Updated - March 18, 2020
Friends -
Barry Nelson and I are happy to make these resources available to your station. We understand that each station faces its own unique challenges. We hope you find these materials helpful.
The COVID-19 outbreak and its impact is unlike anything public radio has covered, but we've actually have faced similar challenges before. Wildfires in the West, hurricanes and severe weather throughout the country, tsunamis, SARS, Ebola, economic uncertainty, mass shootings and 9/11 are a few that come to find. Each time, NPR and local stations rise to the challenge and help the listener make sense of the crisis. Once the dust settles, listeners reward their local station with contributions. We're confident the same will happen this time.
If you haven't postponed your spring drive, now is not the time to conduct business as usual. Now's the time to be more focused, more nimble and more news-responsive during your drive. And if your station has postponed the spring drive, you still have an opportunity to connect with listeners and provide them with opportunities to support your coverage.
- Mike Wallace and Barry Nelson
Friends -
Barry Nelson and I are happy to make these resources available to your station. We understand that each station faces its own unique challenges. We hope you find these materials helpful.
The COVID-19 outbreak and its impact is unlike anything public radio has covered, but we've actually have faced similar challenges before. Wildfires in the West, hurricanes and severe weather throughout the country, tsunamis, SARS, Ebola, economic uncertainty, mass shootings and 9/11 are a few that come to find. Each time, NPR and local stations rise to the challenge and help the listener make sense of the crisis. Once the dust settles, listeners reward their local station with contributions. We're confident the same will happen this time.
If you haven't postponed your spring drive, now is not the time to conduct business as usual. Now's the time to be more focused, more nimble and more news-responsive during your drive. And if your station has postponed the spring drive, you still have an opportunity to connect with listeners and provide them with opportunities to support your coverage.
- Mike Wallace and Barry Nelson
Materials (updated March 17):
Radio scripts for use in 3 scenarios
On-air radio drives and COVID-19
Actionable tips to make your on-air drive more news-responsive.
Click here to download a PPT to share with your team.
Making Your On-Air Drive More News-Responsive
Every station has access to these tools. Are you using them during your on-air drive?
This is a fluid situation. We'll update these resources as warranted. Additional materials are being provided by PRPD, Greater Public and NPR station services. Please check with these organizations' websites.
Click here to send us an email if you'd like to discuss any of the materials above.
- Non-preemptive (drive is continuing in some fashion during coverage)
- Drive is cancelled
- Drive is cancelled (University Licensees)
On-air radio drives and COVID-19
Actionable tips to make your on-air drive more news-responsive.
Click here to download a PPT to share with your team.
Making Your On-Air Drive More News-Responsive
Every station has access to these tools. Are you using them during your on-air drive?
- Content Depot - Publive - Current Messages: Everything you need to know about updates to programs, including changes to stories and features and alerts for breaking news and special coverage. Note: password protected.
- NPRstations.org - Electronic Rundown: A visual guide of stories and segments for NPR newsmagazines, Breaking News and Special Programming. Note: password protected.
- NPR Squawk Channel - Monitor this stream while you're producing pledge breaks to make sure you're not missing important programming updates.
- Spots on Content Depot
- NPR 2020 Special Response Fundraising Feed (episode 6080726 ) - Pulled from NPR's archive, use these spots to underscore NPR - and your station's - commitment to fact-based news.
- STAY CONNECTED WITH NPR Smart Speaker ON-AIR PROMOS (episode 6085050) - Spots from Fresh Air and 1A encouraging listeners to stay connected using their smart speaker to "play NPR".
- PRADO listserv - Stations are sharing information on this list serve
- PRPD online discussion forums - Connect with colleagues at other stations by format
- PRPD Emergency Planning Resources
- SAFER (Station Action for Emergency Readiness)
- Greater Public COVID-19 Resources
This is a fluid situation. We'll update these resources as warranted. Additional materials are being provided by PRPD, Greater Public and NPR station services. Please check with these organizations' websites.
Click here to send us an email if you'd like to discuss any of the materials above.