Hello!

Welcome to GMT's monthly e-newsletter for October 2009. We send this e-newsletter on the first Monday of every month to share feature announcements, membership tips, links to recent articles from environmental reporters, new members, and other helpful resources.

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.

Word Count: 1,656
Read Time: 5 minutes

In this issue you will find:
1. Member Connections
2. Be in the Know – How GMT Tools Can Help Your Group
3. Buzz from the Beat
4. Link(s) of the Month
5. Community Coverage
6. GMT Welcomes 4 New Members
7. Support: Database Do’s and Don’ts
8. Opt out instructions

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1. Member Connections: Skype Your GMT Support Team, New Vocus Q & A Session, and Reporter Advice

Skype Chat with your GMT Support Team:
Michelle Kohn and Nina Schwartz are available by Skype daily from 9:00- 5:00 p.m. eastern for any urgent or quick support questions about Vocus. Good examples of Skype Chats are when a member:

1. is having trouble accessing GMT or Vocus for a press release deadline
2. needs help joining a training
3. has a quick Vocus question that is needed to continue their current work

Reach Michelle on Skype at: kohn.michelle
Reach Nina on Skype at: nina.m.schwartz

If you don’t have a Skype account, you can create one and download the software at http://www.skype.com/.

New Vocus Q & A Session on October 6th:
Did you take a GMT & Media Database training and still have questions on the system? Join Nina Schwartz, Michelle Kohn, and other members to ask your questions and get answers to other common questions.

We hope you can join us on Tuesday October 6th, 1:00- 1:30 p.m. eastern. RSVPs are not necessary. View call details in our member center.

Share GMT with our new Logo Button:

Show off your membership in GMT to your other website visitors through the new Logo Buttons in our member center. Simply copy the code below the button that you want to use and paste into your website’s html. If you have any questions, contact nina@greenmediatoolshed.org.

Hear some direct advice from reporters:
Hear the advice Public News Service that offered to our members about press releases and working with reporters in the September Skills Training. Access the streamed recording of the entire session at this link.

The discussion covered many topics on news releases, as well as others about story development and the most effective ways to reach reporters.

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2. Be in the Know - How GMT Tools Can Help Your Group: Find the Best Reporter at Media Outlets of Interest

Finding the best reporter at an outlet is an essential step in generating a targeted media list, but most media database users don’t know that there is a feature in Vocus that can do the work for you.

The Coverage Wizard is a 3- step wizard located in the minor blue navigation bar in Media Contacts. Through the Wizard, you can designate a selection of outlets, and then set your preferences for the best media contact at each outlet.

The Wizard will generate a set of search results that yield the best reporter at each outlet according to your beat code priorities. It will even include the primary media contact, should there be no reporter with your beat code preferences at a certain outlet.

Reference the new PDF in our Support Center for step-by-step directions on how to use the Wizard correctly.

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3. Buzz from the Beat: Laundry Waste Water Intoxicates Puget Sound

On September 29th, Rob Carson of The News Tribune wrote about a recent study from Washington Toxics Coalition, a Seattle-based non-profit, that concluded that dust particles from laundry, cosmetic, and other household items cause measurable pollution in the Puget Sound.

Certain dust chemicals called phthalates were the focus of the study, as they are known to be an indicator chemical in this type of toxin research. The extrapolated data concluded that residential washing machines contributed "about 2,110 pounds of phthalates" from household dust, which travels from the house to wastewater treatment plants and eventually to the Sound. This is a whopping "17.5 percent of the total annual load" of phthalates in the Sound.

Read the full article, “Laundry waste water harming Puget Sound, study says,” at http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/898296.html

The News Tribune is a media outlet located in Takoma Park, Maryland. Both The News Tribune and Rob Carson are pitchable in Vocus.

Pitch Rob Caron at:
(T) 253-597-8693
rob.carson@thenewstribune.com

Some other summer headlines from Rob include:
08/23/2009 - Schools, health officials plan swine flu fight

08/02/2009 - Sound-friendly farming

08/02/2009 - Value of land for animals, agriculture creates issues

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3. Link of the month: Why is communications essential for your nonprofit?

Common Cause Communications recently surveyed over 500 communications professionals from foundations, nonprofits, and education institutes to determine what makes an organization an effective communicator.

Since there tends to be a large gap in the effectiveness of communications in these organizations across the board, the report helped distinguish a set of “highly effective” strategies and their benefits.

Among the big findings were:
1. 97% of nonprofit professionals believe that communications is vital to the livelihood of their organizations.
2. 80% use communications to influence policy
3. 76% of organizations collaborate with other organizations regularly on communications
4. 48% have a place at the table when key decisions are made

Find out tips to make you a better communicator and more details about the report at http://www.communicationseffectiveness.org/default.aspx

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4. Newsroom Notes section: Two debuts for Public Policy and Women's Cycling

In September, a new public policy journal called National Affairs debuted in Washington, D.C. The quarterly publication focuses on social issues and other relative topics in economics and culture with an emphasis on political viewpoint. Archives from National Affairs' predecessor, The Public Interest (1965- 2005) are available on its website. Leading the publication is Editor Yuval Levin and managing editor Meghan Clyne. Email pitches are preferred.

National Affairs
Yuval Levin
Meghan Clyne
(202) 289-4100
editors@nationalaffairs.com
www.nationalaffairs.com

Also launched in early September was a new women's bicycle magazine, She Pedals: The Journal of Women in Cycling. With an initial circulation of 15,000, the quarterly magazine features tips and training advice for women dedicated to this sport. Dena Eaton, the founding editor, is a veteran bicycle enthusiast for more than 20 years. Email pitches are preferred.

She Pedals: The Journal of Women in Cycling
Dena Eaton
(760) 305-2400
queries@shepedalsmagazine.com
www.shepedalsmagazine.com

Get more information on these new titles as well as more media updates at Vocus' Daily Media Moves blog at http://www.vocus.com/invocus/movesarchives_invocus_com.html

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6. Let’s Welcome 4 New Members to our GMT Community

Post Carbon Institute helps individuals and communities understand and respond to the environmental, societal, and economic crises created by our dependence on fossil fuels.

Potomac Riverkeeper enforces existing federal and state laws governing the Potomac watershed and protecting it from exploitation. The Potomac Riverkeeper, Ed Merrifield, was hired in 2003. Potomac Riverkeeper is a member of the Waterkeeper Alliance, one of the fastest growing environmental organizations in the world.

Reptile and Amphibian Ecology International is a conservation and research organization striving to discover, document, and preserve the rich diversity of living reptiles and amphibians. Guided by strong scientific principles, their central goal is to facilitate informed management decisions by people, governments, and land preservation organizations that will protect these fascinating animals and the land they need to survive.

Founded in 2003, Product Policy Institute promotes waste prevention and sustainable production and consumption practices through good public policy and governance. They advocate public policy that protects public health and safety and slows climate change by encouraging waste prevention, clean production and reduced use of toxics in products.

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7. Media Database Q & A: Create a More Targeted Media List

We cannot overemphasize the importance of making your media lists as targeted as possible. Sending information only to reporters who are interested in your news is not only essential for your reputation with the media, but will also increase your chances of getting coverage and building relationships with reporters who cover your issues.

Is your list targeted enough? A few common red flags for a weak media list are:

1. It has large numbers of contacts. Although the suggested size limit of a list varies, lists that climb above several hundred contacts most often can be refined and improved.
2. It has reporters that cover unrelated beat codes. Unless you know from your own research that the business writer is temporarily covering endangered species, leave her off your list.
3. It has outlets that cover subjects other than the topic of your release. An example is sending to a pitch about your local bay clean up to an airline industry trade publication.
4. It has reporters from a broad range of mediums. Most often your pitches to newpapers are different than your pitches to magazines, so your lists should reflect that.
5. You are not familiar with many of the reporters on the list and how coverage by them will deliver your message and help achieve your communications goals.
6. It is frustrating to sort through. This is really about administration more than content, but it’s a good indicator that your list is just too large.

If your list fits into one or more category, it could probably use some work. Here are a few tips:

1. With the wide variety of search criteria fields in Vocus, you can create very specific lists down to different mediums, geographic locations, beat codes, types of reporter, and more. Make sure you open "show all search options" and utilize the more specific criteria on the "contact" and "outlet" pages.
2. Use each search field to its potential. There are multiple search term symbols available to refine your criteria in each field. View a list of all search term symbols in our Support Center.
3. Take trainings to learn about advanced features and searches, which are often offered in the Vocus Training Academy section of their Support Center. These trainings are free to GMT members, and schedules for trainings on advanced searching and targeted lists are posted frequently.

For further questions, call the GMT support staff at (202)-659-7710 x10.

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8. Opt out instructions:
We’ll be sad - but not bitter - if you do.

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