Public Service Articles in the pursuit of
Recreational Boating Safety

All Coast Guards face the same problem, when it comes to getting the message out!

By Wayne Spivak
National Press Corps
Div Chief: Communications;
International Affairs Directorate
United States Coast Guard Auxiliary

All Coast Guards, be they paid professional, volunteer, auxiliary, or any other organizational structure face the same problems. In the area of recreational boating safety, the chief problem is getting the word out to our respective constituency.

Safe boating is at the heart of every Coast Guard. Sure, most Coast Guards are multi-mission, with duties ranging from environmental protection to homeland security, but safe boating is central to the existence of every Coast Guard.

When you walk up to the average person on the street and ask “What does the Coast Guard do?” The answer is invariably “rescue boaters”. For the boater on the street, the answer would be “rescue boaters”.

For all the other missions our Coast Guards perform, save for saving boaters, they are practically invisible to the public. This is where we in the Coast Guard Auxiliary can not only help, but increase the exposure of “saving boaters” as well as these other vital missions.

By using the varied media’s that we have access today, we can make a difference. Not to understate the importance of sitting and waiting in a ready boat for that Search and Rescue (SAR), or patrolling our area of responsibility for Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA), but these are actually tertiary activities.

Anatomy of “Rescuing Boaters”

In the scheme of rescuing boaters, prevention stands as the foremost action which needs to be undertaken. Remember, that once a SAR case has begun, lives and property are already put in jeopardy. Not only are the victims at peril, but we, as the rescuers are at a greater peril. Why greater, victims hopefully will only be involved in a SAR case once, while we plan and execute SAR cases (notice the pluralism used for us).

How can we prevent accidents? Studies have shown that vessels that are operated correctly, by competent pilots; that carry emergency equipment, which is in operating condition, and whose passengers wear Personal Flotation Devices (PFD) and anti-exposure suits are less likely to a) be involved in an emergency situation, and b) if they are, their chances are much better.

So, in order to prevent accidents we need to make sure that pilots are competent. Emergency equipment is present and working. PFD’s are not only in working condition, and easily donned, but are worn. In order to succeed, we need to educate our end-users, and to do that we need the help of the media.

Media & the Coast Guard

In the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary, within the National Public Affairs Department, is the National Press Corps. The National Press Corps consists of a Division Chief and six Branch Chiefs, or Reporters. Each Reporter has an assigned “beat” and is requested to submit for publication two articles per month, on the given “beat”.

I am one such Correspondent. My beat is “General Assignment”, which means anything and everything is within my area. To that end, during my tenure, I have written over 50 articles on a wide-range of topics (all articles can be found at http://www.auxguidanceskills.info).

But this is not what makes this a unique venue. Anyone can write 50 articles. Fewer can write 50 good articles, and very very few can write 50 Pulitzer-prize winning gems! Fortunately, I’m not part of the very very few.

However, just as we, as organizations, struggle with the age old question of how to market ourselves, and our programs, so does the National Press Corps. The question was how can we market our wares (articles) to the people (customers) who need it most?

Articles vs. Press Releases

There is a misconception that I have encountered, and it has to do with the differences between an article and a press release.

Press releases, at least according to InternetBasedMoms.com is

A press release is a newsworthy story about your business that you submit to various media ~ newspapers, radio, television, magazines, etc. If they are interested in your story, they may just interview you or run your press release in their publication.

Whereas a news article is, according to Dr. A. Williams of Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts in Natchitoches, Louisiana:

A news article covers an event of interest to the Louisiana School community. News articles emphasize factual information rather than opinion with attention to the w's of news writing--who, what, when, where, and why--plus how. Factual details can be supplemented with quotations from people involved and observers of the activity or event being covered. Quotes are a way of adding length and human interest to an article; however, quotes should be balanced and should not become a covert way of adding the author's personal opinion to an article. Furthermore, quotes should be relevant and interesting, not just filler.

I tend to believe that we should write articles that can be adapted, by the media outlet, as either a source for their article or as a fully developed-drop-in for their publication.

Today, there are more choices in media outlets than ever before, and understanding your audience, as well as these markets is the key to our success.

Media Outlets

Today, media is broken into several segments:

TV/Radio

As writers, we normally don’t gain access to the traditional electronic media. Note the word “normally”. As writers, we should not preclude any segment from our marketing campaign, because you just never know what article will perk what journalist into contacting you.

I was lucky enough to perk the interest of Pamela Coulter, a Correspondent with ABC News Radio. Over the past year, I have been interviewed on ABC News (Network News) on multiple topics, from proper fueling procedures, to wearing your PFD. I became their “man on the street” during the Blackout of 2003, when I was lucky enough to gain access to a cell-phone site while sitting in the middle of New York City, with Coast Guard Commander John Felker, the Director of Auxiliary for the First Southern District.

Our “man on the street” point of view was heard by millions, and the fact that we drove home the point that we were with the Coast Guard, and what they were doing during the blackout provided a tremendous publicity outlet.

I have been approached or contacted on many occasions asking if I was the voice behind the radio spots. Obviously this type of media exposure is worth the effort, as part of an overall marketing plan.

General Media (Newspapers and Magazines)

Coverage of recreational boating issues is generally a tough sell to this media group. It doesn’t usually sell, unless there is blood and guts associated, or old ladies, young children or budgetary matters associated with the story. So how can you penetrate this marketplace?

You can appeal to blood and guts, old ladies, young children and budgetary matters, of course. However, articles that can incorporate values that will gain the attention of the media editors, and in turn garner the attention of the readership, will ultimately find its way to publication.

Specialty Media (Industry & Organizational News)

This group includes all the magazines, local, regional and national that deal with any and all aspects of recreational boating. From manufacturer’s newsletters, to local boating digests, this is the marketplace where ‘boaters’ will turn for information.

This marketplace is also fully saturated with professional writers, who make their living writing about boating. It’s a tricky wicket at best, to both penetrate this marketplace, and do it in such a way as not to offend the professional writer.

How can we succeed in this venue? By writing articles with unique perspective, that is professionally constructed and written, and brings a fresh approach to the subject matter. The use of humor, facts, figures, graphics, photographs, quotes are all techniques which make your article more professional.

Another aspect is timeliness. Most magazines and newsletters have a three month lead time. Don’t write about Christmas in December, and expect to get published in the same year. It just won’t happen!

Non-traditional Electronic Media

This grouping covers a lot of ground. It is any venue that utilizes the Internet. Blogs, electronic newsletters, mailing lists, newsgroups, web pages are all examples of different non-traditional electronic media outlets.

This group is also the fastest growing, and easiest to penetrate. Just as in the movie “Field of Dreams”, “If you build it, they will come.” So if you post it, they will read it. Posting is actually simple. But driving people to your sight, takes some imagination.

Marketing

As mentioned earlier, getting the message out is all about marketing. It took me over 18 months to create a mailing list of media outlets in the states. This list, numbering approximately 5500 is far from complete.

The top 10 articles for 2003 were read (on www.auxguidanceskills.info and its predecessor) over 10,000 times. Articles were published in other media outlets over 220 times. Media outlets included general and specialty newspapers, magazines and industry venues, as well as non-traditional outlets (as well as the Internet versions of the general media).

In fact, I have found that I have achieved secondary and tertiary market penetration. During my research, I have found my articles in publications that quote a secondary source (not me) as the producer. Hence, my article (and www.auxguidanceskills.info is the primary source of the articles) was published by Venue No.1 and republished by Venue No. 2, citing No. 1 as the originating publication.

But it has provided me with a basis to claim over 55,000 hits on my articles over two years. In a marketplace that one would think is saturated, the message of the United States Coast Guard and United States Coast Guard Auxiliary is being heard; Boat Smart and Boat Safe.

Your Coast Guard and/or Auxiliary can have similar results

 It takes some ingenuity and some time, but you can duplicate this type of market penetration. It takes time to write articles and create a database of media outlets, but none of these are insurmountable.

I’ll give you all a leg-up! All the articles that are released on www.auxguidanceskills.info are available for you to use (proper attribution is required). Now you have a store of articles that are for the most part accurate whether you’re a boater in New York City or Melbourne, Montreal or Victoria.

Together, international relations can achieve safer boating by sharing resources. I hope this article is a step in that direction.

http://www.internetbasedmoms.com/press-releases/what-is-a-press-release.html

http://www.lsmsa.edu/AWilliams/MC%20102%20Newspaper.htm