Hello!

Welcome to GMT's monthly e-newsletter! We hope you had an enjoyable season and are ready for 2006! We are sending out this e-newsletter to share feature announcements, membership tips, links to recent articles from environmental reporters, new members and other helpful resources.

I also hope to see you in early February at the True Spin Conference in Denver. About 20 GMT members have already registered for the two-day event that will bring together progressive communications folks for thought-provoking panels and workshops. I'll be there, too, along with Bobbi and Marty from the D.C. office. GMT members receive $100 off the normal registration fee. Visit this link for more details or go directly to the conference website at www.truespinconference.com to download the registration form.

You are receiving this as your organization is a member of Green Media Toolshed and you are currently a registered GMT user. Should you wish to opt out of this monthly communication, please see the instructions in section 8 below.

In this issue you will find:
1. New GMT features and updates.
2. Buzz from the Beat.
3. Link of the Month.
4. Community Coverage.
5. GMT's newest members.
6. Maximize your GMT Membership.
7. Support options.
8. Opt out instructions.

1. Check out GMT's newest features and updates!

# GMT is now offering a Strategy Training session every other week. The course will focus on best practices to help increase news delivery and coverage, such as targeting your media list, using the Smart Chart to help in your communications planning and searching Editorial Calendars. If you've already taken the Introduction to GMT training and would like learn how GMT can help in your media outreach, check out the schedule here.
# GMT members now have access to a new search feature in Vocus. You are now able to set up email notifications to alert you of changes to contact information. This new Vocus feature allows you to be notified when contact information changes for reporters and outlets that are captured in your Saved Searches. For instructions on how to set up the email notification, download Vocus' instructions in pdf format from the GMT Training Center.

2. Buzz from the Beat: Cleaning the air we breathe...

In December, Julie Eilperin of the Washington Post wrote about the Bush Administration's proposed tightening of air quality standards for soot. Environmentalists and public health officials declared the proposal too lax because it fell short of what the Environmental Protection Agency's advisory board had proposed. Electric utility officials, on the other hand, said the proposal was too harsh for them. Soot causes health problems for thousands of Americans. "Right now, nearly 90 million Americans are breathing unhealthy air, according to federal officials," Eilperin wrote. To read the full story, go here.

3. Link of the month: The only toolbox you need!

The Rainforest Action Network has a great resource center called the Activist's Toolbox. You'll find tips on how to host a media event, write a letter to the editor and how to pitch your story effectively. The Toolbox also has links to other media resource sites, along with a guide to developing a successful campaign strategy. You can access the site here.

4. Community Coverage: A seafood company's connection to whale hunting...

Last month, the Environmental Investigation Agency, along with Greenpeace and the Humane Society, released a report that detailed Gorton's of Gloucester's link to whale hunting. The report highlighted how the U.S. seafood giant is owned by Nippon Suisan Kaisha Ltd., which has a history of whale hunting. An appeal is being made to Gorton's to use its influence with Nippon Suisan to help stop illegal and legal (under the guise of scientific research) hunting of whales.

EIA decided to send their release out to their international, national and wildlife media contact lists. As a result, they gained coverage in Gloucester, Masssachusetts and on several business websites that are seafood and Boston related. To read the full release, click here.

Read about other issues GMT members are working or post your own press release to the GMT News Feed.

Do you have a success story you'd like to share? Submit it to Yvonne to be featured in our next e-newsletter.

5. GMT's newest members: Please welcome the following groups to the GMT community!

Iowa Environmental Council, www.iaenvironment.org
Land Trust Alliance, www.lta.org
Michigan Environmental Council, www.mecprotects.org
Tennessee Clean Water Network, www.tcwn.org

6. Maximize your GMT membership! And improve your media strategy...

Create a customized cover page to use when blast faxing your press releases in Vocus. To do this, follow these steps:

# Create a MS Word fax cover sheet as if you were sending a fax from your office's fax machine that includes key information such as your organization's logo; contact information (your name, title, phone #, etc); and custom fields (e.g., to:, from:, date:, re: ).
# Name your custom cover with your organization's initials (e.g., GMT Custom Cover).
# Send your named custom cover as an attachment via e-mail to Yvonne.
You can also set up multiple cover pages for separate campaigns or joint press releases with other groups and for coalition work.

Our Image Management System has over 6,000 photos for our members to use. Whether you need photos for a brochure, for your press room or to accompany a press release, you can search our system of photos for the ones that relate to your issues. You can either browse through the public photo galleries or do a specific search of the public folders. Access the collection of photos here. Your organization also has the ability to upload photos to the system for other members to use.

7. Support Options and Monthly FAQ: I forgot my GMT password!

GMT office hours are Monday through Friday, 9am to 5pm Eastern Standard Time.

For a full list of web browser requirements and support options for Vocus, please visit this link.

For web tools or general GMT support, contact Yvonne Archer at 202-326-8726 or email her.

FAQ of the month: Did you forget your password for logging into the GMT site?

(Note: Your GMT password is e-mail-specific and is created by our secure server. Due to security reasons and because you can change your password once you've logged in to GMT, we do not have access to our members' passwords.) To retrieve your password, simply ask our server to e-mail it to you. Just follow these simple steps:

# Go to www.greenmediatoolshed.org.
# Click on the "Forgot Your Password?" link (just below the member login area in the top right hand corner of your screen).
# Follow the prompts.
# Your password will arrive shortly.

Or go directly to the "Forgot My Password" page.

8. Opt out or Submit feedback: Come on, ask me a question; or better yet, pay me a compliment.

To opt out of GMT's monthly e-newsletter, reply to this email with the word "Unsubscribe" in the subject line.

To share feedback about the content and format, please reply to this email and include your thoughts in the body of your message. You can also submit a question to be answered in the next FAQ section by replying to this message.

View past e-newsletters in our monthly e-newsletter archive section of the GMT Training Center.

Hope your new year is starting off nicely!

Take care,
Yvonne

Yvonne Archer
Green Media Toolshed
(ph) 202-326-8726
(f) 202-682-2154
yvonne@greenmediatoolshed.org