Learning Objectives:

At the end of this session, participants will be able to:

All club members are responsible for promoting the club and Rotary.  The message should focus on what Rotary is, what Rotary does, and how others can get involved.  Members should be fully informed about the Object of Rotary and Rotary programs and activities.

The public relations committee develops and executes a plan to provide the public with information about Rotary and promote the club's service projects and activities.

Other committees can help in the following ways.  

• Membership committee: to recruit qualified members who work in the media, including television, print, and radio
• Club administration committee: to develop a club brochure or Web page and create a Rotary fact sheet for the public
• Service projects committee: to inform the public relations committee of activities worthy of media coverage

• Local newspapers and magazines
• Billboards and other public-space media, including bus and train stations
• Online publications
• Trade publications
• Local television and public access cable stations
• Radio stations, including public affairs shows and talk radio
• Newsletters of corporate or community organizations
• New media, including blogs, online videos, podcasts, and social networking sites

To prepare to serve as a spokesperson, club presidents-elect should:

• Be able to answer What is Rotary? Who are Rotarians? and What does Rotary do?
• Work with the club public relations committee to develop concise statements to explain Rotary and the club to the media
• Access public relations resources at www.rotary.org for media outreach ideas, press release templates, and public relations tips
• Concentrate on answers that are positive, factual, specific, and brief

• Short news releases are the most widely used means of sending information to the media.
• A good news release answers who, what, when, where, why, and how.
• Fact sheets provide background information about Rotary, its history, objectives, and project emphases.
• Fact sheets can be used to educate new and prospective members.

It is important to provide media with projects that are positive and news worthy.

• Projects involving local youth or prominent community members
• A notable or prominent speaker at a club meeting
• Presentations by RI or Rotary Foundation program participants about their experiences in
  another culture

Public relations resources include:

• District public relations committee
• Public Relations Division staff at RI World Headquarters
• The following are suggested club resources:
• Effective Public Relations: A Guide for Rotary Clubs
• Media Crisis Handbook