Welcome to the media resources area. Here you will find a number of tools and downloads to assist with your media campaign.
Why support a media campaign?
Using the media is a very effective and cost-efficient way to get your message over to the widest possible audience in your area.
Having put a huge amount of effort into organising your Arrhythmia Awareness Week activities it makes sense to spend a little time to let people know what you are doing and why.
There are plenty of opportunities to promote your initiative particularly with your local media. It is often a local story, directly related to where you live or work, that can make the most impact.
A media campaign can be as big or as small as you like depending on the time you have available. Naturally, the more time you have to put into the campaign the greater the outputs. However, even a few basic activities should still generate some good results and coverage in your chosen press.
Key Messages
The overall theme for this year's Arrhythmia Awareness Week is 'Know Your Pulse'.
There are five key messages relating to the campaign which we encourage you to promote through any media activities:
1) Arrhythmia Alliance is promoting routine procedural pulse checks in GP surgeries, as exist for weight and blood pressure
2) Everyone needs to ‘Know Your Pulse’ as it is one of the most effective ways of identifying potential cardiac arrhythmias
3) An arrhythmia is caused by abnormal electrical activity in the heart which affects the way the heart beats – more than 2 million people in the UK have an arrhythmia
4) Untreated, some arrhythmias can lead to sudden cardiac death, stroke and loss or consciousness
5) This week is Arrhythmia Awareness Week (7th-13th June 2010)
Underpinning these messages is where people can find out more about arrhythmias and how to take their pulse: Find out how to take your pulse at www.knowyourpulse.org
Press Pack
The main activity for a media campaign is putting together a press release and sending it to media targets (local newspapers, magazines, television and radio stations). Our template press release in the Press Pack can be adapted for this purpose, supplemented with your own local information.
The A-A Press Pack includes:
- A template Press Release
- Backgrounder on Cardiac Arrhythmias
- Media Alert/Advance Notice
- Supportive Quotes
Download and use your Press Pack here
Media Toolkit
This toolkit provides a step-by-step guide to help you get publicity for your local Arrhythmia Awareness Week activities.
By following the guidance provided in this toolkit you should be able to achieve some coverage in local newspapers, on radio and perhaps on TV.
The toolkit contains guidance on how to approach the local media and what information to provide them with. It provides tips on adapting template press materials to make them locally relevant, preparing spokespeople and case studies, and timing of media activities for best effect.
