Now onto another tried-and-true PR material: the art of the press release.
Being able to write a good press release is arguably one of the most important assets a public relations practitioner can have.
When I worked for the small nonprofit WiderNet in the spring of 2020, I helped their team with any communications tasks they needed, producing an abundance of PR materials, updating their branding strategies, and more.
Below is a news release I completed for this client in the traditional format and style, with an unexpected newsworthy angle in the wake of the global Coronavirus crisis.
WiderNet
1906 E. NC Highway 54
Suite 100F
Durham, NC 27713
NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 18, 2020 CONTACT: Ally Dunavant, PR Intern
615-973-0793, adunavant21@gmail.com
LOCAL NONPROFIT SERVES FOREIGN COMMUNITIES DURING PANDEMIC
DURHAM, N.C. – WiderNet, a nonprofit based in Durham, provides essential digital services to underserved communities around the world, and its programming has allowed parts of Africa to access critical information to combat the spread of Coronavirus. Although WiderNet assists communities globally, its work has made a remarkable difference namely in Nigeria during a time of mass uncertainty.
One of WiderNet’s hallmark programs is the eGranary Digital Library, an offline information source that provides instant access to over 35 million digital resources for those lacking adequate internet connection. Also known as “The Internet in a Box,” the eGranary Library provides access to informative content about COVID-19 to communities in Nigeria without traditional internet access.
“[The] eGranary Digital Library has been a great bridge in the digital divide for us… in Nigeria,” said Dr. Stephen Akintunde, deputy university librarian at the University of Jos. “It has served the purpose of bringing the internet to our doorsteps.”
As the virus spreads in Africa, WiderNet’s eGranary Library allows many
communities at risk to learn how to prevent its spread, stay healthy, and stay informed about the development of the pandemic. Although reports of Coronavirus cases in Nigeria remain small in comparison to the rest of the world, uncertainty and anxiety still circulate throughout the country.
“The WiderNet Project and the eGranary Digital Library are two of the best things to happen to Nigeria,” said a member of the Ahmadu Bello University community in Zaria, Nigeria.
Without WiderNet’s help, many Nigerian communities without internet access would lack fundamental educational resources. These resources have proven especially useful during the global Coronavirus crisis. While the pandemic is impeding the progress of many developments around the world, it is not stopping WiderNet.
About WiderNet
Founded in 2000 in Durham, N.C., WiderNet is a nonprofit organization providing resources, coaching, training, computer and educational materials to schools, clinics, libraries and homes in underserved areas around the world. Partnering with the School of Information and Library Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, WiderNet serves many people who lack internet connectivity and information resources, but its work focuses especially on the needs in developing countries to help bridge the global digital divide. To learn more about how WiderNet is closing this gap in innovative and cost-effective ways, like its flagship project, the eGranary Digital Library, visit http://www.widernet.org/.
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