Delta Journalists:
Coverage You Can Count On
Regional Conference Cycle 2009
AGENDA
 Welcome and Purpose
 Information & Communications Structure
 Crafting a Successful Public Relations
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Strategy
Chapter Communications
Delta Publications
Newswriting
Resources
Closing
Purpose
 To
help chapters strengthen
communication with the news media and
the community
 To improve communication within
chapters through diverse mediums
 To introduce chapters to the format Delta
publications should follow
 To assist chapters with producing
effective publications
Sample Local
Information & Communications
Committee Structure
Information &
Communications
Chair
Journalist/
Media Relations
Specialist
Webmaster
Listserv
Manager
Marketing
Specialist
&
Graphic Artist
Crafting a Successful
Public Relations Strategy
Marketing
The Marketing Specialist/Committee:

Helps chapter committees determine target
markets (women, families, teens, etc.) to
effectively create a plan for increased attendance
at events

Assists the chapter with creating ads for various
events and publications

Identifies opportunities for media sponsorships
– cable providers, newspapers, radio and TV
stations
Marketing
The Marketing Specialist/Committee:

Comes up with catchy titles to promote activities
that will reach target markets
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Creates marketing materials – brochures, flyers,
etc.

Develops collaborative partnerships with
community leaders, corporations, editors,
legislators, organizations and reporters for projects
to increase opportunities for media visibility
What is Newsworthy?
 Timeliness
– Topics that are new and even related to other
current events are appealing.
 Relevance
– The audience should feel a connection to the
story.
 Proximity
– Stories which occur in the viewer or reader’s
community have a greater impact.
What is Newsworthy?

Prominence
– Stories that involve celebrities or dignitaries have a
stronger appeal.

Human Interest
– Human interest stories aim to evoke responses such as
amusement or sadness.

Impact
– The more people who are affected by the story, the
better.
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Novelty
– If an event is unusual, bizarre, the first, the last, or oncein-a-lifetime, it has more news value than something that
happens all the time.
The Basics
 Who?
 What?
 When?
 Where?
 Why?
 How?
Working with the Media
 Establish
a timeline for news/press
releases, media alerts and articles
– Set deadlines for gathering information,
writing and distributing news releases, media
alerts and articles.
 Create
templates for news releases and
media alerts
 News Releases are usually detailed
 Media Alerts are brief (5 W’s and H)
Working with the Media
 Be
knowledgeable about print and
broadcast media schedules
 Maintain and update a list of media
contacts
– Divide reporters into categories such as
education, business and economics, politics,
community events, lifestyles, etc.
 Use
appropriate and consistent writing
styles
TV News Coverage
 Contact
the news department and ask for
the assignment desk
 Identify
calling
yourself and explain why you’re
 Find
out where to send your news release
and in what format
– e-mail is usually preferred
TV News Coverage
 Call
ONCE to confirm receipt of your news
release
 Call
again the day before your event, but
don’t expect a commitment
 Do
NOT call the newsroom during a
newscast
Community Calendar
 TV
and Radio Stations may provide this
service
 The calendar is a list of local events
 This segment usually airs during
commercial breaks
 Find out to whom information should be
sent
 Ask how often the calendar is updated
Media Sponsorships

Call the media outlet to identify the contact
person for sponsorship requests

Send a letter to the contact person
– Give basic information about your event
– Explain why your event is worthy of sponsorship
– Outline sponsorship levels
– Offer sponsors incentives
 Logo and/or company information displayed at event,
free ad in program booklet, tickets, etc.
Media Sponsorships
 If
you’re contacting a TV station, consider
inviting an on-air personality to serve as
Mistress or Master of Ceremonies
 Media
outlets want to be involved in the
community. Your event is an opportunity
for that to happen!
Other Ideas
 Billboards
 Media
Reception
– Invite local media to attend
– Provide information on Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
and your local chapter
– Consider identifying sorors in the chapter who are
experts in their field or well known in the community.
The next time a reporter needs a source, a soror may be
contacted for an interview.
 Public
Service Announcements
Assessment
 Develop
a monthly evaluation grid to
show accomplishments:
– Number of news releases sent
– Coverage generated because of committee
actions or collaborations with other
organizations
 This includes the number of mentions in
newspapers and magazines, as well as on the
radio and television
PR Resources
 “Guerrilla
PR Wired” by Michael Levine
 “Working with Words” by Brian S. Brooks,
James L. Pinson and Jean Gaddy Wilson
 “Strategic
Marketing for Nonprofit
Organizations” by Alan Andreasen and Philip
Kotler
Chapter Communications
Website

A good chapter website can serve as a communication tool
internally and externally
– List upcoming event information, meeting dates,
accomplishments or thank partners

MS Publisher and Microsoft Expression have easy tools to
create a website

GoDaddy, AOL and Yahoo provide economical ways to
upload sites to the Internet
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Chapter website should follow the Sorority’s Internet
Guidelines
Listserv
 Listserv/Email Groups:
– When e-mail is addressed to a LISTSERV mailing
list, it is automatically broadcast to everyone on
the list. The result is similar to a newsgroup or
forum, except that the messages are transmitted
as e-mail and are therefore available only to
individuals on the list.
 Free
resource: Yahoo Groups
 Establish rules and provide lessons on
using listservs
Other Ideas
 Calling
Tree
 Chapter
Hotline
 Newsletter
Social Media
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Internet Networking
– Black Planet
– Facebook
– LinkedIn
– MySpace
– College Alumni Pages
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Email Campaigns
– Constant Contact (fee)
– EMMA (fee)
– Evite
Delta
Publications
Delta
Publications
DELTA Journal and
DELTA Newsletter

Articles are accepted from chapters and
sorors year-round

Include the basics: who, what, when, where,
why and how

Chapter News, Delta Women, Omega Omega
and On the Yard submissions should be
limited to 200 - 300 words
DELTA Journal and
DELTA Newsletter
 Submissions
should be:
– E-mailed to headquarters (and I & C co-chairs as
necessary)
– Attached as a Word document
 Items
of Interest
– Chapter News
– Five Point Program initiatives
– Omega Omega
– Sorors’ unique accomplishments
DELTA Journal and
DELTA Newsletter
 Photography
– Send photos electronically in jpeg format
– Do not send photos that are not in focus
– Consider action shots, not just posed photos
– High resolution: 300 dpi or higher
– Do not send more than one photo per article
– Fee for ALL photo submissions is $20/each
– Identify everyone in the photo from left to
right
DELTA Journal and
DELTA Newsletter
Refer to the Chapter Management Handbook
 Editorial Board – National Information and
Communications Committee

– Soror Ashley Allison, Co-chair
 ashleyrallison@gmail.com
– Soror Erica Donerson, Co-chair
 erica.donerson@gmail.com

National Headquarters Staff
– Soror Ella McNair, Director of Programs and Public Relations
 emcnair@deltasigmatheta.org
– Soror Ashley Chaney, Publications/Communications Specialist
 achaney@deltasigmatheta.org
Newswriting
Newswriting
 The
ABCs of Newswriting
 Practicing Objectivity
 Story Structure
 Leads
 Quotes & Attributions
 AP & Sisterly Yours Style
The ABCs of Newswriting
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Accuracy
– A story can be creative and compelling, but if it
contains errors, it is worthless.
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Brevity
– Each word in your story should do a job. If not,
take it out. Don’t be redundant.
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Clarity
– Your story should not leave any questions
unanswered.
Practicing Objectivity
 Report
 Do
not write about your opinion
 Write
 Be
the facts
in 3rd person
balanced when writing about opposing
viewpoints
Story Structure
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Inverted Pyramid
– Lead paragraph
– Interesting facts and
colorful details
– Least important
information is found at
the bottom of the story
Leads
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The lead is the introductory portion of a news story,
especially the first sentence.
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The lead should hook the reader
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Keep leads short, punchy and informative
– 35 words or less
– Limit to 1 or 2 sentences
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Things to avoid
– Starting leads with “when” or “where” unless the time or place is
unusual
– Beginning leads with “there” or “this”
– Overusing quote and question leads
Quotes & Attributions
 Bring
 Let
a story to life
your sources “talk” to the reader
 Should
 Are
be special
great when they express emotion
Proper Use of Quotes
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Punctuation goes inside the quotation marks
The quote is attributed after the first sentence
The use of partial quotes should be minimized
Use past tense verbs for attribution in news
stories
_____ said is always preferred
Let quotes begin the paragraph, if possible
Associated Press and Sisterly Yours
Style
 When
writing an article, Sisterly Yours
format trumps AP style
 If
it is not mentioned in Sisterly Yours,
then refer to the AP Stylebook
Worksheet
Test Your Knowledge!
Worksheet Answers
Question One

Dear Soror Doctor Doe,
– Either use Soror or Doctor with the name of
the person, but do not use both.
Worksheet Answers
Question Two

Soror Jane Doe, who has her Doctorate
in English, lives in the Southern Region.
– Doctorate should not be capitalized.
Worksheet Answers
Question Three
 We
are the Sorors of the Huntsville
Alumni Chapter.
– Soror(s) should not be capitalized, unless it is
before a name.
 Correct Soror Jane Doe
 Incorrect Jane Doe is a Soror.
– It should be Alumnae, not Alumni.
Worksheet Answers
Question Four
 Delta
Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. hosts a
biannual national convention.
– Correct biennial, which means every two
years
– Incorrect biannual, which means twice a
year
Worksheet Answers
Question Five
 By:
Dr. Jane Doe
– This is called a byline and there is no colon.
– Correct  By Dr. Jane Doe
Worksheet Answers
Question Six
 Our
chapter is inviting First Lady Michelle
Obama to speak at an event.
– First lady and first family are always
lowercase, even when used before a name.
They are not formal titles according to the
Associated Press.
Worksheet Answers
Question Seven

We are going to visit assemblywoman
Crimson.
– Assemblywoman is capitalized in front of a
name. It should be Assemblywoman Crimson.
– Refer to “titles” in the AP Stylebook when
deciding whether to capitalize titles.
Worksheet Answers
Question Eight

Olive Claire Jones is one of the founders.
– Founder Jones chose to be known publicly as
Olive Jones. So, that’s how her name should
be written.
– The only time a person’s middle name,
maiden name or initials should be used, is if
that person goes by those names or initials.
 Ex. Cynthia M. A. Butler-McIntyre or James Earl Jones
– When referring to the 22 Founders, always
capitalize Founders.
Worksheet Answers
Question Nine
 Delta
Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. was
founded in Jan. 1913.
– When the month is used with just the
year, spell out the entire month.
Worksheet Answers
Question Ten
Regionals start on Jun. 25.

–
Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. does not have
regionals or nationals. The Sorority has national
conventions and regional conferences.
–
Spell out the month of June


The only months that are abbreviated are Jan.,
Feb., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov. and Dec.
The only time the month is abbreviated is when
it is used with a specific date (Jan. 13, 2010 or
Jan. 13).
Resources
Resources
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Associated Press
Stylebook (2008 or 2009)
Sisterly Yours!
Sorority’s PR Toolkit
Delta Sigma Theta
Profile
Protocol and
Traditions Manual
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Pyramid Study Guide
National website
“In Search of
Sisterhood”
“Shaped To Its
Purpose”
Past DELTA Journals
and Newsletters
National
Information and Communications
Committee
Ashley Allison, Co-chair
Erica Donerson, Co-chair
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Glenise Cloudy
Sharon Farmer
Eunique Jones Gibson
Rachael Gray
Daphne Higgins
Debra Lazare
Sheila McDaniel
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Joi-Marie Murphy McKenzie
D. Denise Peterson
Karla Solomon
Sylvia Turner
Libra White
Amber Wilton
Special thanks to:
Soror Ashley Chaney
Soror Sharon Farmer
Soror Kea Hagan
Soror Ella McNair
for their help with the presentation!