These tools support lodges and sections in sharing the Order of the Arrow’s story in the community. The OA regularly performs exceptional service to our communities yet receive little to no local media coverage. The following guide, tools and resources are aimed at outreach and communication with our local media stakeholders. In order to lead by example, OA Lodges are encouraged to facilitate media engagement with local media – community newspapers, TV and radio news.
Considerations for Media Engagement:
Understanding the Media in Your Community
Each community’s media market has a unique set of characteristics. Smaller media markets are much more willing and able to cover community service projects and notable OA events/activities. However, in larger markets (like Los Angeles, Houston, Chicago and New York) the media will be more selective, but it is not impossible to garner media coverage. Even large markets have local community media outlets that are looking for positive local stories to tell.
It is important to recognize these unique media characteristics and make your best effort to demonstrate a professional approach and respect the media (don’t target large regional media with a community story). Take a moment to review the coverage of the local media in your community. Do they cover non-profit news stories? If so, they are a perfect fit to tell the positive stories generated by your OA organization.
Identify Key Media
Identify the key media the Lodge wishes to target in the community. Media types may include: a) Community and Local Newspapers; b) Municipal TV Channel; c) TV News; d) Radio News; e) Neighborhood Magazines and Newsletters; and f) Lodge/Council Newsletter and Website.
Developing relationships with media is not a requirement but understanding the type of stories they like to cover and how they like to receive news and tips can be very valuable in securing coverage of the next big lodge or section project. Establishing lines of communication with the media is also important. Limit surprises. Advanced notification to the media can assist with both ongoing relationship building and reserving time/space for the story.
Suggested Tools
Each lodge and section is unique, from their leadership, membership size, geography, and media market size. Likewise, each operates differently. You may have PR and marketing professionals or council marketing committee resources that can be tapped for assistance. The key is to present the OA in the most professional manner so the media will take the news opportunity seriously and will consider covering the efforts of your lodge or section.
This page contain templates that will aid you telling the OA’s story locally and sharing it with key internal and external audiences.
Each lodge and section and their projects are unique, and identifying and engaging the media should be determined on a case-by-case basis.
Should you have question about seeking local publicity or how to handle media relations for your lodge and section, feel free to email: @email.
Key Messages
The official key messages of the Order of the Arrow are included for your use when conducting interviews and communicating with the media. A similar key message document should be created for the lodge’s specific project/event. Both of these key message documents should be used to prepare your spokespersons and anyone else that will be offered to the media for interviews. (Important: Key Message documents should NOT be shared with the media or placed within the media kit. They are for internal use only, for preparation purposes.)
Order of the Arrow
- The OA is the National Honor Society of the Boy Scouts of America, and serves to allow Scouts and Scouters to recognize their peers by election.
- The OA teaches the value of brotherhood and cheerful service as a facet of Scouting and as a part of daily life.
- Leadership development is a big part of the OA; like Scouting, it is a youth lead organization, and gives youth the opportunity to grow their skills in a different, grander context.
To be delivered by Arrowmen/Scouts
- Scouting teaches us how to do the right thing, to help others, and to be courteous and kind.
- Scouting has given me the opportunity to do a lot of fun and challenging things that I might not have tried otherwise. I know now I can achieve things that I might have thought were too hard or scary before.
- I think it’s good for kids today to be involved in Scouting because it’s really fun. We get to go on all kinds of adventures, and earning merit badges is a fun way to learn about lots of different things.
- I know the lessons I learn in Scouting will stay with me throughout my entire life.
- If we were all to live by the Scout Oath and Scout Law, I believe it would have the power to change our country—and even the world!
To be delivered by OA Adult Leaders
- We continue to stay focused on the fundamental values of Scouting—things like character, leadership, and service.
- Collectively in 20XX, Scouts gave more than XX million hours of volunteer service, at a value of more than a $XXX,XXX,XXX to the communities where they live.
- More than XX,XXX young men in the Boy Scouts earned the rank of Eagle Scout.
- We’re excited about the future of Scouting, and how it will continue to positively impact our community.
Media Engagement Checklist
This checklist will provide a step-by-step process for pitching newsworthy stories to the local media. In addition, professional public relations tips are explained along with each step. Your newsworthy project/event presents a significant opportunity for telling your story to your community media. Your lodge and section accomplishments are a mark of pride for the OA as an organization and should be shared with the community via the local media. Beyond the project/event itself, there is also a significant opportunity to highlight the Scout or Scouts leading the project and to shine light on their personal Scouting accomplishments.
STEP ONE: DEVELOP “THE STORY”
Determine what the key points and key messages you wish to communicate and share with the community via the media.
STEP TWO: PRESS KIT CREATION
PREPARE A LOCAL PRESS KIT TO SHARE WITH MEDIA. See the resources below to find various templates and documents that can be personalized to put press kits together for the media. These documents will serve to provide the media with relevant information that will aid informing a solid story. Press kits can be shared with the reporter in electronic format or hard copy. If materials are shared via hard copy, it is recommended that all press kit materials be housed together in a OA, section, or lodge-branded folder. (Helpful Hint: Press kit folders can be easily created from a glossy pocket folder with a Lodge flap or OA logo sticker pasted to the front of the folder.)
Materials to include, in the press kit:
- Local news release. Be sure to personalize the news release with local data and quotes and add contact information so that reporters can follow up with questions and interview requests.
- Fact sheet. This piece, shorter in form than the full press release, provides a snapshot of the project or story.
- Order of the Arrow Fact Sheet. Use this fact sheet to consistently communicate background information about the Order of the Arrow.
- Graphic assets. This includes, photos, videos, and/or information graphics which illustrates the project or help tell the story.
STEP THREE: MEDIA LIST CREATION
MAKE A MEDIA CONTACT LIST. You may already have an existing media list from which you work from on a regular basis. If not, with a little research, you can create one to aid you in pursuing media outreach across your community/media market.
Your media list should include all newspapers in the area, along with local broadcast news affiliates (ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, etc.). Include those reporters and editors with whom you have an existing relationship and also round out the list to include: Community/metro reporters
Youth and or non-profit organizations reporters News assignment editors and broadcast news desks
STEP FOUR: MEDIA OUTREACH AND STORY PITCHING
REACH OUT TO REPORTERS WITH A COMPELLING PITCH. When sending your press kit to the media, you should use the opportunity to grab the reporter’s or editor’s attention with a brief but compelling pitch. (Why does this matter to the reporter?
Why should they care? What does this have to do with the local community?) This is your opportunity to make the case for your—and your lodge’s or section’s—story and why it should be considered.
We’ve included sample language for your reference. You should feel free to personalize the pitch to your tone and voice as much as possible. Any suggested language is simply a starting point. But remember, be brief and keep it relevant.
STEP FIVE: SPOKESPERSON KEY MESSAGE DELIVERY
PREPARE POTENTIAL INTERVIEWEES. It will be important to identify Scouts/Arrowman, leadership, and council staff and key volunteers that can be available for interviews should the reporter request it (they usually do). Having a list at the ready also adds meat to your pitch, promising a better, more localized, and more humanized story.
In advance of any interviews, make sure that the spokespersons are familiar with the key messages of the story and can speak to the facts from a personal standpoint. To help you, there are sample core OA messages included for your review. Don’t’ forget, adding personal tone and perspective to these messages will be important.
STEP SIX: MEDIA FOLLOWUP
MAKE A PERSONAL CONNECTION WITH THE REPORTER. After your pitch and press kit have been sent to reporters, it is recommended that you follow up via phone to make a personal connection and gauge any interest they may have in the story. At this time, you can reinforce the key messages and communicate the individuals you are making available, whether it’s an invitation to attend a local project or an interview with a Scout/Arrowman.
STEP SEVEN: MEDIA ALERT
SEND OUT EVENT REMINDERS TO THE REPORTERS. After your press kit and pitches have been sent to reporters, it is recommended that you send out a media advisory to the media and their respective news/assignment desks one week in advance of the project/event. A template media alert has been provided. (Please be respectful of the reporter’s time, if they expressed no interest in the story you pitched to them in Step Six, do NOT send a media alert.) Media Alerts are especially effective with TV, Radio and Newspaper news/assignment desks. These desks often make news assignments to reports less than 24-hours in advance based on media alerts and press releases they have on file in the news room for any given day. Therefore, the Media Alert is a very important tool and step in garnering media coverage and this step should not be skipped.
Suggested Media Outreach Timeline
| Task | Suggested Date |
|---|---|
Develop:
| Two-Months prior to the project/event |
Send media pitch:
| Two to three weeks prior to the project/event |
| Distribute media alert | One week prior to project/event |
| Make pitch calls to media and offer interviews | One week prior to project/event |
| Assign Key Media Representative(s) and Spokesperson(s): Get Council Approvals, Train on Key Messages, Media Protocol/Handling (hosting the media onsite) | One to two weeks prior to the project/event |
Track and share any media coverage with:
| ASAP Following project/event |
Media Advisory Template (PDF)
This template should be used as a heads up “alert or advisory” to the media and should be sent one week prior to the project/event. Resending this information 24- hours before the event is also recommended as a “best practice.”
Press Release Template (PDF)
This template provides a suggested format for communicating news in a format that the media is used to receiving, but still leaves room to tell the lodge or section’s story in a way that will be attractive to the media. This template can be used after an event to garner post-event media coverage or can be handed out to the media attending the event to ensure the media has a good handle on the story’s facts.
Sample OA Factsheet (PDF)
The OA Factsheet should be part of your Lodge media kit to consistently communicate about the Order of the Arrow.
Media Pitch Language (PDF)
These templates provide a suggested format for communicating directly with the media when pitching story ideas (following up on a press release and or media alert). These templates include an email pitch letter and phone pitch script.