Wikipedia 15/Media - Meta

Advice on getting the word out about Wikipedia 15 through local media, social media platforms, and in the community.

Tips for engaging with local media, pitching to the press, and more go here!

• Movement Communications Skills: This page is a growing collection of communication tactics and hands-on media tips, including slides and learning patterns. It's a follow-up to the 2015 Wikimedia Conference Communications workshop, designed to answer core questions that movement communications people discussed at the Berlin workshop.

We’ve received requests from some community members for a press release template for Wikipedia’s 15th birthday. This section includes a possible structure that can be adapted for your needs, as well as a more general press release if you want to see an example. Feel free to remix and translate in whatever way makes sense!

• A press release is one way to raise awareness about an announcement.
• Wikipedia’s 15th birthday is a global celebration, and local press releases can raise awareness in specific regions while showing the diversity of the movement.

• A press release should read like a news story, written in third-person, citing quotes and sources and containing key information about an announcement.
• You can find a framework below that explains the structure of a typical press release.

• There are a number of ways to distribute a press release:
  • Share it by email with local reporters who might be interested. (Many publications have a contact us form on their website with reporter email addresses).
  • You can share a press release by email before you publish it “under embargo.” An embargo asks the journalist not to share before a pre-set time and date. You should check if the journalist will respect the embargo before sharing anything with them.
  • Publish it on an affiliate/community blog, or in the press section on your website.
  • Share a link on social media.
  • Use a press release distribution service (this costs money and is not always the most effective approach).

• Anytime! Many chapters and affiliates we’ve spoken to are publishing press releases a few days before the 15th to raise awareness about events before they happen. The Wikimedia Foundation will issue a general press release on January 15, 2016 but we hope many community and localized press releases will be out already.
• You can share your press release with reporters before you publish it, so they have a “heads up” and are more likely to cover the news. This is sometimes called an “embargo.” For more tips on working with the media, see the movement communications skills page.

Here are a couple resources if you decide to publish your own press release!

• Sample press release
• Press release structure

We’ve been asking social media users: What does Wikipedia mean to you?

By that, we mean – how do you use Wikipedia? What is Wikipedia’s role in the work you do and the ideas you share with your friends and the world? What does Wikipedia mean for the way you learn, the way you interact with information, and the way you understand the world? What does Wikipedia or free knowledge mean for your community?

We are hoping you will tweet mentioning #wikipedia15 and @wikipedia. Please say anything that is right for you. If you need examples, you could say something like:

• Knowledge is powerful. Thanks @wikipedia for being open and free for everyone. #wikipedia15
• I use @wikipedia to look stuff up with my kids. You never know what you’ll find. #wikipedia15
• Happy 15th birthday, @wikipedia. Thanks for giving free information to the world! #wikipedia15

You can also consider including a Wikipedia 15 illustration or animated GIF too!

• Twitter: @Wikipedia_15 (Mostly handled by NahidSultan and JElder (WMF) knows the password too)
• Hashtag: #Wikipedia15

Please add a row and share what you are working on regarding media outreach for Wikipedia 15. This could serve as a "live" overview of who does what where. Is there something you could help somebody else with? Need inspiration yourself? Want to plan together or do simultaneous releases?