This document provides tips for bike shops on how to work with traditional media outlets. It recommends starting with media you control like blogs and social media. It also suggests getting in touch with reporters when your shop has a new event, success story, or wants to respond to an issue. The document advises building relationships with media by being accessible and sharing information through various methods like phone, email, or press releases to help promote your shop and issues.

1. How to work with traditional media* Bike!Bike! Southeast 2009 * By Jamie Gumbrecht, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, jgumbrecht@ajc.com

3. What… places to call. Print: major metro dailies, college newspapers, alt weeklies, neighborhood newsletters. TV: commercial stations, public television, cable Radio: public radio, commercial radio. Online event/business listings: created by local media, or others like MetroMix, Yelp etc. Blogs: created by local media, independent influencers.

4. When… it matters to get in touch. * to introduce yourself * when your shop is getting started and needs support * when someone who uses the shop has a success story * when there’s an anniversary * when you’ve noticed a trend among bike riders (or those who don’t) * when you’ve scheduled a unique event * when you can offer insider perspective on breaking news or big issue * when your shop is in trouble and needs help * when you want to respond to an opinion in a letter, column or statement by a public official *

5. Who… to contact . Reporters: read and watch who covers non-profits, transportation, health, education — your issues . Editors: consider the publication, look for the metro or managing editor. Bloggers: e-mail and comment often. Op/ed staff: respond to letters and columnists; if issues get bigger, call or write the editorial editor.

6. Why… build relationships with media? * it keeps the alternative transportation conversation going and public * it reaches broad varieties of people, even if they’re not tech-savvy * it makes mom proud * it gets the attention of grantmakers * it’s still an agenda-setting force in many communities * it can help when you’re hurting * it helps the entire community to show a variety of ideas and perspectives , including yours * it can be fun for the people at the shop — kids, volunteers *

7. How… to share information. * phone * e-mail * newsletters * social media * wikis * And let’s not forget press releases !

8. Remember : * This is a standard event press release — not always the best format. * Concise dates, descriptions, contact info and explicit how-to, so a general, unfamiliar audience can get involved . * A short, standard explanation that goes at the bottom of every press release. * Don’t bother faxing. Post it online and e-mail , unless you have an object to send.

9. Sopo Bike Co-op founders Stewart Varner, left, and Rachael Spiewak and volunteer Graham McCullough sort a donation to the co-op, which is located in East Atlanta. Photo credit: Jamie Gumbrecht When sending photos : * Don’t, unless you’re asked, or have something very unfamiliar to show. Most shoot their own photo and video. * Print publications will require high resolution . Web doesn’t need such high quality. * Make sure to include a short caption that identifies what we’re looking at, everybody in the photo and the person who took the photo. Check the spelling of all names! * Make it easy: keep some great shop photos on Flickr or Picasa so they’re easily available to publications — just point them to the gallery so they can pick. At least have some that can be easily e-mailed.

10. What else you should know: * Don’t lie or exaggerate and check your facts. * Don’t want it in the paper or on the news? Don’t say it or post it online. Know that most don’t deal with anonymous sources. * Not everything is a story , but it might be a brief, calendar listing, photo gallery, letter or idea for the future. * For big events, get in touch a month in advance, then two weeks, then one week. Don’t be a stalker, but don’t be shy . * Once you’ve made a good contact, go to that person for help. Make a media list . Show them your monthly newsletter. * The easiest, best advice: respond promptly . Once reporters know you’re reliable and accessible, they’ll come to you.