Global Action Week 2007 | Canadian Global Campaign for Education

If you plan to invite the media to your classroom for the World's Biggest Lesson, be sure to use the informatin in this media alert to assist you. Otherwise, there are some general tips when working with the media.

Identify your media opportunities: Identify what news you will provide - this will be your media opportunity - it might be a large number of people at the big join up event, new or shocking information or research on education, the attendance or endorsement of a celebrity or politician.
Identify your key message: Pick 3 clear, key messages that you wnat everyone to hear and understand.
Identify your target audience: Choose your target audience and talk to them appropriately - whether politicians, policy-makers or the public.

Look for news hooks or make news: There maybe other opportunities to get education and the global action week into the press, look out for what else is happening in the news and if there is the opportunity for hooking the action week events onto other relevant pieces of news.

Write your media strategy: This plan will help you get the media coverage you want. On the next page find a template media strategy for you to adapt and use to fit your context.

Media alerts and press releases: Write a press release and distribute it widely several days before the event telling them what is happening, where and when and why they should be there. On the day follow up with a press release with all the relevant local facts and statistics.

Media lists: Use a comprehensive list of all your target journalists, editors and producers for the print, broadcast radio, television and websites that you want to feature global action week. It's appropriate to include news, education and legal correspondents in this list.

Photo opportunities: The news that travels furthest is often visual - think of ways of making your campaign vibrant, different, and worth looking at. Photo opportunities may be the attendance of a famous people or politicians. If you've used case studies, and stories, try to get photos of the people involved. Include banners, t-shirts, or other material that has key messages and gce's logo in the background of photos. Make sure there is a photographer and possibly a film crew present - if you're expecting the press to provide this, give them a warning of exactly when and where the photo opportunity will be and what it will be of.

Spokespeople: Appoint a spokesperson who can respond on behalf of your coalition and make sure they are available and accessible for media interviews and that they are briefed on your top 3 key messages. If possible the spokesperson should be someone well rehearsed in public speaking and well respected.

Key Messages

1 in 5 people are being denied their education rights. 73 million children and 800 million adults are missing out on the chance of an education.

Education was enshrined in the universal declaration of rights sixty years ago in 1949. Education for all (efa) has been promised by world governments - and it's aimed that it will be available to all by 2015. At current rates of progress these targets will not even be met by 2115.

In demand for all governments to meet the efa targets campaigners are inviting the politicians and journalists back to school to take part in the world's biggest lesson, on the 23rd april 2008.

Together we're demanding world leaders take urgent action to get everyone into school. Poor countries must agree and implement long term education plans and rich countries must support these plans and make resources available.