breeder (suggest goingto your club’s upcoming dog show). Always signyour name with your club affiliation, especially ifyou are an officer, and note if you are an AKCCanine Ambassador or Public EducationCoordinator. The length requirements and how tosubmit letters are usually outlined on the “letters”page or on the paper’s web site.

Who’s Who: Media ListsYou’ve got to do your homework and send pressmaterials to the correct person. Many media out-lets are listed in the telephone book or you canfind them online. Since you live in the area, youknow what the major outlets are already. Mostoften there is one major daily, numerous regionalor weekly newspapers, three to five TV stations or“affiliates” (smaller stations affiliated with nationalnetworks like ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, UPN, etc.) andseveral radio stations. Don’t forget local cable sta-tions (they’ll be especially interested in communityevents) and web sites (there are many onlineguides that specialize in things to do with familiesor kids). Other tips for identifying reporters orassignment editors:

• Reference past coverage – search for your breed orclub’s name on Google.com’s news search feature.

• Use yellow pages online or resource sites suchas www.newspapers.com and www.radio-loca-tor.com.

• Call the main number and ask who would be themost appropriate contact for the informationyou have (identify specific names, titles and con-tact information)

• You may need multiple contacts at one outletdepending on the angle of the story (Lifestyle,Calendar/Events, Pets, Education, Business edi-tors, etc.).

• Once you have developed your “media list” saveit and periodically update it as reporters changejobs or “beats” often.

• If you can’t find the information you need, AKC’sCommunications Department can help. Pleaseemail (communications@akc.org) or call (212-696-8343) with your request and allow at leastone week for us to create a list.

Once You Get Their Attention: Talking PointsBelow, you will find some sample talking points.We encourage you to tailor these to relate specifi-cally to your club and/or event.

YOUR CLUB• Your event or program builds greater public

awareness about ____________(i.e. training,breeding, responsible dog ownership, etc.)

• Your kennel club has been part of the communityfor ___ years, has over ____ members (name anyprominent community members such as politi-cians, clergy, etc.) and hosts ___ events annually.

• The annual event provides a fun, safe communityactivity for local families and is good for the localeconomy. Based on 1999 data, two days of showswith 2,000 participants generates nearly $300,000.

• Dogs provide many services to the communityincluding therapy and assistance programs.

• Your kennel club is a member of (or licensed by)the AKC.

AMERICAN KENNEL CLUBFollowing are some general messages and talkingpoints about the AKC and the sport. We encourageyou to use these as well as reference the AKC website for statements about controversial issues suchas commercial breeding or dog bites.http://www.akc.org/press_center/facts_stats.cfmYou can also contact us for a detailed “AKC TalkingPoints Fact Sheet” (included in the Spread theWord: PR Tips and Tools binder) to take with youto media interviews.

• The AKC is an organization for people who lovedogs. The AKC is a not-for-profit organization

MEMBERS OF THE PRESS GATHER FOR A PHOTO OPPOR-TUNITY OF THE BEST-IN-SHOW WINNER AT THE 2005AKC/EUKANUBA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP.

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established in 1884, and is the principal registryfor purebred dogs in the U.S., registeringapproximately one million dogs annually.

• The AKC encourages the enhanced enjoyment ofyour dog through activities that you can bothparticipate in, sanctioning more than 18,000events annually, including conformation, agility,obedience, tracking, herding, lure coursing, hunttest, and field and earthdog trials.

• All the dogs at AKC events are AKC registered. Asa pet owner, even if you don’t plan to show yourdog, AKC registration is important as it allowsyou to mark your dog’s place in the history of itsbreed and opens the door to various AKC servicesthat enhance your relationship with your dog.

• AKC registration fees help support numerousprograms and services that benefit all dogowners. The AKC is a “club of clubs” not a clubof individuals. The AKC and its nearly 5,000affiliated clubs educate the general public andsupport canine causes through programs suchas encouraging basic training for all dogs, pro-moting the proper care of your dog and sup-porting health research that benefits all dogs.

• The AKC web site – www.akc.org – features every-thing you want to know about dogs, includingbreed profiles, training tips, how to pick the rightdog for you, breeder referral and much more.

Tips for Working with the Media

PRESS MATERIALS• Always put press materials on club letterhead or

create your own by using the “Header” function of MSWord.

• Keep it simple, no more than two pages. Use aconsistent format from one release to the next.

• Make sure to include contact information. Thevoicemail and email you provide should be checked atleast twice a day. Cell phone numbers are ideal asthey allow a reporter direct and instant access to yourclub’s spokesperson or event organizer, increasing thelikelihood of coverage.

PRESS RELATIONSHIPS• Introduce the media to the people who make

good stories. Don’t say “our club is great,” but rather“we have a club member who used Agility to over-come his battle with shyness” or “we have raised$5,000 for K-9 bulletproof vests,” etc.

• Send a variety of news items throughout theyear, not just a big splashy release about your dogevent. A small calendar listing about your regulartraining classes, your annual awards dinner (you caninvite the local pet columnist to your dinner meet-ings, especially one with a speaker).

• Set a specific time and place to meet the reporter atyour show and be prepared to make introductions andanswer questions, yet be as flexible and under-standing as you can when their schedulechanges. Provide them with a copy of the event cata-log, fact sheets about your club, or any other AKCmaterial you deem appropriate.

TIMING• The key to establishing good media relationships is

your availability and responsiveness. Reporters mayhave tight deadlines, be reacting to breakingnews, or be creating a story on a slow newsday. The sooner you return their calls the higher thelikelihood of your quote getting into a story or yourevent getting coverage.

• Once you build a reputation as a reliable source thatcan get them information quickly, they will call youmore often. If you are not able to help the mediaperson, please refer them to the AKC.

• For events, you should contact newspapers for“calendar listings” at least one month prior tothe event by sending a media alert to the events orcalendar editor. Consider including a photo from apast event.

• Even if you have previously pitched the story, a fewdays prior to the event send the media alert toassignment (TV) and city desk (newspapers andwire) editors. Keep in mind that even if you areexpecting a reporter or news crew to show up, softnews like a dog event is always low priority. If abreaking news event such as a fire or robbery occurs,the coverage of your event may be canceled or post-poned.

• Understand the varying needs of media.Television news broadcasts often air multipletimes a day and work on a very short lead-time.Wire services and online outlets are constantly beingupdated. Daily newspapers have their front page sto-ries being prepared right up until they go to print,while features (i.e., the home or lifestyle section) maybe prepared well in advance.

FOLLOW-UP• Often, in order for a press release to get from the edi-

tor’s desk into print or on-air, you have to call theeditor to sell your story – this is called “follow-up.”

• Before going into detail about why you are call-ing, make sure you are speaking to the rightperson – someone who covers the area you live inand the topic you are pitching. If not, they can oftenrefer you to whoever covers pets, events, lifestyles,sports, issues, etc.

• It’s worth the extra work to try to find the right contact.The media get many emails and faxes every dayso you need to research specific names and makesure you’re targeting the appropriate person. Addressthe alert to a specific reporter you have already madecontact with or are expecting to attend your event. Callthe publication if necessary to get the correct name(and spelling) of the editor, reporter, or producer.

• Once you have the right person on the phone, have alist of talking points in front of you, to help youhighlight all the important facts. Be brief and tothe point. Explain why the story should be of interest –“localize and humanize.” Follow-up is crucial to gettingcoverage, but there is a fine line between follow-upand being annoying. Be persuasive but not pushy. Itmay take several conversations with an outlet beforethey agree to send a reporter to cover your story.

• Don’t be afraid to call back after regular businesshours – many daily TV and newspapers have 24-hourstaff and are often less harried in the early eveninghours. A great way to introduce yourself is toread/watch/listen to what a reporter covers andreference it. “Hi, this is Jane from the Canine KennelClub – I just saw the story you did on the local shelterand thought since you are interested in pet or animal-related topics, I’d call you about this idea I have…”

• Remember that you can’t expect a reporter toalways cover your story, and you may hear “notinterested” a number of times until you get somepublicity. However, each time you contact them, itreminds the reporter/assignment editor about all thepositive activities your club is providing to the com-munity. Don’t be discouraged!

• It’s best to select one or two people within your clubto continually make contact with the media. Overtime, they will begin to recognize you and eventually seeyou as a resource and spokesperson. They will think tocall you whenever a dog-related story comes up.

• When seeking coverage for a dog show or otherevent, let them know that your club’s experts areavailable to speak with them about any dog-relatedsubject. Send the reporter a “dog-related experi-ence” biography on each of your club’s experts forfuture use. Reporters keep files about specific top-ics, which they refer to when they have a breakingstory. Even though they may not want to cover thestory you are pitching now, you may be called uponin the future.

AND finally, remember that reporters are peopletoo! Don’t be intimidated or afraid to work with them. Ifyou are honest with them and respect the fact that theyare trying to do their job, you have a good chance ofbeing treated fairly in return.

Creating a Dog Show SpecialAttraction or Stand-Alone EventTo generate as much media interest as possible foryour dog show, add a media-worthy special attrac-tion, such as an action-packed demonstration orunique presentation. Increase press coveragethroughout the year by creating stand-alone spe-cial events to raise awareness of your club. Beloware some ideas:

SPECIAL ATTRACTIONS AT A DOG SHOW• Try inviting local radio or television personalities

(such as weathermen) to broadcast live fromyour show site.

• If your mayor or councilman owns a purebreddog, name him “Honorary Chairperson” of yourevent and invite him to present the Best of Breedtrophy for his breed.

• Have a petition drive for signatures in supportof/or against any legislation your club might beworking on. If your dog club is a member of thestate federation of dog clubs, invite federationrepresentatives to the show and promote theirappearance to the media.

• Invite local chapters of search and rescue andguide dog organizations. Ask them to put on ademonstration during the lunch break or before

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RAIAH, AN 8-YEAR-OLD CANAAN DOG, AND HER OWNER,9-YEAR-OLD ETHAN MILLER, ARE WINNERS OF THE 2005AWARD FOR CANINE EXCELLENCE (ACE) IN THEEXEMPLARY COMPANION DOG CATEGORY.

Best in Show, or give them a donation and sched-ule a check presentation between the groups.

• Mark milestone anniversaries with commemora-tive trophies, posters or logos by local artists.Invite them to the show for signings and presen-tations.

• If celebrities do attend, see if they will agreeto be quoted in your press materials. Forinstance, Jim Jones, WXYZ news anchor, said.“I am highly supportive of the (name ofevent). It benefits all dogs and makes ourtown a better place to live.”

• The media love pictures of kids and dogs so besure to invite local Girl Scouts and Boy Scoutsand/or 4-H clubs to attend as special guests.You can also ask them to serve as assistants.

• Look to holidays and special months to tie intodog shows. For example, February is Pet DentalHealth Month sponsored by the AmericanVeterinary Medical Association. Invite a local vetto have a booth at your show.

• Also, use non-pet holidays. For example,October is National Breast Cancer AwarenessMonth. Invite a local American Cancer Societychapter, donate vendor space for its booth,invite top people and have them put out apress release touting the community outreachat your show.

• If you offer puppy or bred-by exhibitors groupsat your show, pitch it to the media as a specialcompetition such as the “puppy extravaganza”or “breeders showcase” for photo opportunities.

• Sponsor a fun class for entrants, like Halloweencostumes, or best-dressed Santa dog.

• Offer show tours, AKC Canine Good Citizen®tests, or Meet the Breeds events.

STAND-ALONE EVENTS OR ACTIVITIESTHROUGHOUT THE YEARHaving events or continuing activities outside theclub’s annual dog show demonstrates your club’svalue to the community. Distribute plenty of fly-ers in local stores to publicize the events as wellas sending press releases and media alerts to themedia. Below are some ideas:

• Create a “K-9 Law Day” and donate a bulletproofvest to an area K-9 police officer.

• Schedule canine demonstrations, such as agility,obedience or field, at local fairs or paradesand/or set up tables and offer information topotential dog buyers.

• Contact town officials and ask if your club anddogs can participate in local parades such asLabor Day, Christmas, etc.

• Create a “Bring Your Dog to Lunch Day” at yourworkplace.

• Host a “Photo with Santa Day” for pets in yourlocal area.

• Utilize a public park or library front lawn for anAKC CGC test or Meet the Breeds.

• Plan therapy dog visits to local hospitals, veter-an homes, and elderly housing.

• Send a representative to teach kids (schools,camps, and clubs) about becoming involved in

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AKC CHAIRMAN RON MENAKER IS INTERVIEWED BY CBS AT THE PRESS CONFERENCE FOR DOGNY, AKC’S PUBLICART/FUND RAISING PROJECT.

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the sport. • Raise money and donate trash cans, benches,

pooper-scooper dispensers, etc. for a local dogrun (have your club’s name and web site printedon the items).

• Ask your local city official to issue a proclama-tion recognizing your program and ask him todeclare the day of your event “Responsible DogOwnership Day” or “Canine Good Citizen Day.”

Beyond the Shows – A Story for Any SeasonThe best way to make friends in the media is tooffer them a unique story idea, related to reporter’sbeat, with a strong local tie. Below are some topicsthat might spur ideas about what to pitch.

VARIOUS IDEAS• Is your club involved in rescue? Does it have a

separate non-profit foundation for fundraising tohighlight? How many dogs has your club placed

or saved?• Has a rescued or adopted shelter dog gone on to

win obedience, agility or field titles?• Do you have any outstanding junior handlers in

your club? • Does your club provide opportunities for commu-

nity involvement such as obedience training class-es, visiting hospitals and/or senior citizens withtherapy dogs, or hold match shows or field trials?

• Has a local dog done something heroic? Can youhonor that dog, or nominate it for an AKC Awardfor Canine Excellence (ACE)? For an ACE applica-tion visit:http://www.akc.org/pdfs/ace_2005.pdf

• What are your Public Education Coordinatorsdoing? Hosting an assembly or running an artposter contest at a school?

• Has a member of your club been awarded aCommunity Achievement Award? If not, nomi-nate them at:http://www.akc.org/pdfs/CAANominationForm.pdf

• Has your club donated gifts or time to localcommunity groups, such asthe public library?

PITCHING CLUB’S RESPONSETO A NATURAL DISASTER Writing letters to local mediaand holding a fundraiser fordonations to the AKC/CARCanine Support and Relief Fundare great ways to alert yourcommunity about the impor-tance of helping the canine vic-tims of natural disasters.

What You Can Do:

• Write a pitch letter about theimportance of including thefamily pet in disaster planningand why an evacuation kitjust for your pet is important.

• Offer a club spokespersonand press kits to the media.Press kits should include: factsheets about AKC, your club’shistory, AKC/CAR, event pressreleases, disaster planningcheck list and yourspokesperson’s biography.

• Templates for press releases,media alerts, letters and evac-uation checklists are availablefor club use athttp://www.akc.org/clubs/samplesPARTICIPANTS ENJOY AKC RESPONSIBLE DOG OWNERSHIP DAY AT THE NEW

YORK CITY EVENT.

AAKKCC RReessppoonnssiibbllee DDoogg OOwwnneerrsshhiipp DDaayy

The AKC celebrates Responsible Dog OwnershipDay each year on September 17.

• Anytime during the month of September, clubs and organizations are encour-aged to hold local events to emphasize the importance of responsible dogownership.

• AKC Responsible Dog Ownership Day offers clubs the opportunity to gainpublicity, legislative visibility, and community contacts by holding events,which may include CGC tests, obedience/agility demonstrations, rescuebooths, Meet the Breeds, etc.

• To join the growing number of clubs participating in this fun and educationalevent, go to: http://www.akc.org/clubs/rdod/index.cfm

Handling Sticky SubjectsWe are lucky to be able to deal with a topic likedogs – a subject most people love and can relateto. However, there are times when even fun top-ics can get touchy, especially with issues such aslocal legislation or dog bites. It’s important thatyou not avoid the media contacts you have madein the past when they call you to discuss such atopic, but, before you talk to them make sureyou have all the facts. Turn a negative into a pos-itive and use this as an opportunity to get updat-ed on what’s going on with the issue by visitingwww.akc.org or calling us. Then take the opportu-nity to present our viewpoint and demonstratethat the AKC and its clubs are leading the waywhen it comes to addressing the problem. Forinstance, dog bite stories offer a segue for you todiscuss what your club has been doing in thecommunity – have you offered AKC Canine GoodCitizen® or other obedience classes? Presented theAKC Safety Program for children in the communi-ty?

Beyond Media RelationsPSA – Another way to get coverage for a causeor event in the media is through the use of apublic service announcement (PSA). The PSA issimilar to an advertisement in a newspaper or TVcommercial only it features a cause or communi-ty event sponsored by a non-profit organizationand is published or aired free of charge.

• TV: We also have TV PSAs. If you have contactsat your local stations and they agree to airthem, you can request copies from us. If youprefer to create your own PSA, check with yourlocal cable or public access station to see ifthey can help you produce a video for a nomi-nal cost. In most cases, it’s expensive to createa TV spot so it may be more cost-effective tosee if you can get an agreement for airtimeand use one of AKC’s PSAs customized withyour club’s name. You can view our print andTV PSA’s at:http://www.akc.org/press_center/advertising.cfm

• PRINT: The AKC has numerous PSA’s on vari-ous topics available for your use. Or, you cancreate your own by first contacting your localpaper’s Advertising Director and determininghow they would like to receive it (size, format,etc.) and finding someone with design experi-ence to help you create it.

EDITORIAL BOARD MEETING – Some daily andweekly newspapers hold editorial board meet-ings. As a non-profit organization, your club canpitch “an opinion” to the editorial editor or staff.If your presentation interests them in your cause,the paper may write an editorial in support.Responsible dog ownership is a promising angleto pitch, especially if there has been recent newsin the community about breed-specific legisla-tion, dog bites or cases of animal cruelty.

ADVERTISING - Unlike publicity, advertising is apaid form of communicating a message. Itappears in the same forms of media, but payingfor it gives you complete control over the con-tent and when it appears. It is meant to be per-suasive, informative, and designed to influencepurchasing behavior or thought patterns.Television and radio ads are typically run duringbreaks in regular programming. Print advertisingfalls into two main categories:

• CLASSIFIED: This type of advertising is foundin the paid classified section of the newspaper.Many clubs utilize this section to list informa-tion on their breeder referral program within

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AN EXAMPLE OF A PRINT PSA.

AKC’S TV PSA “PROMISE” PRODUCED IN 2005 FOCUSESON TEACHING CHILDREN HOW TO BE SAFE AROUNDDOGS.

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the area where pets are advertised for sale.Simply buying enough space to include a sim-ple message such as “Contact a responsiblebreeder” and your clubs’ web site or showdate and location can be effective. It is also agood place to advertise your obedience andtraining classes.

• DISPLAY: An advertisement that runs along-side editorial content in a newspaper or maga-zine. This space usually contains photographsand/or graphics and is purchased as one-eighth to one-half to a full-page ad. It can bedesigned professionally in a camera-ready for-mat ready to submit to the newspaper.

While expensive, advertising can be very effec-tive if you have a targeted goal and message.You can try to minimize costs based on yournon-profit status and/or in exchange for servic-es. Can you make the newspaper and officialsponsor of your event, give them a boothspace, hand out hundreds of copies of thepaper, provide a list of your vendors orexhibitors who might want to place ads?Consider how you can help them and see whatthey are willing to give in return.

ONLINE RESOURCES PAGEFrom the AKC web site Club Communicationspages:• http://www.akc.org/pdfs/press_center/spreadingtheword.pdf

–To order this binder or read it online.• http://www.akc.org/clubs/communications.cfm

–To sign-up for AKCommunicates! the e-newsletterfor the latest in public relations tips and newsfrom the AKC Communications Department

• http://www.akc.org/clubs/rdod/index.cfm–For more information on AKC Responsible DogOwnership Day – September 17

• http://www.akc.org/press_center/advertising.cfm–For sample AKC TV and print advertisements andPSAs

From the Press Center for media inquires:• http://www.akc.org/press_center/index.cfm?nav_area

=press_center– A place to send the media (or educate yourselffurther) go here where you can access “facts andstats” pages, AKC news, archived press releases andspokesperson biographies

• http://www.akc.org/press_center/communications_dept.cfm–To contact the AKC Communications DepartmentStaff either with questions, needing help gettingstarted or where to send journalists for furtherquotes

For other Story Ideas for clubs to pitch or for jour-nalists:• http://www.akc.org/canine_legislation/index.cfm

–For more information on Canine Legislation• http://www.akc.org/news/sections/legislative_alerts.cfm

–For legislative alerts by state• http://www.akc.org/public_education/index.cfm

–For information on Public Education Coordinators,Canine Ambassadors, Community AchievementAwards and other education resources

HERE IS AN EXAMPLE OF THE AKC'S FULL-PAGE DISPLAYADVERTISEMENT IN THE NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE.

AKC PRESIDENT AND CEO DENNIS B. SPRUNG BEING INTER-VIEWED BY A NEWSPAPER REPORTER.

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260 Madison Avenue New York, NY 10016 Tel 212 696-8200 Fax 212 696-8299 www.akc.org

GCPOTL (4/06)

Angle: Also known as slant,peg or hook. It relates to thepoint of view from which arelease or news story is writ-ten, to interest a particularaudience.

Assignment Editor: Personwho routes information andassigns the appropriate editoror reporter who to cover thestory. This title is most oftenused in television media.

Beat: A particular topic or areaof expertise covered by areporter in the media.

Editorial: The news, feature orinformational content of a pub-lication or broadcast decidedon by editors (versus paidadvertising content that anyonecan buy).

Exclusive: A piece of newssent to a newspaper or othermedia, along with the privilegeof using it first.

Hard News: Term used todescribe a news story that isheavy in subject matter, suchas “breaking news” when a dan-gerous criminal escapes fromprison.

Long-Lead: Refers to mediaoutlets with long-lead deadlinesto prepare content – oftenmonthly magazines, such asRedbook or Parenting, which

work on stories up to sixmonths in advance.

Media Alert: A brief one-pagesummary of your event, servingas a reminder to reporters andassignment editors. Send amedia alert if you want newspa-pers or TV stations to come toyour event and/or to include theinformation in a calendar listing.

Media Outlet: Any organizationthat disseminates news andother information to the publicsuch as newspapers, magazines,television and radio stations,wire services and web sites. Thevarious outlets are often justreferred to as the media.

Pitch: An oral or written solici-tation by a public relations per-son on behalf of a story idea,event, or organization.

Pitch Letter: A one-page letterthat outlines a story idea andwhy it’s relevant to the mediaoutlet’s audience. This less for-mal way to seek coverage isideal for timeless topics suchas a feature or soft-news story.

Press Release: An explanationof your event or announce-ment, no more than two pagesin length. It provides a reporterwith important facts and con-tact information. This is themost common form of commu-nication to the media.

Public Service Announcement(PSA): Short broadcast messageor display ad offering a distinctpublic service to consumers.PSA are sent to television sta-tions and newspapers andused, when time permits, at nocharge to the organization pro-viding the spots or ads.

Short-Lead: Refers to mediawith a quick turn around timefrom learning of a story toreporting on it such as televi-sion news programs and dailynewspapers. Add the newsInternet sites, and lead-timebecomes increasingly shorter oreven non-existent.

Soft News: A story that islighter in subject matter suchas a human interest story abouta lost dog being reunited withits owner.

Talking Points: Facts or shortsentences that sum up an orga-nization’s position. Used oftenby a spokesperson in accentinga mission statement or high-lighting an issue.

Wire Service: A news andinformation gathering mediaoutlet that sells stories to othermedia outlets for publication,such as newspapers or websites. The Associated Press isthe largest and most wellknown wire service.

PR Terms GlossaryFollowing are some terms frequently used in the PR industry, which

may be helpful as you plan activities to publicize club events.