In addition to using our own voices to raise awareness of National Newspaper Week, we are hoping to inspire other notable Canadians to share their passion for their local newspapers through their own social media channels. You can help by reaching out to notable local people in your community to get involved.
Publishers can support the National Newspaper Week 2020 program locally by reaching out to leaders in their own markets (politicians, athletes, authors, etc.) to ask them to post a photo with their newspaper and their own thoughts on the importance of newspapers as an essential source of local, original content that cannot be found anywhere else.
Here’s how you can engage local influencers in your community:
- Brainstorm a list of well-known people in your local community that you would like to show their support for National Newspaper Week, and for their local newspaper (i.e. you!). Think about local politicians, church leaders, athletes, well-known writers, business leaders or other high-profile personalities.
- Use your local networks to track down their contact information, and reach out to them by email. If you need help writing the email reach out to Kelly at klevson@newsmediacanada.ca for some copy ideas or see the sample email copy below.
- If they’re interested, talk to them about where they could post their photo (Instagram? Facebook? Twitter? LinkedIn?), when they would like to post (between October 4 and 10) and whether they need a copy of the paper from you for the photo. You can also provide them with some sample post copy:
I’ve been reading [insert name of paper] since I was a kid. It’s where I learn about what’s happening in my hometown—no matter where I am around the world. And I know that I can trust what I read in these pages. #NationalNewspaperWeek #ChampiontheTruth
- Be sure to take a screen grab of the post when it goes live and send it in to us at klevson@newsmediacanada.ca.
- Once you see their post, don’t forget to reach out again and thank them for their support.
Here is a sample email you could send to encourage local influencers to celebrate with us from October 4-10:
Subject: Support Newspapers this National Newspaper Week – week of OCTOBER 4TH
During the week of October 4-10 we will be celebrating and we want to include you! Every year, during National Newspaper Week, we recognize the importance of newspapers across the country the critical role that newspapers play in an active and healthy democracy.
We’re asking Canadians, in markets large and small, to show their support by posting on social media, sharing why their local newspaper matters to them. We’re hoping you’ll join others and post a photo of yourself with your favourite Canadian newspaper (you can be reading it in print or online) with a message about why you love your newspaper using #NationalNewspaperWeek and #ChampiontheTruth during the week of October 4th.
Local newspapers deliver vital information to Canadians every day and connect communities from coast to coast. In fact, nine in 10 Canadians (88%) read newspapers each week across Canada– either in print or digital format. National Newspaper Week is a chance to reflect on the essential service newspapers provide with diverse, local, original content produced by news media that cannot be found anywhere else.
Last year almost 300 local influencers in markets across the country celebrated newspapers. Check out the News Media Canada Instagram and Facebook accounts and #NationalNewspaperWeek to see who posted last year!
