To

 

Chairman

THE PUBLIC INFORMATION COMMITTEE

(Subcommittee of the Club Service Committee)

Each club should see that Rotary is
properly understood by its community.
Rotary does not want publicity for pub-
licity’s sake alone, but it is desirable to
cultivate public understanding of, and
sympathy with, the ideals, purposes,
and projects of the Rotary club.

Composition of Committee

A chairman, who is a member of the
club service committee.

Such other members as local condi-
tions require.

Functions

Devises and carries into effect plans
to bring about a better understanding
of Rotary by the public in general.

Establishes friendly contact with the
local newspapers-and radio stations and
sees that news about the club meetings
and club activities is supplied to them.

Seeks opportunities for Rotarians to
explain the principles of Rotary before
public groups, on the radio, or by invit-
ing selected persons to the club when
some outstanding program is to be
presented.

Cooperates with other committees of
the club in planning appropriate pub-
licity on club projects in which the sup-
port of the public is invited or in which
there is manifest public interest.

Pointers for Publicity
1. Last week’s doings are not news this
week.

While a newspaper may use yester-
day’s news today, or last week’s
news this week, you will make a
better friend of the editor if you will
get news to him while it is “hot.”
“Never procrastinate” should be the
motto of the committee members
responsible for contacting the news-

papers.

2.

“A nose for news.”

The Rotarian who can recognize
news in what to others appears to be
trivial or routine, will make the best
public information committee mem-
ber.

. “Brevity is the soul of wit.”

It is also vital in getting publicity.
The shorter the news item, the bet-
ter the chances of its being pub-
lished, or put on the radio. Go
through the first draft of what you
have written and see how many
words you can cut out before re-
leasing it. News writers learn to
say what they have to say, and then
stop. They are careful not to con-
ceal their ideas behind a hedge of
words.

Prepare copy carefully.

If the editor must have your copy
retyped, you may miss a deadline
and fail to have your material used.
It is a safe rule always to prepare
items on the typewriter, double
spaced, on one side of the paper.
Wide margins leave room for edi-
tor’s markings.

Names make news.

Everyone likes to see his name in
print. Editors know this and like to
receive names with news items.
However, this must not be over-
done. The name of a special
speaker or honored guest is news;
the names of everyone present at a.
regular meeting are not news.
The five W’s.

Every news story should tell who,
what, when, where and why, what-
ever else it may contain.

Sugar coat Rotary.

The skillful public information com-
mittee member will see that at least
a few words about the ideals and