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Press Release Template

Something big just happened and you need to pull together a professional looking press release in the next 15 minutes? Don’t panic! Use this template as a road map to creating your release.

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Framing Guiding Questions

Framing tips and considerations for developing effective stories, messaging, and soundbites.

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Speaking for Ourselves: A Youth Assessment of Local News Coverage

Conducted by Bay Area high school students, this 2002 report examines coverage of youth on the local Fox affiliate, KTVU Channel 2. This report by CMJ (then the Youth Media Council) presents findings from a three-month study of trends in news coverage, and recommends steps journalists can take to improve reporting on youth and youth Read more

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Measuring Impact: An Organizer’s Toolkit to Evaluate Communications Effectiveness

Use this kit to evaluate the impact of your communications work; improve communications plans; develop winning media strategies; and track gains and change to become powerful media leaders and sources. This toolkit was developed by CMJ in partnership with Charlotte Ryan of the Movement/Media Research and Action Project (MRAP).

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Twitter Basics for Organizers

Did you know that almost half of journalists use Twitter as a source for a story? These days organizers are using Twitter to build relationships, mobilize people around causes and reach out to journalists. If you’re just starting out, take a look at our primer for beginners and get started tweeting.

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Media Strategy Resource Guide for Anti-Occupation Activists

This resource guide is developed in direct response to concerns that Arab, Muslim, and specifically Palestinian leaders have limited access to tools and resources needed to participate effectively in public and media debates on the occupation of Palestine.  While many important Jewish, Christian, and other leaders are working for a peaceful end to the Israeli Read more

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Communicate Justice 101: The Organizers’ Essential Guide to Strategic Communications

This comprehensive how-to toolkit collects all the skills and wisdom gained over CMJ’s years of conducting communications for grassroots organizing campaigns. Need to challenge racist bias, develop media materials, or run a media campaign from start to finish? Communicate Justice 101 shows you how, with straightforward tips and easy-to-use tools. From assessing your media readiness Read more

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Media Planning

So you’ve organized a rally for next weekend, and suddenly it dawns on you: media should cover the event! You scramble to write a press release, blast it to your press list, cross your fingers, and hope that reporters attend. Does this sound familiar? Too often, media work comes as an afterthought. Planning ahead may Read more