home > pressroom > events > social work month 2003

Media Outreach Tips

The National Social Work Month 2003 Planning Toolkit is a resource template to help you educate the public about the social work profession by highlighting social workers in your community.  Social work, regardless of practice area, positively affects millions of people every day.   In March 2003, we want to help the media and others learn more about the specific roles social workers have in “preserving rights and strengthening voices.”

To help spread the word about social work, this toolkit focuses on the media as an important ally.  Information promoted in the press creates an important third party endorsement for our issues.  But to have issues, events, and individuals covered by the media, and to better promote our themes and messages, we must first tell our story effectively. 

The toolkit is divided into press materials, background fact sheets, and campaign resources—all to help you tell your social work story in the best possible way. 

Information can be found on the following areas of social work practice:

• Health
• Mental Health
• Diversity and Cultural Competence
• International Social Work
• Social Justice
• School Social Work
• Aging
• Children and Families
• Poverty
• Advocacy and Organizing

Each issue area in the toolkit has a corresponding press release, fact sheet, and resource list. The general op-ed is written to celebrate Social Work Month 2003, and to recognize the contributions of social workers everywhere. The general fact sheets and campaign ideas can be used throughout the year, and more information is available on the NASW website at www.socialworkers.org. 

Tips for sending a press release or media advisoryissues

Distributing a press release or media advisory is a simple, yet effective way to inform the local media about an issue or upcoming event or conference. In this case, we are letting the media know about National Professional Social Work Month 2003, and the commitment social workers make to improve communities through legislative advocacy, service delivery, research, and education.

Press releases provide print and broadcast reporters with basic information on a specific topic. Choose two or three issues of focus for your local campaign, then send the corresponding press releases out to media outlets in your community one or two weeks before your event or during the month of March. In most instances, mentioning a social worker in your community or an organization in the field will give the release a local angle, making it more newsworthy for local media.

Look for reporters who cover specific beats such as health, seniors, and education. It’s best if you send the press release to a specific reporter or an assignment editor. Contact information can be found by calling the media outlet directly or through one of the many media guides available. Many journalists prefer e-mail communication, so please contact NASW Public Affairs if you need help finding local information at media@naswdc.org.

If you are planning an event during March, place a press release or media advisory on the “daybooks” and in “week-ahead columns.”  Also, call newswire services in your city or state—such as the Associated Press or United Press International—and ask them to place the release on their daybooks the week before, the day before, and the day of the event.  Also, try to place the advisory in the “week ahead” or “calendar” section of local newspapers, and business publications that list upcoming events.

Media advisories should include:

• Event location and time
• Event sponsor
• Names, titles, and affiliations of key speakers
• A short explanation of the importance of the event
• A brief description of National Social Work Month
• A contact name and phone number

After sending the release or advisory, contact reporters by phone to determine their interest in attending or covering the event or issue.  Often, the personal touch can help generate media interest.

Also, don’t forget to contact specialized media outlets, such as African American, Hispanic/Latino, or other minority newspapers or radio stations, as well as college or university media organizations.  Other targets to consider are neighborhood papers, company newsletters, community centers, local associations, alumni groups, etc.

Another effective way to generate media coverage is to submit the general op-ed as a letter to the editor to your local newspaper.  Make sure you inquire about the newspaper’s policies concerning letters to the editor and follow the guidelines provided.  Tailor the letter to address local concerns within your community and use personal stories whenever possible.  It’s also a good idea for your letter to address a hot issue currently in the media.  It may also help to follow-up with a phone call to the editor to ask if your submission will be printed or if any additional information is needed.

Follow these same rules for submitting an op-ed, but remember that an op-ed letter is your opportunity to present a personal point of view with much more detail than a letter to the editor.  Editorial boards and readers often respond well to an op-ed that has a human-interest and local slant. The enclosed template is a starting point.  Be sure to include as much specific information as you can.

Tips for using the fact sheets

The toolkit contains two types of fact sheets—issue related and general fact sheets about NASW and the profession.  The issue fact sheets provide a general overview of social work within the ten areas highlighted for Social Work Month and are designed to have longevity beyond March. They are to be used as background information for reporters or as content on your website or newsletter. They are concise and to the point in order to encourage the reader to learn more, and are not meant to be comprehensive articles covering the breadth of the social work profession.  The general fact sheets can be included in newsletters, on your website, and for media interview talking points.  They can be used throughout the year as well, and can make interesting teasers for e-mail introductions to reporters.

Tips for using the resource lists

Each resource list shows how NASW works in a unifed way to advance the profession. The Association produces publications, offers special member benefits, coordinates advocacy efforts, and manages programs related to the ten selected practice areas. When used in newsletters or other publications, these resources should be published as a sidebar. They can also be used as background information for reporters, or anyone looking for more information on a particular subject.

During Social Work Month, it’s important to point out the different ways social workers can get involved, and to highlight professional resources. Many are unaware that specialty practice sections exist or that publications are available to keep them up to date on new social work research.  Connecting more social workers with NASW and other professional social work organizations is another important goal of Social Work Month.