Public Relations

- Projecting a Positive Image

Maintaining an active public relations program is the key to letting the community know about your service to veterans and your widespread support of the local area.  Posts of any size can hold a series of VFW coordinated public programs and/or by sponsor existing events.  Here are a few ideas that all posts can easily put into motion:
 

• Conduct public Memorial Day and Veterans Day programs
• Purchase holiday gifts for needy families
• Sponsor a youth sports team
• Prepare a holiday meal for seniors
• Donate funds to a charity
• Visit local students
• Purchase new flags and offer to properly dispose of used flags
• Send packages to deployed troops
• Volunteer to help military families
• Welcome troops back home
• Raise funds through Buddy Poppies program
• Sponsor neighborhood beautification projects
• Offer to hold flag education seminars
• Recognize local veterans
• Support victims of local disasters

 Every issue of the Department’s newspaper showcases programs and events that posts use to support their communities and veterans. 

- Sharing Your Good News

Place public service announcements, news releases and advertisements in local media to promote upcoming events.  Contact the media a few weeks before the program to invite news coverage. Ask to speak with the editor or local reporter at newspapers, the assignment editors at television stations and the news director at radio stations.  Be prepared to educate them about how the event benefits the public and veterans since they may not be interested in activities that focus just on the post’s welfare.

Have a spokesperson available at all times during the event to work with the media.  To help ensure accuracy, always give reporters a copy of the program agenda—including the spelling of all names—and any other information that helps them to understand the program including speaker bios. 

 As soon as the program has ended, distribute a short news release that reports how the program benefited veterans and/or the community.  Include all key details (who, what, when, where and why) and use a limit of two typed pages. Send good quality photos to newspapers along with a caption that identifies all persons shown.

Media releases should appear on post letterhead, be straightforward and use layman’s terms to communicate your post’s news.  The goal is to give editors and news directors enough information to gauge newsworthiness plus information for contacting someone should questions arise. Deliver the release two weeks in advance of the event.

 Contact the Department’s Director of Communications/Public Affairs David Sandman if you need assistance with your media relations.  He can be reached at (717) 234-7927 ext. 22 or email DSandman@vfwpahq.org.  Samples of new release templates can be emailed to you.

 
- Photography tips

With today’s technology, it’s easy to capture good quality photographs that are suitable for use in the Department’s newspaper or to send to local media.  Keep these tips in mind:
 

• If you are using digital equipment, use the highest possible image quality setting.  Test your camera to see what setting will produce an image file in the area of 500 kb or higher at a print size of 4 x 6 or higher.
• Always use a flash to brighten up indoor photos and fill in shadows outdoors.
• Use a fast enough shutter speed to “freeze” your subjects.
• Get as close as you can to your subject without cutting anyone off.  If the “action” can be captured in a photo taken from the waist up, don’t include feet.  For group shots, setting up too rows of people is better than taking a wide shot showing one row of 12.
• Always check your prints/electronic files for sharp focus and for good flash coverage.
• Take a few more shots than what you think you need.
• Never send a “one-of-a-kind” original photo through the mail.

Whether you are inviting the media to a Post event or responding to an interview, effective media relations requires providing editors/reporters the information they need when they need it.  If you are working with TV media, remember to provide “visuals” to make the footage attractive.  Have a VFW logo or other interesting colorful backdrop to liven up the background.

Contact the media at least two weeks in advance and be prepared to provide the key information they need to fully inform their audience.  The more information you have, the more successful your pre-event publicity will be in attracting people and coverage.  Have a dependable, well informed spokesperson chosen to give media a point of contact and include contact information for both home and work. Consider inviting a media representative to host the event, which will help generate coverage.

 If the media calls to get comments about a breaking story, take these steps to deliver a good response:
 

• Each year when a new commander takes over create a publicity committee.
• Choose a post spokesperson well versed about the VFW and its programs.
• Inform all members that they should not speak for the post when contacted by the media.  All reporter calls should be directed to the spokesperson.
• Have a brief history of the post available.  Include an overview of the post’s community service and other details that show how the post benefits veterans and the community.
• If you are unsure about how to comment on a breaking news story contact State HQ for guidance. Never provide off-the-cuff comments or information that should be “off the record.”
• Prior to an interview, identify the top main thoughts you want to use to give the post a positive image and stick to those speaking points.
• Always remember that the primary purpose of communicating with the media should be to give the public a good impression of the post.  Egos and/or personal conflicts should not get in the way.

- Nat'l VFW Department Resources

Department of PA VFW, 4002 Fenton Ave., Harrisburg, PA 17109 - 5943
Ph: (717) 234-7927 • Fax: (717) 234-1955 • Email: LReece@vfwpahq.org

ErnieJH@Alltel.net
Department Webmaster