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Please feel free to tailor the template release to emphasize your agency's enforcement activities. Seat belt enforcement zones, child safety seat clinics, saturation patrols, and other stepped-up enforcement efforts are especially newsworthy. Fax the release to TV, radio, and newspaper outlets on the morning of the day when your activities begin and follow up to see if they need more information. If you are requesting that the media attend a press event or your enforcement zone, be sure you have enough press releases with you at your event to give to the reporters. Following the event, fax or e-mail the release to those reporters you had expected to, but did not, attend the press event.
Provided below are a few templates to use:
Distribute via fax, e-mail, regular mail or personal delivery to local media (television, radio, cable access, newspapers and magazines). Timely distribution will help get your agency more and better media coverage.
Follow-up with your local media by telephone and offer some of these ideas to enhance what you have already distributed.
The talking points/fact sheets are for anyone in your agency who will be speaking to the media and other audiences. These are the points to make when trying to interest a reporter in your efforts and they are the comments spokespeople can make when conducting an interview. The closer every law enforcement agency adheres to these talking points, the stronger the overall, statewide message that reaches the public.