It’s Time to Deliver: Media Opportunities

[TrueBlueTerrier]

No. 683/08
Ref
Date: 4 September 2008

TO: ALL BRANCHES WITH POSTAL MEMBERS



Dear Colleague

It’s Time to Deliver: Media Opportunities

As branches will be aware, the postal campaign is intensifying as we go into conference season and anticipate the Hooper review team’s final report. A major focus of the campaign will be the march and rally at Labour Party conference in Manchester on Monday 22nd September. In this LTB we are asking branches to try to get some media interest in your local press.

Responsibility
Make sure that you have at least one person taking responsibility for media work – normally the branch secretary and/or a branch communications lead. They will need to write and send out a press release, contact the local media and be prepared to provide quotes and radio interviews where necessary.

Press release
Attached to this LTB is an example press release which branches can use as a template. The bits in italics need changing to reflect your own local situation and contact details. If you face a mail centre closure or post office closures in your area put these in as examples. This will draw more attention and interest from local journalists. You will need a local angle of some sort to have a better chance of coverage.

If you are sending people to the demonstration in Manchester, put in a rough number or say if you are sending a coach, minibus etc. Please feel free to change the quote to reflect local views or campaign hooks.

Who to contact
If you already have contacts on your local newspaper(s) and radio station(s) they are obviously the best place to start. It is also worth sending press releases to the newsdesk. To find out the e-mail address for the newsdesk simply phone up the newspaper/radio station and ask the receptionist or ask to be put through to the newsdesk and speak to them direct.

It’s best to send press releases in plain-text format in the body of an e-mail. You can also attach it including pictures, logos etc. Once you have sent the press release, phone the journalist or newsdesk to make sure they have received it and make yourself available to answer questions or do radio interviews.

Other ways of generating media interest
In addition to the suggested press release, you can generate local media interest by writing to your local MP(s) and letting the local press know or by publicising any events, demonstrations, petitions etc that you may be running in relation to the postal

campaign. Anything with a local angle and new ‘hook’ can provide the opportunity for media interest.

Tips and guidance
The key is to keep it fresh, with a local angle and a local spokesperson. Journalists love facts and figures so make sure you can give them some numbers, for example number of people in a given workplace, jobs threatened, people attending a protest etc. If you do not feel comfortable doing radio interviews, try to find someone who is, perhaps contact your regional secretary. Do not feel you have to answer every question that a journalist asks. Try to stick to CWU policy. If in doubt, refer any tricky media requests to Sian Jones in the press office on 020 8971 7267 or 0779 331 4249 or e-mail sbjones@cwu.org

Yours sincerely



Kevin Slocombe
Head of Communications



PRESS RELEASE

Date

For immediate release


CWU postal demonstration at Labour Conference


Hundreds of postal workers will march through Manchester on Monday 22nd September culminating outside the Labour Party’s annual conference in protest against drastic changes and closures in the postal industry.

Number of postal workers from branch/town/area will join the demonstration in protest at the proposal to close mail centre/workplace/post office or at imposed negative changes to the post system and/or imposed changes cutting the Royal Mail pension scheme and raising the retirement age.

Name, branch secretary, said: “There are huge changes taking place in the mail industry at the moment which could have a damaging impact on jobs and services. Royal Mail want to close large numbers of mail centres which will mean potentially thousands of job losses across the country. This will undoubtedly have an effect on the quality of mail services.

“Competition in the UK postal industry has not brought any benefits to small businesses or domestic mail users. We want the government to guarantee the future of the universal service and implement their commitment to keep Royal Mail fully integrated and in the public sector.”




The demonstration is organised by the Communication Workers Union. Over a thousand postal workers, pensioners and members of the public are expected to attend the rally at Castlefield and then march through Manchester to the Labour Party conference culminating in Barbirolli Square.

11.30 Assembling in Castlefield for rally with speakers, including Billy Hayes (general secretary), Dave Ward (deputy general secretary) and others tbc

12.30 March leaves Castlefield along route agreed with police ending in Barbirolli Square opposite the Labour Party Conference


Ends