Public Affairs Director

Results & Photos of Band Competitions – If the Communications Coordinator is not going to an event, he/she needs to arrange with someone to write down the results of the competition, including scores/ratings, and to take digital photos. These need to get to the CC within 12-18 hours of the conclusion of the event (see Timeliness below)

News Releases:

In General – This project is best left to one person, preferably someone who expects to be able to devote at least two, if not three, years. There are several reasons for this, not the least of which is continuity with the contacts. It’s very reassuring knowing that I could call one of the local editors an hour or two before deadline to let them know an article is on its way. A few times I even got calls from the writers/editors wanting to know if I had anything for them (must have really been a slow news day).

Distribution Lists – I recommend using MS Outlook (or Outlook Express) for a variety of reasons. I won’t go into them all here, but tops on that list is that I can forward the entire distribution list, Newspaper, Radio & TV in a vCard folder, which can be copied and pasted directly from an Outlook Inbox to the Address Book. If someone is unfamiliar with using Outlook, I will be happy to provide some tutoring.

Deadlines -- Having a broadcasting background and used to hourly deadlines 24/7, it took me a while to get the grasp of when which newspaper needed to have something to meet their print deadline. It’s been three years since I polled everyone on that, so it would be a good idea for the next person to make that a #1 priority. It would also serve as a method of introduction. This should be done via telephone, as opposed to email., so that name spellings and addresses can be verbally confirmed. Also, many of the TV and Radio stations have changed their email addresses over the past year, and they will need to be updated. TV and Radio only get pre-event notices, Newspapers get everything.

Timeliness – Yes, it’s only high school marching band, but the newspapers, especially the Times and Centreview, love to have the post-event news releases within 48 hours of the event – particularly if they have pictures. Pre-event news releases need to be in the hands of the editors, broadcast and print, at least 4 weeks in advance. This means that the PR person must be able to get as many details of future events as far in advance as possible. This can sometimes be tricky, because, once school starts, KT and AJ tend to think on a moment-by-moment basis. Having a copy of their Master Calendar as early as possible would make this person’s job much easier. The news releases can be worked up well-ahead of time, and then sent as needed.

Photos – Newspapers LOVE our pictures. Most accept them via email. The Greenbriar Flyer does not – they must be hand-delivered to the editor, which has just changed and I don’t know the person, but can find out. Preferred format for digital photos is .jpeg. Resolution is a major concern because the larger the file, the longer it takes to email. Using Adobe Photo Deluxe, I typically would work the picture down to a 5 x 7. They have no preference as to black/white or color.

Music Dept Coordination – A few events (e.g. Holiday Spectacular, Jazz & Pizazz) involve other Fine Arts’ groups… orchestra, choral, drama. The Band Communications Coordinator should check with the other participating Booster representatives to determine who will handle PR – before and after).

VIP Invitations – During the past year, I began inviting School Board and FCPS Administrators such as Daniel Domenech, the Fine Arts Curriculum specialists and their PR people, and other dignitaries to our events. The answer is usually, “sorry, I’m already booked for that date…” but it would seem to be a worthwhile practice to continue, particularly should the day come that the music programs are being scrutinized as cost-cutting item. It also lets the elected types know that we know who has or has not taken the time to find out what Chantilly students have done. Gary Gunnerson now has the email addresses for these people.