WORKSHOP: Helping Nonprofits ‘Get the Word Out’

The Big Island Press Club and Nā Leo TV will offer a workshop designed to help local nonprofit organizations get their news releases on air, in print and online.

Get the Word Out: Do’s and Don’ts of Media Releases in the Digital Age will be held from 9 a.m. to noon Thursday, Nov. 1, 2018, at Nā Leo TV, 91 Mohouli St. in Hilo.

“This workshop will provide guidance for nonprofits on how to best develop and submit press releases so they are used and the word gets out to the public,” said Big Island Press Club President John Burnett.

Donalyn Dela Cruz, public relations specialist and former journalist, will present do’s and don’ts of press releases and tips on how to get nonprofits’ timely information out to the community.

A Q&A session will follow with media from radio, print, online, TV and social media. Sherry Bracken of Mahalo Broadcasting; Nancy Cook Lauer, Oahu Publications (West Hawai‘i Today, Hawai‘i Tribune Herald); Karin Stanton, Hawaii247.com; and Micah Alameda, Nā Leo TV; will be available to answer questions about their respective media release policies.

Dela Cruz is the vice president of communications for S360 Hawai‘i, an O‘ahu public affairs and strategic communications firm. She has over 20 years of combined experiences in broadcast, print, and digital media, public relations, communications strategy, government affairs, and community outreach.

Workshop participants will receive fact sheets with media contacts and press release submission information for island radio and TV stations, print and social media.

The cost is $10 and space is limited. Register online by Thursday, Oct. 18. An opportunity for networking and a bento lunch will be available from noon to 1 p.m.

The Big Island Press Club has been serving as media watchdog and protecting the public’s right to know since 1967. It is a nonprofit organization whose members come from both the media and the general public.

Nā Leo TV is one of four independent public, education, and government entities in the State of Hawai‘i, which has responsibility for providing such services for the Island of Hawai‘i. The mission of Nā Leo TV is to facilitate diverse community, education, and government dialog and expression by providing television access for the people of the County of Hawai‘i.