Archival Institutions and Relationship with Media

Goran Pavelin, PhDAna Gusić, Graduate Student

Sanja Tabori, Graduate Student

University of Zadar

Department of Tourism and Communication

Science

Content1. Archival outreach

2. Archival activities – Public Programs

3. Relationship with Media

3.1. Types of Media

3.2. How to use media to send your message?

3.3. Press release

3.4. Radio and Television interviews

4. Social Media

4.1. Facebook

5. Conclusion

Archival outreachWhy do archives need to reach out? - to present their value to users, stakeholders

and community- Archival materials are used for:researchpersonal interest profit fun and education

Archival activities – Public programs

ConcertsCoursesVideo –

presentationsFilm projections,

ect.

LecturesExhibitionsPublicationsWorkshops

Through public programmes, archives interact with users and various publics and create the institutional image

Relationship with MediaMedia act as mediators between archival

institutions and publicPublic relationsCooperation with journalists, reporters,

editors, other institutions, donors, ect.If archivists wish to attract new people into

archives, media coverage is must

Types of mediaPrint

NewspaperMagazineJournal Online Archives websites Other organization’s website Blog Online newspaper Online magazineBroadcast Radio TelevisionSocial media

How to use media to send your message?Telling a story or communicating a point of

view to journalists and reporters requires certains skills, which archivist might or might not have.

When should a press release be prepared?

News of upcoming public eventsReports of recent public eventsReports of organizational changes that may be of

interest to the general publicReports of awards, prizes, grants or publications

connected with your causeReports of hiring or promotions of staff membersAnnouncements of recruiting volunteersAnnouncement of the start-up of your next season

of activities, new acquisitions, fundraising ect.

Press releaseInforms reporters about archival news and

activitiesShould tell all the information a reporter

needs to write in an articleWrite the press release as the news story you

would want to see written

Unlike a news story, press releases are not: always a high priority for media producers to

coverwritten by professional journalists

Guidelines for preparing a press releaseInverted pyramid style of writing

WHO?WHAT?WHEN?WHERE?WHY?HOW?

Guidelines for preparing a press release

WHO? – Who is involved, who is speaking, who is conducting the activity?WHAT? – Explain the event with brief descriptionWHEN? – Complete name and data of the eventWHERE? – Full name of the place with the

directions or URL linkWHY? – Explain why the event will interest

publicHOW? – Explain how it will be organized and

conducted


Builds or tells your news


Least important information(full names and titles, phone numbers and e-mail adresses, mention additional materials)

Contact informatio

n

Structure and form In the top left corner, type “For Immediate Release”Below type the dateContact Information: In the top right corner, type

names and phone numbers of contacts Type “###” at the end of your release (this is how journalists mark the end of a news copy)Type “MORE” at the end of page 1 if your release is

two pages, and put a contact phone number and short headline in the upper-right hand corner of subsequent pages

Print your release on your organization’s letterhead

How to distribute a press release?

Mailing lists - extensive mailing lists are the key to good media coverage

ALWAYS make follow up calls after you send the release

Target your reporters - Contact reporters who cover your issue, and reporters you have a relationship with

Radio and Television Interviews

Two types: pre-recorded and live

Who is the audience?What is the topic? – 3 key messagesWhat time will it go out?Where will the interview take place?

Press releases - examples

https://siarchives.si.edu/sites/default/files/pdfs/20120326_PressRelease_Wikipedian.pdf

SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION ARCHIVES

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documents/press-release-reshaping-british-railways.pdf

THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES (UK)

STATE ARCHIVE IN ZADAR

http://www.ezadar.hr/clanak/glagolja-gradaskanja-veceras-u-drzavnom-arhivu-zadar

YOUR TASK IS......to write a press release!Event: WHO? - Dario Tikulin, head of the Glagolitic script club called “Hrvatsko slovo”WHAT? – Lecture “Glagoljska gradaškanja” about history of Glagolitic script in ZadarWHEN? – 15 February 2012WHERE? – State Archive in ZadarWHY? – To preserve from oblivion the old Croatian alphabet

and to present and offer the public a glimpse at the

many monuments and documents written in GlagoliticHOW? – Lecture

SOCIAL MEDIA

“Social media is a group of Internet-based applications that build on the ideological and technicological foundations of Web 2.0 and that allow the creation and exchange of user-generated content.” (Kaplan, Haenlein, 2010:

59)

SOCIAL MEDIA “In contrast, with static websites controlled by

companies that are not interacting with their audience, websites that are build on user-generated content are populated by text, photos, videos and other media that can come from anyone.” (Oostveen, 2011: 33)

FacebookFacebook is an online social networking

servicefounded in February 2004 by Mark

Zuckerberg1.11 billion users (active March 2013)

Facebook page is useful for reaching researchers, potential researches and donors.

What to know before setting up a Facebook page?1. Who is your intended audience?2. What type of content do you want to

provide? Just announcements, discussion threads, or something else?

3. How busy do you want your page to be? Minimal content or dynamic content that changes often?

4. Who will have control over posting content to the page?

What about Croatian State Archives on FB?Croatian state archives on Facebook

Search - key words: state archive (državni arhiv)

5 out of 19 State Archives in

Croatia have a Facebook page

Checked on 6 May 2013

Croatian State Archive (HDA)

State Archive in PazinState Archive in OsijekState Archive in ZagrebState Archive in Varaždin

Facebook pages

Croatian State Archives vs.

US National Archives

State Archive in Pazin

State Archive in PazinLast update on

22 April 2013 Low followers’

activity – few comments and likes

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Dr%C5%BEavni-arhiv-u-Pazinu-DAPA/154783864578164?fref=ts

Croatian State Archives central archival

institution in the Republic of Croatia

Croatian State Archives

Last update on 3 May 2013

Regular updates about events and activities

Low users respond

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Hrvatski-dr%C5%BEavni-arhiv HDA/124359250912928


34 289 likes, 1 605 talking about this


1st ranked on Kate Theimer’s pick for Top 5 Archives’ Favebook pages

regular updates on daily basis

PhotographsPosts – events,

anniversaries, birthdays of important peoplehttps://www.facebook.com/usnationalarchives?

fref=ts

ConclusionIn the era of globalization and technological

developments, archives cannot exist as isolated institutions, exclusively dedicated to the professional and research activities of a few people

The key role of archives, therefore, should be raising awareness and spreading knowledge about the importance of archives to cultural heritage, and the richness of archival material and its significance to society

ConclusionArchives need to cooperate with the media,pointing to their own mission and goals, that is,what the archives do and what is theirimportance for society as a whole (is it only thepreservation of records and / or their use).

Documents

Archival Institutions and Relationship with Media