1. Communications
for your 4-H Club
Jessi Jaramillo, web & social media strategist
Jayne Jaramillo, Journalism student at Syracuse University

2. Working with the Media
● Get to know your beat reporter
● Calling is better than email
● Don't be afraid to approach the press
● Invite him/her to your event!
[blurb vs feature article]
● Always provide the who, what, where,
when, and why

3. Interviews
● Know what you want to say
● Have notes or bullet points about what
you want to cover
● PSAs & live interviews
● Off the record vs On the record
● Don't bad mouth

4. Quick Tips for writing
● Lede paragraph: who, what, where,
when
● Nut paragraph: add the why
● End every article or press release with
club statement
● Include contact info and photos
● At the very end of your press release:
###

5. Taking good photo & video
● Rule of thirds
● Be aware of lighting and focus
● If you're getting audio with your video,
be aware of background noise.
● Hold shots for at least 10 seconds [5
Mississippi] when taking video
● When interviewing, try to have the
subject talk across the screen not
directly at you.

6. Website
● Use a simple website builder.
[Try yola or google sites]
● Choose a simple web address
● Have a clear description of your club
● Easy-to-find contact information
● Simple design that is user-friendly
● Keep it fresh[add a blog!]
● Follow the NYS 4-H web guidelines

7. Social Media
● Keep it personal
● Keep it up to date
● Build a relationship, maintain a dialogue
with your followers
● Link them all!
● Use photos and videos [Animoto for
quick video creation!]
● *Try Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr,
etc.

8. More info
● Mashable.com: for social media news
and advice
● Moore Memorial Library Public Computer
Center: Visit greenenylibrary.org and
click Public Computer Center
● Extension Express & 4-H Friday Focus
Jessi Jaramillo
607-427-9202
jessi.jj@gmail.com