52 Coral Reef Stories for the World Press
Coral Health and Monitoring Program
coral at aoml.noaa.gov
Tue Oct 1 20:38:42 EDT 1996
INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF THE REEF (IYOR) MEDIA OUTREACH PROPOSAL
IUCN/NOAA/IYOR PROPOSE HIGHLIGHTING WEEKLY STORY IDEAS IN INTERNATIONAL
MEDIA
IUCN/World Conservation Union, U.S. Department of Commerce's National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the International Year
of the Reef (IYOR) invite your contribution to an international media
strategy to highlight the urgent need for conservation and sustainable
use of coral reefs. IUCN, NOAA and IYOR propose a coordinated 52 weekly
story idea calendar to be distributed to international media outlets
throughout the year to promote the outreach and educational goals of
IYOR.
To implement this strategy, a true partnership is required among
agencies, IUCN members, and IYOR if the heightened public awareness is
to encourage action at local, national, regional and international
levels.
IUCN requests its marine-oriented members to submit story ideas to NOAA
by October 30.
Each group that responds with ideas will be responsible for drafting a
release for the story idea, providing background materials and for
listing a contact on the subject matter. See attached format.
NOAA will assist in distributing these story ideas to the international
media.
~~~ TIMELINE ~~~
-- SEPTEMBER --
* IUCN and IYOR will solicit story ideas and submit to contact points
by October 30.
* The first 1997 quarter's set of stories are agreed upon in November
by IUCN, NOAA and IYOR and the parties responsible are notified of
selection and due date of release, background and contact person.
-- OCTOBER through DECEMBER --
* The remaining 52 week calendar stories are proposed and release dates
are sent to all participating groups.
* Press releases and background information for the first two months are
due December 1.
* NOAA will contact media outlets and begin promoting the 52-week program
for the coral reef
initiative in late December.
* The release calender is made available to the media outlets.
-- JANUARY 1997 --
* Beginning January 6, 1997, every Monday morning, a new story idea is
sent to local, national and international media markets interested in
coral reefs and the IYOR.
* NOAA's Office of Public and Constituent Affairs will facilitate media
outreach on story ideas including distribution of materials and
background information.
WHAT IS A CORAL REEF STORY IDEA?
A story idea or "tip sheet" is a media teaser. It is not a press
release or news article. It is a paragraph or two that gives a broad
outline of a newsworthy topic and gives the reporter the name and number
of the person to contact for more information. The contact person will
provide the reporter the background information and expert list needed
to write the article.
WHAT IS A NEWSWORTHY CORAL REEF TOPIC?
Diverse newsworthy story ideas will be considered addressing the broad
range of themes of the International Coral Reef Initiative and IYOR:
coastal zone management, capacity building, research and monitoring.
Some examples might include the launch of new coastal area management
planning at a site, project successes/failures, cyanide fishing and
other destructive fishing practices, research, e.g., human impacts on
ecosystems, regional monitoring networks supporting the global coral
monitoring network, public involvement and empowerment, application of a
new technology, ecotourism and carrying capacity, transforming paper
parks into operational coastal/marine parks, etc.
EXAMPLE:
CORAL BLEACHING IN BELIZE IS CAUSED BY WARMER WATERS
Coral bleaching caused by environmental stresses is threatening the
Western Hemisphereas well as other areas of the western Caribbean and Gulf
of Mexico. The
same warm waters that spawned or strengthened hurricanes in the western
Atlantic last year also are associated with this occurrence of coral
bleaching. From August through October, NOAA satellites detected
elevated sea surface temperatures spanning much of the Gulf of Mexico
and the western Caribbean basin from Belize to Jamaica, Honduras and
Venezuela.
FOR MORE INFORMATION AND LIST OF SUBJECT EXPERTS, PLEASE CONTACT:
Matt Stout
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Voice: (202) 482-6090 (U.S.)
Fax: (202) 482-3154
Email: mstout at rdc.noaa.gov
or,
Paul Holthus
Voice: 41-22-999-0251
Fax: 41-22-999-0025
Email: pfh at hq.iucn.org
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