Public Relations for Reading

Author(s): Charles R. Putney

Source: Journal of Reading, Vol. 21, No. 2 (Nov., 1977), pp. 153-158
Published by: Wiley on behalf of the International Reading Association
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 Public Relations for Reading
CHARLES R. PUTNEY American educators are hearing
a persistent refrainthat children are
Putney is public information not learningto read in schools, or that
officer for the International children are not reading as well as
Reading Association. they used to, or that educators simply
are not doing their job as well as they
should. With reading education the
focus of many such attacks, reading
educators at all levels must be more
concerned with disseminating
accurate information to other
educators, the general public, and, in
particular,parents. This can be most
effectively undertaken at the
community level, by school districts,
advisory councils, public information
specialists, individual teachers or
teacher organizations, and Interna-
tional Reading Association councils.
While some of these groups and
individuals do an excellent job of
publicity, they have largely
overlooked the value of a broader
plan of public relations to dis-
seminate not only a large quantity
but also a good quality of
information.
Publicity can be defined as the
promotion of a project, meeting, or
153

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event. Incontrast, public relations is a
long-term plan for bringing specific
information or concerns to people's
attention. In developing a public
relations program for reading, it is
important not only to announce
events in the newspaper, but also to
disseminate information on reading
to parents and the general public.
The following material was
specifically developed for use by
International Reading Association
councils. Most of it, however, can be
used by anyone concerned about
public relations for reading.
How the Public Learns about Reading
A valuable first step in public
relations is to monitor local
newspapers, television and radio
broadcasts, and magazines over a
period of time to determine-
specifically- how the people in your
area learn about reading instruction.
When you know how the news is
being spread, use those same
sources to convey your own story, or
select an effective local alternative.
Majorsources of information are,
of course, the news media:
newspapers, television, radio, and
magazines. Insome communities the
only news of education is either
financial (such as the school budget)
or reports on failures (such as a high
school graduate who cannot read). In
other communities the news media
play an important role in dissem-
inating both positive and negative
informationabout the schools.
Some of the most common specific
sources from which the news media
themselves get informationare:
1. Board of Education meetings, in
which funds may be allocated for a
reading program or someone may
complain about what he or she feels
154 Journal of Reading November 1977
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is an educational problem.
2. Release of test scores, mandated
in some states, which may occur
during a Board of Education meeting
or by direct release from the school
district's offices.
3. The meeting of parent-teacher
organizations or advisory commit-
tees for federally-funded reading
projects (such as Title I or Right To
Read) in which the school district's
representatives are able to discuss
with interested parents the reading
education being given their children.
Sometimes the news reports will say
simply that the meeting is being held.
The more productive articles will
include coverage of the meeting.
4. Articles or broadcast stories by
investigative reporters,on the local or
national level, tryingto find out "Why
Can't Johnny..." do whatever it is
children are supposed to do. (Note
that no matter what the line "Why
Can't Johnny..." ends up saying,
most people see it as "read."Avoid
the phrase.)
5. Reports of "literacy figures"
from the U.S. Office of Education,
U.S. Census, NationalAssessment of
Educational Progress, or a research
project. (Statistics are great favorites
of newspeople simply because they
seem to be easy answers to difficult
questions.)
6. Reports by nationally syndicat-
ed columnists or commentators
about how well or badly educators
are doing their jobs.
7. Local stories on successful or
innovative reading programs in the
schools. These often result from the
efforts of individual teachers,
principals, or other school personnel
working with community-oriented
newspapers or broadcast stations.
Apart from the media, the general
public learns about education from for each audience. (Caution: Do not
personal experience and the give two different audiences two
experience of children they know. contradictory messages- someone
These children are (or are not) is liable to be a member of both
learning in school. Parents have audiences. If it seems you cannot
talked with teachers, either in avoid doing this, there is something
tension-filled discipline situations orbasically wrong with your approach.)
during school open houses. If their 4. Decide how to reach each
experiences are good or indifferent, audience with the chosen message.
people are not likely to make much Find out who the opinion leaders of
comment. If their experiences are each group are and how to reach
bad, chances are they will, at some them. Consider using not only
point, tell someone else in the newspaper articles and radio
community. programs but also parent meetings,
presentations at faculty meetings,
Planning a Public Relations Program presentations at teacher association
There are four basic steps in meetings, displays at shopping malls,
deciding how to structure an small coffee meetings with local
educational public relations program parents, letters to the editor of the
as an ongoing project. newspapers, letters to state and
1. Determine specifically what national legislators, presentations to
audiences you will be trying to reach. the boardof education, presentations
Are you concerned with fellow to hospital prenatalcourses (to reach
teachers? Parents? Taxpayers? The parents-to-be), mailings, programs
general public? Each of these groups on cable television stations or public
interacts with you in one way or television stations, and many, many
another. The audiences are different, other channels of communication.
and different approaches will be Do not limityourself to releases to the
needed. newspaper- that is a very narrow
2. Whatare the present attitudes of approach.
the chosen audiences? How do they
feel about reading? About reading Quality, Not Just Quantity
education? How do they feel about It is worthwhile for those who are
their local school system? Do they concerned about public relations for
recognize the importance of home reading to consider how the public's
activities in reinforcing reading view of reading and reading
education? The questions are education may be influenced.
limitless and depend upon the The substance of what is said about
specific situation in the community. your school or reading council and
Informal polls may be conducted. about reading is more importantthan
Sometimes attitudes may be de- the number of times it is mentioned.
termined on the basis of parent Ifevery time your local group has a
conferences. program it asks the newspaper for an
3. Whatdo you want to say to each article, the newspaper's editor may
of the audiences you have chosen? be content to printa short one just to
Even if it is the same basic message keep you happy, or the editor may
for all, you have to tailorthe message decide that nothing you do is worth
PUTNEY: Public Relations for Reading 155

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reporting.
In the latter situation, your school
or reading council may decide that
ratherthan approach the newspaper
for routine events it will only ask for
coverage when there is something
really appropriate for the general
public. More substantial information
may, as a result, be reported by the
media to the community.
Whilethe general public- and thus
the newspaper or radio station- may
not be interested in the technical
aspects of reading education, they
may be interested in parent-oriented
topics. When a programconcerns the
role of parents in reading, prereading
activities for the home, motivating
teenagers to read, and the uses of
children's literature, make an extra
effort to have the meeting covered by
the local news media. If the media
representatives say they cannot
cover the meeting (and there are
many demands on theirtime), offerto
have a council or staff member
capable of writing straight, clear
prose supply informationto them.
Dealing with Issues
When an education issue arises in
the community, your reading council
or school may take positive action in
making its point known or use more
subtle methods to assure that the
entire story is told to the community.
To determine what kinds of issues a
council should involve itself in or
what kinds of action to take, council
leaders- including the publicity
chairperson- must examine several
basic questions:
1. When can the council make a
constructive contribution to the
educational issue being debated?
2. How best can the council's point
of view be made known?
156 Journal of Reading November 1977
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3. Should the council take a
specific stand or just assure that all
the ramifications of the issue are
known?
IRA local and state councils have
become involved in elections,
debates over a local district's budget
for reading education, state certifica-
tion standards, local educational
priorities, educational achieve-
ment debates in the community, or
debates on the ability of educators
to do their job.
Every community, every council,
and every debate is different. There
are no pat answers to guide your
involvement in local issues. Some
groups are not strong enough to
make any impact; some are afraidto
take stands; some are philosophically
opposed to debating educational
issues. Many councils are more
comfortable with working to assure
that all issues in a debate are
discussed- operating as a forum
rather than taking a stand.
Strong, continuous relations with
local newspapers and stations, in any
event, may help the council or school
district achieve a position in which,
when a debate is underway,the local
council or district is contacted for its
point of view. Likewise, once the
voice of the council or district is
respected, if there is a nationwide
criticism of reading education- such
as a series of articles from a national
wire service- contact may be made
for the purposes of evaluating or
modifying the series to lessen its
impact. Those councils which are
already known to newspersons in
their area, or are ready to react
immediately to a question or issue,
are more likely to be able to blunt
adverse publicity.
As in every activity, there are
 pitfalls in reading-related public
relations. One of the ways of avoiding
these pitfalls in general is to seek the
advice of a local school system's
public informationofficer. He or she
is as interested in good public
relations for reading as you are. Also
consider contacting the Public
Information Office at IRA
Headquarters (800 Barksdale Road,
Newark, DE 19711) or the National
School Public Relations Association
(1801 N. Moore St., Arlington, VA
22209).
There are certain roadblocks for
effective public relations which may
seem impossible to circumvent.
There may be reporters, newspaper
editors, radio station managers,
educational groups, or others who
will always be opposed to believing in
the importance of reading education
or in the success of the present
educational system. Ifyou runinto an
immovable object, go around it. If
there is no way of getting your news
into the newspaper, try alternative
sources: other newspapers, radio
stations, television stations, or
meetings. There are many channels
for communication. If one is closed,
use the others.
Avoiding Pitfalls
There are some specific pitfalls to
avoid.
1. Jargon. Avoid educational
jargon when working with
newspeople, parents, and the general
public. Jargon is useful to
educators- it enables us to get
information across to one another
clearly and quickly-- but it is
infuriating to noneducators. Jargon
will make noneducators progressive-
ly confused, indifferent, and hostile.
(Do not go to the opposite extreme,
PUTNEY: Public Relations for Reading
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however, of talking down to them.
There is a happy medium.)
2. Test scores. When releasing test
scores in the local community, make
sure that an effective job is done
of explaining the uses and limitations
of the scores, both to the school
system's employees and to the
community. When data fromtests are
released and educators simply say
the scores really don't mean much,
the general public assumes the
educators are trying to "talk away"
the value of the scores. (Releasing
Test Scores, an excellent publica-
tion on this topic, may be obtained
from the National School Public
Relations Association at a cost
of $4.75.)
3. "The great methods debate."
The opinion has been expressed that
Americans expect great and sudden
technological improvements (from
airplanes to jets to rockets in one
lifetime) and that such sudden
innovations in education may be
impossible. People are looking for
them, nonetheless, and methods of
reading instruction may seem to be
one type of "innovation."It is often
worth pointing out to local
newspeople that enthusiastic, well
trained teachers are likely to have
more effect on reading education
than a sudden innovationin methods.
If someone quizzes you on your
methods, take that person into the
classroom and demonstrate the
difference in children, methods and
techniques normally used in the
classroom.
4. Dullness. Don't rely on an
explanation of a situation to interest
people. Show them, get them
involved, make them see what is
being done. This will help reporters,
parents, and the general public
157
understand. general public. Communication is
There are indications that reading not achieved through sudden short-
is no longer the firsttarget in criticism term publicity campaigns; it can be
of schools. Forthis trend to continue, achieved through a long-term
reading professionals must continuous commitment to public
communicate with parents and the relations for reading education.

Resources for Public Relations for Reading Programs

The following list of resources was assembled by Dr. Philip A. Toman,
Director of Information Services, Newark (Delaware) School District, and
Vice-President of the National School Public Relations Association. Names
and addresses are listed, with any cost or limitations, if known.
District 66 Special Report, "Reading."
Gary Marx, Director of Communica-
tions, The Westside Community
Schools, District 66, 909 South 76th
Street, Omaha, NE 68114.
Good Books Make Reading Fun for Your
Child, Glenna Sloan. International
Reading Association, Public Informa-
tion Office, 800 Barksdale Road,
Newark, DE 19711. Individual copies
available without charge.
Handbook for Council Publicity. Inter-
national Reading Association, Public
Information Office, 800 Barksdale
Road, Newark, DE 19711.
Parent Education Program, 1977. Jack
Cassidy, Newark School District Staff
Development and Resources Center,
193 West Park Place, Newark, DE
19711. $2.00.
Partners in Reading (sound filmstrip),
Dallas Independent School District.
Larry Ascough, Assistant Superin-
tendent for Communications. 3700
Ross Avenue, Dallas, TX 75204. A limited
number of copies of this presentation
are available on loan.
Partners in Reading: A Tip for Parents
(brochure), Dallas Independent School
District. Larry Ascough, Assistant
Superintendent for Communications,
3700 Ross Avenue, Dallas, TX 75204.
Read to Succeed (brochure for parents),
David Rubin and Elizabeth Shrobe.
David Rubin, Hill Central School, 140
DeWitt Street, New Haven, CT 06510.
Only a limited number of copies available.
Reading Activities for Young Children,
Newark School District. Jack Cassidy,
Newark School District Staff Develop-
ment and Resources Center, 193 West
Park Place, Newark, DE 19711.
Reading Games for Parents and Children.
Jack Cassidy, Newark School District
Staff Development and Resources
Center, 193 West Park Place, Newark,
DE 19711.
Reading: Issues and Actions (1974).
National School Public Relations
Association, 1801 N. Moore Street,
Arlington, VA 22209. $6.75.
Reading and Social Science Report in
Des Moines Public Schools, 1975-77,
Des Moines Independent Community
School District. Robert D. Baldwin,
School Community Relations Director,
1800 Grand Avenue, Des Moines, IA
50307. Limited number of copies
available.
Right To Read News (1977). Nancy Wilson,
Newark School District Staff Develop-
ment and Resources Center, 193 West
Park Place, Newark, DE 19711.
Right To Read: One Community's Story,
Linda Sasser. Jack Cassidy, Newark
School District Staff Development and
Resources Center, 193 West Park Place,
Newark, DE 19711.
The School and Community Relations
(1976). Donald R. Bagin, Donald R.
Gallagher and Leslie W. Kindred.
Prentice-Hall, Inc., Englewood Cliffs,
NJ 07632.
Teaching Reading: A Search for the Right
Combination (sound filmstrip, 1975).
National School Public Relations
Association, 1801 N. Moore Street,
Arlington, VA 22209. $38.00.
Time Frame, vol. 4, no. 1, and vol. 5, no. 1,
Arlene Soifer, Editor. Board of Co-
operative Educational Services,
Salisbury Center, Westbury, NY 11590.
Only a limited number of copies
available.
You Can Encourage Your Child to Read,
International Reading Association.
Public Information Officer, Inter-
national Reading Association, 800
Barksdale Road, Newark, DE 19711.
Individual copies available without
charge.
Your Home Is Your Child's First School,
International Reading Association.
Public Information Officer, Inter-
national Reading Association, 800
Barksdale Road, Newark, DE 19711.
Individual copies available without
charge.

158 Journal of Reading November 1977

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