The goals of any HOSA chapter should include member recognition. Section C of the HOSA Handbook provides quality tools to help and your chapter promote its success. Public relations is the task of informing, creating awareness and understanding, and promoting a favorable attitude toward the HOSA organization. Each Chapter, therefore, will need assistance from outside sources in presenting a positive image of its program. This means that each member must “sell” the school and community on the value and importance of HOSA. Each HOSA Chapter should consider good public relations as part of its program.

 

News Releases

News may be defined as a daily chronicle of what has happened, what is happening and what may happen. The news must be current and of important interest to many people. News work requires complete, accurate, and timely information. The facts submitted for publication should be checked carefully and all names should be spelled correctly. When a news release is written, the information should be brief, to the point, and be limited to a maximum of two pages. The information should be typed, doublespaced, and should answer the questions: What, Who, When, Where, Why, and How.

(See sample news release as seen in Appendix R of Section C of the HOSA Handbook.)

 

What should be included in a news release?

What Business meeting, social activity, speaker, competitive events, or other activity.

Who Names of organizations and people involved, such as committee chairmen, elected officers, speakers, winners, etc.

When Exact date and time of meeting or activity.

Why Purpose of activity or meeting if not clear in description.

How Details of how the activity was carried out.

The lead (the first sentence or two) should answer these questions. The lead is designed to give the reader information quickly and in such a manner that he/she will want to read the rest of the story. After the lead, the details are written in declining order of importance. This permits the story to be cut from the bottom, if need be, without having to rewrite the article or leave out important facts. Be sure to stick to the facts! Be brief, accurate, and neat! Use short words, sentences, and paragraphs!

 

Mechanics of Preparing News Releases

♦ News releases should always be typed on one side of paper only and doublespaced, on 8 1/2” by 11” plain white, medium-weight paper (not onionskin).

♦ Allow ample margins (1 1/2”) for the editor to make notes. Leave about 2 1/2” for the first page blank at the top for the editor’s use.

♦ Identify your organization and/or school in the upper left-hand corner of the first page. Give the date the release is sent, the name of the person to contact for further information, and the address and the phone number.

 

Media List

The best way to get publicity for HOSA is to develop a media list by using the telephone directory to locate names and addresses. Many newspapers use the reporter’s name or byline on special interest stories. The committee should be alert to stories about the kinds of activities HOSA does and make notes of the writer’s name for the media visit. If the Chapter expects to write numerous news stories, the committee should visit various news people to establish contacts with editors and writers.

♦ Write a release date at the top of the page to indicate when the story can be published. If it can be published anytime, write “For Immediate Release.”

♦ If the news release consists of more than one page, end each page at the end of a paragraph. At the end of the release type “end” or “###.”

 

Photographs

♦ Provide photographs with a news release if possible.

♦ Try to portray some action in the photo.

♦ Take at least two (2) pictures of each event.

♦ Provide the photographer ample space and time to give instructions on what pictures he/she would like to take.

♦ Attach a description to each photo that is sent to a newspaper. Briefly, it should describe in one or two sentences what the picture shows and the names, titles, and affiliations of the subjects.

♦ Identify individuals in photographs from photographer’s left to right.

♦ Attach the description to the photo to prevent errors in identification.

♦ Do not write on the back of the photo as this may detract from engraving quality and may make it unusable.

♦ Write the name, address, and HOSA identification if the photo is a head shot of an individual.

♦ To mail, enclose the picture between cardboard in order to prevent damage.