Profile + Webinar + Guest Posts = A Great Media Training Opportunity for Fellows!
We're making big changes in how we feature Fellows' work this year. Every month we'll profile a new Fellow in Switzer Network News, then help the Fellow host a webinar that's open to the general public, and finally feature their writing on our site using the webinar as a springboard for follow-up post ideas.
The benefit of this new process for fellows is in-depth media training across a variety of platforms. Switzer gains, too, since focusing on one Fellow at a time will give us a chance to be more thorough and build a bigger audience for the content we create. At the end of the month, all of the content (SNN piece, profile, webinar, posts, and any additional materials) will all be presented on a single page on the site, with an attached discussion board, giving the Fellow a great resume link and the rest of the Switzer community a single place to continue the conversation on the topic.
The skills you'll gain are:
- Interviewing on video and for print
- Accommodating media lead times and editorial planning
- Supplying media outlets with additional content suitable for lay audiences
- Handling interviews and presentations in a virtual format (webinar)
- Working remotely with media outlets
- Crafting your message so it makes sense after it's edited by others
- Writing about your subject for a lay audience
- Using media pieces for self-promotion
The best part is that you'll have a chance to work one-on-one with Switzer staff and consultants to improve your skills and message over time-- so that when you're interviewed for real by the media, you'll be polished, poised, and ready for anything.
Your responsibilities as a profiled Fellow would include the following:
- Upon application: Review the guidelines of the program (including using elements of the production for self-promotion) and agree to them, craft your message with staff assistance, collect/develop additional materials with staff assistance - 2 hours
- July/August 2011: Jerry Kay of Interchange Media will conduct all in-person or Skype video interviews for Switzer Network News profiles (there is some flexibility in this if you're not available during these months) - 1 hour
- 6 weeks out from your feature month: Confirm your availability (webinar date and time to be determined in collaboration with Switzer staff) - quick
- 4 weeks out from feature month: Be interviewed by Switzer staff for short print profile piece to accompany Switzer Network News piece - 1/2 hour
- Middle of feature month: Conduct webinar on your topic with staff assistance, write post for website to follow up on a topic raised during webinar - 1 1/2 hours
- End of feature month: Check over all website content and confirm accuracy, use materials for self-promotion - 1 hour
- One week after feature month: Respond to survey about feature month process - 1/2 hour
- 4 weeks after feature month: Respond to survey about how you used page link for self-promotion (guidelines for this will be supplied at the beginning of the process) - 1/2 hour
Total time commitment: 7 hours
Interested in taking part? We're currently planning our editorial calendar for 2011-12, so please get in touch with us (info@switzernetwork.org) to find out more.
And if you haven't already, please follow us on your favorite social networking platform. We're posting daily updates now about Fellows' work-- and tomorrow we just might be covering you!
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