Your effort is instrumental in getting the afterschool Public Service Announcements (PSAs) placed in newspapers and well as on tv, cable tv, and the radio

• Key points and tips
• Whom to address
• Send an automatic email or compose a letter to media in your area asking them to run these ads.
• Learn more about the afterschool PSA campaign

Here are key points and tips to remember when you call or write the media about placing afterschool PSAs, or whenever you interact with the media.

Key Points on Afterschool:

• Afterschool is an important issue in every community. The parents of 28 million children work outside the home.
• 14.3 million children are unsupervised every day after school. These youth are left vulnerable to crime and risky behaviors.
• Afterschool programs offer youth a safe haven and much more. In afterschool, youth can learn new skills, discover new talents and just hang out and have fun.
• This PSA campaign lets youth know what these programs can offer, and encourages them to check it out. All ads direct viewers to a website about programs and featuring the voices of afterschool kids.

Media Tips:

• ALWAYS "localize" your request. Link the afterschool PSA campaign to the afterschool issues and needs in your community. Share local statistics or information about what is happening to children in your community during the critical afterschool hours.
• Share how this campaign helps your community. Afterschool is a proven program that works for kids during their out-of-school time. By building awareness of its benefits, we hope to inspire more programs to get started. We've included a toll-free number in every ad where the public can order a free copy of our Afterschool Resource & Action Kit.
• Tell the media where to go for more information. Thousands of media across the country have received the ads. However, if an individual media cannot locate their copy or if they say they haven't received the materials, they can log on to either this website www.afterschoolalliance.org or the website for the Ad Council www.adcouncil.org and order other copies directly.

Whom to address your message to:

TV	Contact each broadcast affiliate and independent station in the media market (city, town, or area) where you live. These are stations that are the local affiliates for NBC, ABC, CBS, and Fox. They each do their own local news and sell advertising to local businesses. Each has airtime that they can choose to fill with public service advertising.
Speak to:	Public or Community Affairs Director, General Manager
Cable	Cable can provide various opportunities for public service advertising to be inserted. Start with the company on your cable bill, and look to contact all the cable systems in your area.
Speak to:	Advertising or Marketing Director, General Manger
Radio	Radio stations are generally formatted for a very specific audience. To achieve the greatest success, contact the radio stations that speak to parents and guardians, community leaders, and those who are in the education community. Know also that News and Talk stations are typically the most supportive of public service advertising.
Speak to:	Public or Community Affairs Director, General Manger
Newspapers	Newspapers are the most difficult medium in which to receive placement. Thus, it becomes all the more important to tie the need for afterschool programs to local news stories (such as juvenile crime, high school dropout rates, or the need for youth mentors). Offer to share any expertise that you may have on afterschool if the news department needs further information.
Speak to:	Director of Advertising or Editor-in-Chief

Send an automatic email or compose a letter to media in your area asking them to run these ads.

Read these steps before you start.

1. Construct an email message or letter asking media to run the afterschool ads and save it on your computer. Use the above talking points and tips we've provided to construct your message. Be sure to address the message to the appropriate person (see Whom to Address above).
2. Go to the Media Action Center and enter your zip code in the first box and hit Go. If you are not interested in seeing national-level media contacts, be sure to deselect that option.
3. Select the media outlets you want to run afterschool ads.
4. Select whether you want to email them or compose a letter.
5. Cut and paste your letter/message in the box shown and enter the information requested.
6. If you are printing the letters to send yourself, select print letter. The letters will appear on your screen with contact information filled in. Simply save the file on your computer, edit as needed, print and mail.

NOTE: By using this system, your email address will not be compromised or in any way shared for marketing purposes.

Main PSA Page

Media Directors: Click logo to order PSAs