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CHAPTER 4: Working with the
Media
CHAPTER 4 Appendices
After the strategic placement of the paid ads, the largest and most important piece of the campaign is press relations. Getting to know the players in your local media will undoubtedly influence the campaign’s ability to impact your community. The difference between traditional health campaigns and the newer media campaigns, like WHEELING WALKS, is that we want to reach not hundreds of people, but thousands. To achieve this goal, we need to target all types of mass media. We need to ensure that TV, radio and print news gatekeepers and reporters are on board with us and available to spread the message of walking. Working with the media cannot be delegated to a volunteer. It is a staff responsibility. One person must be the campaign Press Relations (PR) person. The media needs to have one person that they are sure is:
Media Cooperation The media cooperates with its paying customer. You are buying air and ad time from the various media outlets and you are a customer. However, you are a bit different from their other customers in that the media provides two opportunities for delivering your message. In addition to being a paying customer, you are also a public health, not-for-profit, effort that can legitimately ask for and receive additional help and resources. The media are more than happy to help a paying customer, and as part of their FCC licensing requirements, they also provide free advertising for public service campaigns and events. With this unique arrangement, you are giving the media the opportunity to earn money while providing free coverage. It is a win-win scenario. TopResponsibilities of the PR person The primary job of the PR person is to garner maximum news coverage of the campaign and its message. This person seeks to keep the media “on message”. This means keeping the targeted message of the campaign from getting convoluted and diluted. It also means pacing things and timing your activities to the best possible campaign advantage. The Initial News Embargo on the Campaign It is important to begin the campaign with a major splash. Doing so required careful orchestration of the media communications. By embargo, we mean the campaign information is restricted from publication until a given date. Even if you are not conducting research, you will need some data to measure campaign effectiveness. Therefore, we recommend you embargo the information until the campaign Kick Off. Press outlets are less likely to provide the “splash” you desire if another media source has covered the same story the previous week. Your campaign should begin with a BANG! For that reason, give each media outlet the same opportunity to cover the story. Sell the idea of an embargo as an important aspect of the success of the campaign. Why Give the Media Information Before the Campaign? You may ask, “ If beginning with a “splash” is so important, why should I risk giving the press information before the campaign Kick Off?” The Answer: The press must be campaign partners when the campaign begins. The time for informing and selling the campaign to the press concludes at the Kick Off . Note: The PR person must keep the message exciting and important. The media only covers what they feel is enabling, important, and easy to cover. The PR person’s specific responsibilities include: --Ensuring understanding of the initial news embargo related to the campaign --Developing a press list --Developing credibility with the press --Meeting the gatekeepers --Preparing talking points --Selling the campaign and essential campaign tools --Negotiating the 2-for-1 ad buy --Nurturing your relationship with the media --Managing event coverage --Serving as campaign spokesperson Developing a press listBefore developing a local press list, determine if a list is available from another organization. Ask other departments within your organization or other organizations if they would share their press list. Possible sources include health departments, hospitals, universities, health-professional organizations, chamber of commerce, or a local public-relations firm. Those lists could provide a good starting point, but may need to be adapted to fit the needs of your campaign. They also may need to be updated. Media outlets frequently have high turn-over rates for staff, and program formats change often. To develop your own press list, first identify the media outlets in your community. Media directories (such as the News Media Yellow Book and Beacon’s Radio, TV, and Newspaper Directories) may be available in the local library. You also could look in the phone directory, on news stands, and in the TV guide. In addition, you could “flip around” the dial to see or hear what television and radio stations are available locally. Your media list should include:
Be sure to find out about broadcast times and the range of programs on television and radio stations. You could check the size of the audience (or the circulation of newspapers) and ratings of local news programs to help you determine which media outlets have the largest audiences. You might want to put more effort into working with stations and papers that reach more of the community or that reach your target audience. A better understanding of the local press will help you to develop and implement your media plan. Next, determine the appropriate contact for each media outlet. Identify who at the station or newspaper would be most likely to cover the campaign. TopIt is important to establish campaign credibility. Introduce yourself by using the name of your most noted sponsor. For example, WHEELING WALKS was fortunate to have the support of West Virginia University (WVU). WVU, one of two major academic institutions in the state, provided us with door-opening ability that we may not have otherwise had. Saying that we represented WVU and having WVU clearly stated on our business cards provided credibility and an invitation for many initial meeting. However, after the door opened, we had to sell our product. The good news about “selling your product” is your product is public health. Meeting the Gatekeepers To produce maximum results, it takes a minimum of 10 weeks to prepare the media for a campaign the magnitude of WHEELING WALKS. The process begins with getting to know the key people at each media outlet. The key gatekeeper at each media outlet is not always the person you expected. It could be the editor of the newspaper, the TV station manager, the local radio DJ, or possibly the photographer that makes his own decisions about the strategic shots that appear on the front page. The media is many people doing many things. Therefore, it is important that you meet everyone. Tips for Working with the Media > Make the reporter’s job easy. Provide him/her with a professional packet of information. (See Appendix 4-b for a PRESS KIT.) > Get to know them by taking them to lunch. Be sure to include “meeting” costs in your budget. These meetings are invaluable. > Ask the person you are talking with if he/she can suggest other colleagues you should speak with regarding the campaign. Will he/she introduce you? > Hang out at the TV station/radio/paper. > Start listening to, reading, and watching each outlet. Make decisions about who you should contact based on topic coverage or airtime. > Get to know the receptionist. This is the person who will forward your call or make sure the right person gets your message. > Become friends with the people at the station. Use your first name as often as possible. > Be courteous at all times. If you do not get your desired reaction, try another person at the same outlet. > Take T-shirts. When making the initial contact, take enough t-shirts to give to all who seem interested in walking. ( See Appendix 4-c for t-shirt design.) > Remember names. Get extension numbers and email addresses. > Make notes immediately after you leave the media outlet. This will help you remember the clues and leads you received during your visit. > Do not be afraid to wait. Take a seat. Let the contact know that your information is important and you will wait to give him/her your eye contact, handshake, and thanks in advance for helping with this important public health campaign. > Learn everyone’s names and titles. > Be prompt--If you are asked for information, an interview, or a photo, provide it promptly. Nearly all media have rigid timetables to get items on the news. Work with them on this. > Credibility--the accuracy of your information is your currency. Be precise and accurate. Or, check it out and get back to them. Preparing Talking Points A lot can be said about walking. Therefore, it is important that everyone has the same message and is communicating the same message. To avoid confusion and ambiguity, develop talking points and memorize each point. Be sure to provide talking points to all staff, event speakers, speakers’ bureau participants, and volunteers (See Appendix 4-d for WHEELING WALKS Talking Points.) Top SELLING THE CAMPAIGN Make an appointment Make an appointment, at each outlet, with a suggested contact, a person you know or a person you have heard is an advocate for public health campaigns. Making an appointment communicates professionalism and respect for both your own and the contact’s time. When calling to make the appointment, introduce yourself by using the name of your most noted sponsor, such as a university, a prestigious agency or the local health department. Let the university/agency/health department open the door for you. Introducing yourself as a staff member of a walking campaign alone may not result in an appointment. Under no circumstances should you merely leave a packet of information. To establish a contact, you must meet the person. The First Meeting Be early for the appointment and be sure to schedule additional time in case your meeting is delayed. Recognize that when you work with the media, the news comes first. Breaking stories are always occurring; therefore, you may have to wait. Determine when the paper goes to press or when the radio station is doing live programming. Avoid making appoints at those times. Tools for Selling your Campaign
Note: All media in the Wheeling area respected our request to embargo the information.
These are so important that we will consider each of them individually: The Campaign Information Packet This is a packet of information on the campaign that you will have available for every event and to handout to those you contact about the campaign. As the campaign progresses, some items may be deleted and others added. Items like the Schedule of Events needs to be modified to drop those events that have already occurred. This is without doubt one of the campaign’s most important tools. Print and copy the separate items and compile your packets well in advance so you can just pick up 5, 10, 30 packets as you leave for the event, or, pull out a certain number to modify the contents of that particular number for a particular event/meeting. The contents of the Campaign Information Packet is provided in Appendix 4-a and includes:
The Press Release Before every event, send press releases to every media outlet. Even if a particular outlet has yet to cover your campaign, keep them informed. The press release should answer the questions who, what, where, when and why about your campaign or about the campaign event described in the release. Most of the questions should be answered in the first two paragraphs of the news release. Remember that those paragraphs will determine if the journalist reads the rest of the release or whether it ends up in the recycling (with most of the other releases they get). News releases should be brief and to the point. Try to keep to one or two pages. They also should be clear, accurate, and free of grammatical and spelling errors. Journalists are relying on you to provide them with accurate information. Factual errors, misspelled names, and typos will adversely affect your credibility and whether or not the journalist uses this and future news releases. (See Appendix 4-b for a sample press release.) Notify your Account Executives of the events. Because you are a customer, they will remind the newsroom that your event is of importance to the business. Send the press release no more than 48 hrs before the event.
Note: Email is not a replacement for the fax. Newsrooms still use the fax machine as their primary way to assign stories. The Personal Invitation The morning of the event, be sure to follow up with journalists. Invite them to attend the event. Ask if they received the release (offer to send another copy if they did not) and if they need additional information. In addition, try to interest the reporter in covering the story by briefly explaining the content of the release and why it is important. Inform them about a personal interview you have scheduled for them with one of the speakers (i.e. the Mayor or the campaign director) at a certain time during the event. Do not feel like you are harassing the press when you call them to cover a campaign event. Reporters regularly rely on outside sources for news stories. You cannot call a media outlet too much. They are used to being informed of events. They are, however, not used to being invited and treated as guests. This goes a long way in obtaining the coverage you need. The News Conference The News Conference is a vital link and a main source of communicating the message. These are well-planned, strategic events designed to be quick and informative. Depending on the length of your campaign, you may host as many as three press conferences. Announce the news conference through a news advisory. (See Appendix 4-b for a sample news advisory.) The advisory should announce the date, time, and location of the news conference. In addition, it should briefly describe the event. However, be sure to hold the important details for the news conference. Again, it is essential to make follow-up calls after sending the advisory. Call to ask if the journalist received the advisory. In addition, briefly explain what will be announced at the press conference, describe why it is important, and try to interest the reporter in attending the news conference. You also could make a second round of calls on the afternoon before or morning of the news conference to help ensure good attendance. The basics of a successful news conference.
Press Kit - including the Campaign Information Packet One of your most invaluable tools, your Press Kit provides vital campaign contact information, background information on the campaign, information on the specific event, and all other items that are distributed to press ahead of time on a particular event or that are given out to press members arrive their arrived at the event. The Kit give the press member what s/he needs to make it easy to do an initial and many follow-up stories on the campaign. A copy of the WHEELING WALKS Campaign PRESS KIT is provide in Appendix 4-b, and includes:
After establishing a rapport with your media contact, negotiate a 2 (or 3) for 1 ad buy. Ask the following question: When we buy an ad, will the outlet run a second (or third) ad, somewhat like a public service announcement, free? The ad buyers are aware of the availability of free ads and free gross rating points. However, personally showing interest in the free ads may prove beneficial. For example, WHEELING WALKS received a free ad during the NBA playoffs. The TV station did not sell all their local ads and considered our cause and our business to be significant enough to be placed in the time slot. This ad, if purchased, would cost $2000 in our small market. This free ad reached one of our primary demographics - sedentary males. This is the reason why knowing your local media is so important. Note: The free ad may not receive a prime time placement like the paid ad, but the goal is to get your radio, TV, and print ads heard and seen as often as possible. TopSERVING AS CAMPAIGN SPOKESPERSON Your campaign spokesperson can be a powerful advocate and garner campaign media coverage. WHEELING WALKS found that the “local expert” campaign spokesperson or the “guest” spokesperson approach works best. The local expert/guest is a person who has outstanding credentials and lives out of town. He/She visits the community for a day and is pre-scheduled (by you) to visit each media outlet, attend events, and sing the praises of both the campaign and walking. This approach has proved beneficial. We had great success using: Mark Fenton, the former editor of Walking Magazine; Dr. Adrian Bauman, an extraordinary public health resource with excellent media skills; Rob Sweetgall, President and CEO of Creative Walking. TopSince your events are designed for the media, the coverage of campaign should evolve smoothly. Here are some tips on welcoming the media to your events.
Specific Media Ideas for the 8-Week Media Blitz For Television
For the Newspaper
For the Radio
Note: This may be used in conjunction with the Mayor or local Chamber of Commerce promoting a Walkable City. If done in conjunction with commerce and city development, the radio station and community may become more interested in walking. TopAll of the hard work does pay off. The WHEELING WALKS Campaign gained national recognition when it was featured in the Thursday May 3, 2001 edition of the USA Today. (See end of Appendix 4-a). Our campaign was recognized because of Mark Fenton, former Editor of Walking Magazine. Fenton acted as an advisor and resources person to our campaign. He recommended our campaign to USA Today reporter, Nanci Helliich. We were then able to convince her of the newsworthiness of our efforts. Top~~~Nurturing Your Relationship with the Media~~~ It is important to keep in contact with the media throughout your campaign.
Note: Be sure to budget for these special thank yous.
Note: Be sure to budget for these meeting costs. TopCHAPTER 4 Appendices
Campaign Information Packet
Campaign Information Packet
-Campaign Information Sheet -Benefits of Walking -Walking Facts -Campaign Schedule of Events -Campaign Registration Form -Campaign Endorsements -Campaign Sponsors and information -Sampling of Press Article(s) on the Campaign TopCAMPAIGN INFORMATION
PACKET-
Innovative Program Uses TV ads to Help Get Wheeling Moving A unique walking campaign is being conducted on the airwaves, in the streets, and on the walking trails in Wheeling, WV. WHEELING WALKS is a project developed by the Wheeling- Ohio County Health Department, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and West Virginia University to promote increased walking and reduce the burden of overweight, heart disease and diabetes in the United States. It is an intensive, eight-week, multimedia campaign aimed at communicating a simple but important health message: that regular walking can provide energy, help people feel better, give a person more time, and improve overall health. And it doesn’t take much time. The message will be aired through an extensive paid-advertising campaign on local television, along with radio advertising and print ads. The TV spots will air more than 400 times in the Wheeling area, beginning during prime time programming April 17, 2001. The advertising campaign will be accompanied by a community effort featuring walking clinics sponsored by the Ohio Valley Runners/Walkers Club and Wheeling Jesuit University. There will be walking programs in area schools, worksites, churches, and civic groups. “A sedentary lifestyle, along with a poor diet, causes as many deaths as tobacco,” according to Dr. Bill Reger, Associate Professor of Community Medicine at WVU. In West Virginia, obesity and heart disease rates are nearly 20 percent higher than the national average. (Nationally, one out of three Americans is considered obese.) Lack of time – or the perception of a lack of time – is one of the largest obstacles to regular physical activity. “Walking 30 minutes is just one TV show, and the average American watches 3-4 hours of TV per day, says Reger. “If you have time for one TV show, you have time to walk.” A wide range of community events are planned during the eight-week WHEELING WALKS campaign:
A key message of the campaign is that walking gives you energy. “Give it a try,” Reger encourages, “not only will you reduce your chances of heart disease, but you will feel better and have more energy.” So register and log your minutes online at www.wheelingwalks.org or by calling XXX-XXXX. TopCAMPAIGN INFORMATION PACKET- Campaign Information Sheet BENEFITS OF WALKINGWHEELING WALKS 30 Minutes or More Almost
Every Day! Feeling sluggish? Are you drained? Then try walking.
Feel Better -Regular walking
Look Better -Regular walking Tones your muscles
Burns off calories to help lose extra pounds
or helps you stay at your desirable weight and
helps control your appetite
Some suggestions to keep you walking:
Some additional walking facts:
Take control of your life and health. Make walking a way of life. Isn’t it time you started walking. TopCAMPAIGN INFORMATION PACKET- WALKING FACTS
Top CAMPAIGN INFORMATION PACKET- Campaign Schedule of Events
Isn’t It Time You Started Walking? WHEELING WALKS Campaign Dates April 17, 2001 – June 9, 2001
Top CAMPAIGN INFORMATION PACKET-
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WHEELING WALKS 30 Minutes or
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CAMPAIGN INFORMATION PACKET-
Campaign Endorsements
WHEELING WALKS
Our Campaign has been endorsed by
the following:
City of Wheeling
State of West Virginia
American Cancer Society
Ohio Valley Medical Center
Peterson Rehabilitation Hospital
The Ohio County Medical Society
National Multiple Sclerosis Society
Wheeling---Ohio County Health Dept.
Ohio Valley Runners & Walkers Club
Mid-Ohio Valley Health Department
Ohio University Eastern Campus
Wheeling Health Right Inc.
Wheeling News Register
The Wellness Bridge
Beyond Marketing
Acordia
Brooke Pioneer Trails
Wheeling Jesuit University
Wheeling Park High School
The Ohio County Commission
Marshall County Health Dept.
William E. Noble, M.D. FACC
Top
Pick up your Registration Form at any of these area businesses:
Centre Town Fitness - Whg.
Wheeling Office Supply
Wheeling Flower Shop
Puddleducks - Whg.
Carpenters Jewlers - Whg.
Laser Plus - Whg.
Riverside Restaurant - Whg.
Hole'N Run - Whg.
Gooey-Bentz Company - Whg.
Abbey's Restaurant - Whg. Island
Convenient Food Mart - Whg. Island
Wickhams Tuxedo's - Whg. Island
T.J.'s Sports Garden - Whg.
Ben Franklin Crafts - Elm Grove
Suzanne's Fashion & Bridal Shop - Elm Grove
Balloons 'N Tunes - Elm Grove
Crispin Golf Course - Oglebay
Value City - Benwood
Ohio Valley Mall - St. C.
Express Graphics - St. C.
Belmont Ski, Bike & Golf - St. C
Total Sports Connection - M.F.
Nicky's Garden Center - M.F.
Colerain IGA
Ferda's Countryside Garden Center Rte. 250
Big Bear Plus - Bridgeport
AAA - Bridgeport
CAMPAIGN INFORMATION
PACKET-
Campaign Sponsors & Information
WHEELING WALKS 30 Minutes or More Challenge
List of Sponsors
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CAMPAIGN INFORMATION PACKET-
Campaign Information Sheet
Vision
West Virginia University is a student-centered learning community meeting the changing needs of the people of West Virginia and the nation through teaching, research, service, and technology.
Goals
- Student-centered: West Virginia University fosters a high quality, student-centered, holistic education on all of its campuses.
- Focus research: Our graduate teaching programs and research efforts are focused for excellence, impact and reputation.
- Service: We are engaging society to partner with it in order to serve our state and our nation. We are doing this through multiple campus alliance activities, as well as in areas such as extension and workforce readiness.
- Technology: We are using technology to deliver programs and administer our university; we are modeling its use for our state and nation.
Values
- Focus
- Teamwork
- A learning organization
- Intensive communication
- Character building
- Measurement.
Theme: Success. Expect It.
West Virginia University, founded in 1867, is located in Morgantown, West Virginia, a city of 27,000 residents near West Virginia's northern border. It is one of only 43 public universities that serve their states as research and land grant institutions. Through 13 colleges and schools, WVU offers 168 bachelor's, master's, doctoral and professional degree programs.
The University's student-centered approach to learning -- with such programs as Operation Jump-Start and the Career Success Academy -- is giving students one of the top undergraduate experiences in the country. WVU is a Doctoral/ Research University - Extensive as classified by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education -- based on the complexity and breadth of the institution's mission. As West Virginia's major research and development center and only comprehensive doctoral-granting institution, WVU faculty conducts over $75 million in sponsored contracts and grants per year. WVU is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools and dozens of specialized academic accrediting agencies. The University's total operating budget is approximately $520 million.
Located in "Mountaineer Country," Morgantown is a recreational haven year-round. In fact, West Virginia's fifth largest city was recently rated No. 1 Small City in the East by a popular rating guide, and named the nation's top "dream city" by an online newsletter.
Morgantown is within easy traveling distance of Washington,
D.C. to the east and Pittsburgh to the north.
Top
CAMPAIGN INFORMATION PACKET-
Campaign Information Sheet
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's (RWJF) mission is to improve the health and health care of all Americans. RWJF1 based in Princeton, NJ, is the nation's largest philanthropy devoted exclusively to health and health care. RWJF concentrates its grant making in three goal areas: to assure that all Americans have access to basic health care at reasonable cost; to improve care and support for people with chronic health conditions; and to reduce the personal, social and economic harm caused by substance abuse - tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drugs.
Remaining faithful to the mission means keeping a commitment to the American people in everything from encouraging healthier living and the conditions that promote better health to promoting positive changes in the way health care is delivered in this country.
In their first 25 years, RWJF has provided more than $2.6 billion to organizations and institutions across the country working on finding solutions to our nation's health and health care problems. This substantial sum, compares to the nearly $3 billion that the United States spends on health care every day.
The projects RWJF funds have reached across the life span, from making early child health care more accessible to improving the care that patients receive at the end of life. Their strategies transcend any single perspective; RWJF and its grantees explore many possible solutions. Their greatest strength must be in recognizing the good ideas of others and in developing their own.
The common element in all RWJF work is its reflection of the Foundation's mission to improve the health and health care of all Americans.
From the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation "Blue Book"
Top
CAMPAIGN INFORMATION PACKET-
1500 Chapline Street Director: William C. Mercer, M.D. Board of Health: The mission of the Wheeling-Ohio County Health Department
is to fulfill society’s interest in assuring conditions in which
people can be healthy. Services provided by the health department: Environmental Health: -Inspections and surveillance of food service establishments,
retail food stores, water supply systems, sewage disposal systems,
lodging facilities, mobile home parks, child care centers, institutions,
public swimming pools, organized camps, public parks, fairs, festivals,
tattoo parlors -Sampling and testing of water supplies and milk products -Disaster surveillance -Investigations of public health nuisances -Rabies surveillance, including animal bite investigations -Indoor air quality surveillance, including second-hand smoke -Surveillance of environmental contaminants, Including lead,
radon, and asbestos -Epidemiological investigations for communicable disease control,
including food borne disease -Environmental health educational programs, including food
handler
training. Nursing and Physician Services: -Communicable disease control through surveillance and epidemiology -Family Planning program, including pregnancy testing,
birth control methods and education -Breast and Cervical Cancer screening for eligible women
over 25 years of age, Pap tests and pelvic exams, breast
exams, teaching of breast self-examination, and mammograms. -Immunizations for infants, children, and adults -Tuberculosis testing, epidemiology, and medication -Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, And Treatment for individuals
from birth to 21 years of age -Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) testing, education, and treatment -AIDS/HIV testing, counseling, and education -Right From the Start - case management of high risk pregnancies
and infants (Medicaid eligible) -Health and developmental screening In conjunction with public,
parochial, and private schools, including vision screening, TB
testing, and immunizations -Clinical rotation for local schools of nursing -Joint venture with Wheeling Hospital's Family Health Center
and public and parochial schools in providing school-based children's
clinics Community Health Promotion/Education: -Member of Ohio County PATCH (Planned Approach to Community Health);
Ohio County FRN (Family Resource Network); and Ohio County Interagency
Council -Community health needs assessment -Support and cooperative services to other community health agencies -Speakers upon request Regional Cancer Information Specialist (CIS): -Public and professional educational programs about breast and
cervical cancer screening guidelines, risk factors, breast self-examination
(BSE) -Free culturally sensitive, easy to read educational material
about breast and cervical cancer screening -Training for WV BCCSP volunteers -Continuing education programs for health care and social work
professional -Free physician reminder and chart flagging systems for breast
and cervical cancer screening -Worksite awareness campaigns and educational programs on breast
and cervical cancer for private and public businesses and organizations WIC Program: -Nutrition education and supplemental foods for pregnant and
breast feeding women, and for infants and children from birth
to five years of age -Nutritious foods such as milk, cheese, eggs, Juice, cereal,
beans, peanut butter, infant formula, and more -Breast feeding support and education For more WIC information, call (304) 234-3888 or fax
(304) 234-3889 All information received and services performed by the health
department are confidential. CAMPAIGN INFORMATION PACKET- Preventitve Medicine Article Click here to view the PDF
document "Wheeling Walks: A Community Campaign Using Paid
Media to Encourage Walking Among Sedentary Older Adults" Use of this article was granted with the sole purpose of being
included in this manual. This article may not be used in any other
way without specific permission. Additional article cut-outs (in PDF format): Campaign PRESS KIT -Campaign Information Packet (see
Appendix 4-a) -Event Announcement--sample -Event Media Advisory--sample -Event Press Release--sample CAMPAIGN PRESS KIT -
Rob Sweetgall – “The Real Forest
Gump” Monday, April 30, 2001 10:00
AM Ohio Valley Mall Monday, April 30, 2001 5:00
– 6:30 PM Ohio Valley Medical Center Both events free to the public! (Validated Parking
and refreshments at OVMC) After walking seven times across America, Rob Sweetgall will
explore the broad benefits of walking. This will include how walking
can reduce stress, blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes risks,
and obesity…. while improving longevity and a positive outlook
on life. Learn why taking even a short walk has benefit. Learn
dozens of ways to fit 6,000 extra footsteps into a frantic day.
Discover three ways walking can flatten your stomach and help
you take up less space on planet earth. See Rob Sweetgall at the Ohio Valley Mall where he, WHEELING
WALKS, and The Ohio Valley Mall will kickoff the “Walksport”
Program that will give mall walkers the opportunity to earn gifts
by walking. At OVMC, Rob will present Walk to Health. This is
one humorous, educational, entertaining, inspirational program
you don’t want to miss! Don’t forget to register for WHEELING WALKS
on line at www.wheelingwalks.org.
Please log your minutes on line or by calling XXX-XXXX. Remember Walk 30 Minutes on Almost Every Day! Isn’t It Time You Started Walking? CAMPAIGN PRESS KIT - Presents Mark Fenton- Editor-at-Large for Walking
Magazine Tuesday, April 24, 2001 at Wheeling Park High
School at 9:00 AM Tuesday, April 24, 2001 at Wheeling Jesuit University
at 7:00 PM Mark Fenton, an entertaining, persuasive, and knowledgeable walking
advocate, and one of the nation’s foremost experts on walking
will visit Wheeling on April 24, 2001. Mark is a vocal pedestrian
advocate and recognized authority on public health issues and
the need for community, environmental, and public-policy initiatives
to encourage more walking. Mark’s interest in walking began with the study of the biomechanics
of walking at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. After
earning BS and MS degrees there, Mark worked as manager of research
engineering at Reebok for three years. His work led to numerous
publications related to exercise science, human performance, and
athletic footwear and materials, while also providing plentiful
experience on the health benefits of walking. Currently Mark uses his knowledge of walking as an author, a
regular columnist in Walking Magazine and as a speaker
and motivator on public health and fitness issues. His instruction
spans the spectrum from introductory fitness-walking clinics to
coaching elite athletes. See Mark Fenton be officially welcomed to the City of Wheeling
by Mayor Nick Sparachane on April 24, 2001, at 9:00 AM at Wheeling
Park High School where he will give a presentation to students
of the school. The public is invited to attend. Please call WHEELING
WALKS @ 740-XXX-XXXX for reservations. In addition, Mark will
give a walking clinic to the general public at 7:00 PM @ Wheeling
Jesuit University. All area walkers are encouraged to attend. And don’t forget to register for WHEELING WALKS
on line at www.wheelingwalks.org CAMPAIGN PRESS KIT -
May 8, 2001 9:00 AM Oglebay Resort & Conference
Center Wheeling Hospital and Ohio Valley Medical
Center will host a physician’s press conference to promote and
encourage participation in WHEELING WALKS, an 8-week media
campaign that encourages Ohio Valley residents to walk 30 minutes
or more on almost every day. A continental breakfast will be served
beginning at 8:30 AM. Please join us for this meritorious event. CAMPAIGN
PRESS KIT - Media Advisory The Wheeling-Ohio County Public
Health Department, The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and WVU
Department of Community Medicine Announce Unique Walking Campaign
in West Virginia
Tuesday, April 17, 9:00AM This intensive media campaign will include
TV, radio, and newspaper ads as well as community activities
to let adults know about the ample walking places in Wheeling
and to encourage all adults to improve their health by walking
at least 30 minutes a day. The media campaign will be supplemented
by a comprehensive grassroots effort featuring family walking
activities, community walking events, physician "walking
" prescriptions, and faith-based walking programs.
Scientists have confirmed that lack of physical activity
contributes significantly to death and disability in the
United States. It is estimated that physical inactivity
alone annually accounts for approximately 200,000 deaths.
In West Virginia, 68 percent of the adult population reported
little or no physical activity in 1998 and West Virginia
ranked third worst among the 50 states for having no leisure-time
physical exercise at all. To improve heart, brain, and other body functions at all
ages, current public health guidelines recommend moderate
physical activity - 30 minutes or more - on almost every
day. Successfully communicating this information to communities
in ways that actually prompt citizens to put on their walking
shoes and walk remains underdeveloped. This advisory is provided for media planning purposes
only. Release is embargoed until 9:00 AM Tuesday, April
17, 2001 CAMPAIGN PRESS
KIT -
Embargoed until 9 AM
CONTACT: Tuesday, April 17, 2001
Dr. Bill Reger West Virginia University Begins Unique Health-Education
Campaign in Wheeling A unique walking campaign begins today on the airwaves, in the
streets, and on the walking trails in Wheeling, WV. WHEELING WALKS is a project developed by West Virginia
University and the Wheeling-Ohio County Health Department to promote
increased physical activity and reduce the burden of overweight,
heart disease and diabetes in the United States. It is an intensive,
eight-week, multimedia campaign aimed at communicating a simple
but important health message: that regular walking can provide
energy, help people feel better, give a person more time, and
improve overall health. And it doesn't take much time. The message will be aired through an extensive paid-advertising
campaign on local television, along with radio advertising and
print ads. The TV spots - produced by a Los Angeles agency that
specializes in political-campaign commercials - will air more
than 400 times in the Wheeling area, beginning during prime-time
programming today. The advertising campaign will be accompanied by a grassroots
community effort featuring walking clinics sponsored by the Ohio
Valley Runners/Walkers Club and Wheeling Jesuit University. There
will be walking programs in area schools, worksites, churches,
and civic groups. The WHEELING WALKS campaign opened this
morning with a kick-off event and press conference at the Civic
Center in Wheeling. The campaign runs through June 9. "Both the message and method of this campaign are distinctive,"
said Dr. Bill Reger, Associate Professor of Community Medicine
at WVU. "The advice we are offering is very focused and specific.
Unlike many health-education campaigns, that try to change a person's
entire lifestyle, we are offering people one simple, painless
activity that will yield significant health benefits for themselves
and their families. We believe this message will be communicated
with great impact by our TV spots, even competing against junk-food
ads with their mega-buck budgets." In one of the campaign's TV commercials, a woman discusses how
much energy her husband has since he started walking: "Ted
used to come home pooped. He did not have the energy for ... anything.
Then I told him about a commercial on walking. It said that walking
actually gives you energy. So Ted started walking. Ten minutes
at first and then a little more each day. Now he's walking 30
minutes a day, 5 days a week. It's good for his heart. It relieves
stress. These days Ted has the energy ... well ... for everything." “Isn't it time you started walking?" she asks, followed
by the campaign title: WHEELING WALKS. "Regular walking is one of the easiest and most important
steps you can take to better health," said Dr. Robert D'Alessandri,
Dean of the WVU School of Medicine. "By encouraging people
to walk 30 minutes or more almost every day, the campaign can
help individuals decrease blood pressure, prevent heart disease,
diabetes, and some forms of cancer; preserve bone density and
prevent osteoporosis. Many of West Virginia's health problems
would be improved if people would walk regularly 30 minutes, which
they can begin with 10 minutes and then increase when they feel
ready." WHEELING WALKS builds on the success of the Bayer Wellness
Program and the "1% Or Less" low-fat milk campaign in
reducing the risk for heart disease in this region. WVU's Dr.
Reger served as director of both campaigns. "A sedentary lifestyle, along with a poor diet, causes as
many deaths as tobacco," according to Reger. In West Virginia,
obesity and heart disease rates are nearly 20 percent higher than
the national average. (Nationally, one out of three Americans
is considered obese.) Lack of time - or the perception of a lack of time - is one of
the largest obstacles to regular physical activity. "Walking
30 minutes is just one TV show, and the average American watches
3-4 hours of TV per day, says Reger. "If you have time for
one TV show, you have time to walk." "Another problem is that people come home exhausted,"
said Reger. "However most people are mentally tired. Once
they start walking, people will find that walking actually gives
them energy." Many in the community are committed to WHEELING WALKS.
There are 45 volunteers in the Speakers Bureau, in addition to
the commitment of the entire Ohio Valley Runners/Walkers Club,
and a 67-member Advisory Board. According to Mayor Nick Sparachane of Wheeling: "Regular
walking can reduce stress, anxiety and depression. We are pleased
to see a campaign that provides community members with advice
that can significantly promote both physical and mental health,
but that is easy to understand and easy to follow." A wide range of community events are planned during the eight-week
WHEELING WALKS campaign: A key message of the campaign is that walking gives you energy.
"Give it a try," Reger encourages, "not only
will you reduce your chances of heart disease, but you will
feel better and have more energy." Campaign T-Shirt Design
30 minutes or more challenge
Model Talking Points about
WHEELING WALKS Walking is the most popular physical activity
in the United States and in the world. Doctors are more likely
to recommend walking than any other type of exercise. Sample "Thank You" NEWS FLASH! IN ONLY THREE DAYS OF THE WHEELING WALKS
30 MINUTES OR MORE CHALLENGE WE HAVE OVER 1000 WALKERS REGISTERED
We are sending this to thank you for your essential
help with the WHEELING WALKS 30 Minutes or More Kickoff.
We are grateful to have you on board for the campaign and recognize
that your contribution has almost guaranteed that this important
project will be a success. Please accept our heartfelt thanks. Sincerely, Dr. Bill Reger Holli
Theresa
Debbie
Campaign Information Sheet
WHEELING-OHIO COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT
Room 106
Wheeling, WV 26003
Telephone: (304) 234-3682
Fax: (304) 234-6405
WIC Program Telephone: (304) 234-3888
WIC Program Fax: (304) 234-3889
Administration: Larry W. Lewis, M.S.
Nursing Supervisor: Becky J. Beckett, R.N.
Environmental Health Supervisor: Nada Beneke, R.S.
WIC Program Director: Beth Dowler, L.D.
Cancer Information Specialist Maureen Barte, M.S.
Arthur McKenzie, Chairperson
Michael Caruso
Linda Elliott
Kathy Fortunato
John Holloway, M.D.
Deborah Wilcox, R.N.
Sampling of Press Article(s) on the Campaign
Wheeling Walks
Campaign Begins.
The Intelligencer ; April 18, 2001
Wheeling Walks:
Is Off and Running. The Intelligencer
Benefits of Walking...
The Times Leader ; March 19, 2002
Making walking a
healthy habit for life! Green Tab ; April 22, 2001
Picture of
Walkers in Rain The Intelligencer ; May 19, 2001
Sample Event Announcement
Sample Event Announcement
and log your miles on line or by calling XXX-XXXX.
Remember, Walk 30 Minutes or More on Almost Every
Day!
Sample Media Advisory
Physician’s Press Conference
Sample Media Advisory
WHEN AND WHERE:
The Wheeling Civic Center
2 14th Street
Wheeling, West Virginia
WHAT:
The Wheeling-Ohio County
Health Department, The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and
West Virginia University, Department of Community Medicine
(WVU) will hold a press conference to kick off the Wheeling
Walks 30 Minutes or More Challenge. This unique 8-week media
based campaign will encourage citizens of Wheeling and the
surrounding area to get off the couch and take a walk.
WHY:
WHO:
Speakers at the press
conference include:
EDITOR'S NOTE:
In addition to the speakers
at Tuesday's press conference, there will be:
EMBARGO:
CONTACT:
Debbie, Project Facilitator
XXX-XXXX
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Sample Press Release
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Innovative Program Uses TV Ads to Help Get Wheeling
Moving
Program Director Local Program Coordinator
Program Facilitator Program Assistant 