This page is very much a work-in-progress. Ryakuga and its partners have always stressed the importance of community groups promoting awareness but in 2005 we are enlarging the focus and attempting to be more precise at the same time.

As well as looking at community awareness, we are looking at outside the community as well. There are a variety of reasons, including the funder's need to get positive feedback in the mainstream media and the increasing number of expatriates who are looking for information from down home.

We intent to consider publicity from the viewpoint of a community media group. Obviously, as well as generating information for the mainstream media, a community media publicizes itself by what it does.

We will be examining what "do-it-yourself" tools can promote community media.

Webcasts, web sites and email allow a local group to reach a bigger audience than ever before.

Networking is a related activity - both for encouraging the local group and for sharing information with others.

Promoting a Community Radio Event.

It's like the old riddle - if a tree falls in the woods and there's nobody to hear it - does it make any noise?

You have to work hard to let people know about a new and temporary radio station (and you have to work ten times harder to promote a webcast).

One good way is to enlist the support of local schools - have streeters recorded in the schools - ask students to make up a poster for your project. Or, sponsor a poster contest.

Press releases - sent to all media - is obvious. Timed press releases (and posters at different stages of the implementation) are better. Best is to find out which media people you should contact and make personal visits.

Your community partners can help spread the word - look for space in local newsletters and church bulletins.

If the special event is a festival or annual meeting, make sure the broadcast and webcast are mentioned on all promotional material.

Working to have the community and its musicians fully involved in the program will also increase the chances of people knowing by "word of mouth". For webcasts, promote your event on list serves; email lists, and expatriate websites.

Regarding the broadcast, you have to be very specific about the frequency and that it's FM rather than AM.

You may face some disbelief about a temporary new station that is on-air for a few hours each day. As one MUN fieldworker promoting a television community transmitter project was told - "You say it's channel 7 - it can't be channel 7 - we don't get channel 7 around here." Do-it-ourselves Posters and Brochures.

Writing Press Releases.

Community Media Assessment Forms.

Promotion from the Tuning in to Climate Change Final Report.

Developing Community Awareness.