Schools, Colleges and University Toolkit
Working with the media
Once you’ve got some momentum behind your commitment to cycling more, why not promote it to the media?
Maybe you’re organising a special cycling event, or you’ve managed to get a good number of students, pupils or parents cycling in.
Whatever your news, the local media will always snap up a good story – especially if you link with other cycling related times such as back to school and Car Free Devon Day (September) and initiatives such as Bike Week (June).
Tips for writing a press release
Write a great headline: a short, sharp headline that conveys your message is the first step to getting good publicity.
One page: keep your press release to a single A4 sheet. Stick to the point and only include essential information and quotes.
Email it: many journalists now prefer to receive press releases by email. Format it as plain text rather than HTML and send it in the body of the email, not as an attachment.
Date it: include the date of the event in your headline.
Include a quote: a short but lively quote from a teacher or other member of staff adds to the impact of a press release, and may lead to an interview – and potentially better coverage.
Contact for more information: include contact details for the person a journalist can contact for more information.
