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1)
Maintain a supply of fliers, handouts, and brochures. Call Ruritan National for copies of “This
is Ruritan” and other brochures.
2)
Set up information booths at shopping centers, county fairs, and most importantly at your
club’s projects. People who enjoy your fundraising events and community service projects will like
Ruritan. Tell them about Ruritan. This is not only a good way to publicize your club but an excellent
way to get new members.
3)
Write a brochure or flyer about your club. Give some information about Ruritan and about
your club and its projects. Be sure to include the name, address, and phone number of a member
to contact.
4)
As an alternative you may want to develop an insert to include in the “This is Ruritan” bro‑
chure giving your club’s meeting place; date and time; the name, address and phone number of
a contact person in the club; and a place for anyone interested in more information to write their
name, address, and phone number.
One successful brochure published by a Ruritan club listed all volunteer organizations in the
county, including scouts, fire department, rescue squad, Lions, Sertoma, and of course the Ruritan
clubs. It included a contact’s name and address for each organization and has been used for sev‑
eral years.
Section 7: Print Media
Print Media: Getting Your Ruritan News
Published
News releases are an important tool for getting
your message to the public. The more professional
image your club presents to the press, the more
respectable your club (and club projects) will appear
to the public. Sample news releases are provided in
this handbook for your Ruritan club to use. It is very
important that you do not simply “fill in the blanks.”
For the most professional appearance, re-type
any sample in this booklet on your Ruritan club’s
stationery. Use an envelope printed with your Ruritan
Club’s name and address (if appropriate) to mai (or
e-mail)l the news release to the media. You may
even want to hand deliver the news release to the
media. Many times the personal touch pays off when
the editor or news producer can match a person with
a particular news release.
How to Write a Press Release
Sample news releases are included in this handbook
to generate ideas. Here are some basic rules you
can use to make your own news releases concise
while providing the information a reporter or editor
needs.
1)
Keep it simple. Use short sentences and
avoid descriptive language.
2)
Keep it short. Your news release should not
be more than one page in length.
3)
Always provide the name, telephone number,
and address of a contact person who can
provide additional details. The reporter will
want someone to contact if more information is
needed about your event.
4)
Take the time to look professional, and it will
be time well-spent. Never handwrite a news
release. Use a computer and correct your
mistakes. Re-type any samples in this book on
club stationery and use club stationery for
any
correspondence with the media.
Newspaper and television news are written in
basically the same style, and this style is called the
“inverted pyramid style.” This style is intended to get
the most important information to the audience first.
Remember, the more you make your news release
look (and read) like someone on the newspaper
staff wrote it, the greater your chance of getting your
news published.
When writing the first paragraph of your news
release, try this formula:
Who
(your Ruritan club) did
What
(held a
fundraiser or other club project)
When
(day and
date of the event)
Where
(location of the event)
and
Why
(who will benefit from the event).
For example, your first paragraph should read
something like this:
Ideas for Promoting Your Ruritan Club
with Flyers and Handouts
PR