2016 ILCA Labor Media Award Winners

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2014 ILCA Labor Media Award Winners

Congratulations to all of our winners!

The following winners represent some of the best and most inspired work in labor communications and are to be congratulated in promoting the highest standards of labor journalism. The awards were presented at a special Awards Luncheon on December 12 at the AFL-CIO headquarters, in Washington, D.C. You can view photos from the Awards Luncheon here.

Steinbock Award
The highest single award for journalistic excellence

IBEW 1245
“Brother’s Keeper”
by Eric Wolfe

AFGE
1st Place: Best Front Page/Cover, “Government Standard”
2nd Place: Long Audio Programs, “Shutdown devastating for workers, AFGE president says – October 4, 2013”

AFM Local 47
1st Place: General Excellence – Electronic Newsletter, “LA Phil Goes to Europe / Musicians Rally for Immigration Reform Now!”
1st Place: Saul Miller Award – Organizing, “Musicians Rock Marvel in Cleveland”
3rd Place: Saul Miller Award – Organizing, “Marvel: Bring the Music HOME!”

AFM Local 802
2nd Place: General Excellence – Local & Regional Publications, ALLEGRO magazine

AFSCME Council 28/WFSE
1st Place: Broadcast or Cable TV Programs, Our View, February 2014
1st Place: Long Videos (> 5 min), “A Year of Bargaining: Evergreen team chronicles contract fight at critical stage”
2nd Place: Broadcast or Cable TV Programs, Our View, August 2013
3rd Place: General Excellence – Non-Periodical Publications, “Council 28 Action Agenda”
3rd Place: Best News, “Supreme Court asked to overturn ‘raw deals’ on pensions”

AFSCME District Council 37
1st Place: Best Cartoon, “Communities and DC 37 mobilize to stop library sell-offs”
1st Place: Best Series, “NYCHA series”
2nd Place: Best Photo Essay or Gallery, “Goldwater Hospital closing after generations of care”
3rd Place: Best Design Newspapers and Newsletters, “50th anniversary of the March on Washington”

AFSCME Local 1549
2nd Place: Audio Spots, “An Understaffed 911 Is A Real Emergency”

AFSCME Local 3930
3rd Place: Internet Award / Best Content, “UDW website”

AFSMCE Council 5
1st Place: Best Photograph, “Historic Victory”
1st Place: Best Feature Story, “Fixing it Themselves”
2nd Place: Best Labor History Story, “Equal Pay — for Real”
2nd Place: Saul Miller Award – Organizing, “Respect: Edina nursing home workers join AFSCME to have a bigger say in the care they provide”

Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA)
1st Place: General Excellence – Newspapers and Newsletters, “The Roar from 44 (Delta LEC #044), 1,000 to 10,000″
2nd Place: Best Front Page/Cover, Air Line Pilot Magazine, December 2013 Issue
2nd Place: General Excellence – Magazines, Air Line Pilot Magazine
2nd Place: General Excellence – Newspapers and Newsletters, The New York Minute (ALPA Delta LEC #66), 1,001 to 10,000
2nd Place: Best Informational Graphic, “ALPA-PAC Faces Stiff Industry Competition”
2nd Place: Best Labor History Story, “Remembering the Pilots of the Great Silver Fleet”
2nd place: Best Series, “ALPA Represents”
3rd Place: General Excellence – Newspapers and Newsletters, “The Delta Widget (ALPA Delta MEC), 10,000 to 30,000”
3rd Place: Best Analysis, “The Landing – Political Twitterverse”

Amalgamated Transit Union
1st Place: Best Design Internet, “ATU International Website”
1st Place: Best Cartoon, “Struggle Against Austerity – In Transit Jan/Feb 2013”
1st Place: Saul Miller Award / Political Action, “What Works – ATU Members Shaking Things Up All Over U.S. and Canada – In Transit May/June 2013”
2nd Place: Best Design Magazines, “Struggle Against Austerity – In Transit Jan/Feb 2013”
2nd Place: Best Editorial or Column, “Atlanta Transit Bill Harkens Back to the Days of Jim Crow”
3rd Place: Best Front Page/Cover, “Struggle Against Austerity – In Transit Jan/Feb 2013”

Building Bridges
1st Place: Long Audio Programs, “Building Bridges: Across the March of Time 1963 to 2013, for Jobs & Justice-Marching on Washington”
2nd Place: Long Audio Programs, “Building Bridges Radio: Protesting Wal-Mart’s Brave New World of Business”

California School Employees Association
1st Place: Best Feature Story, “The Greening of California Public Schools”
2nd Place: General Excellence – Electronic Newsletter, “Newslink”
2nd Place: Best Illustration, “The Greening of California Public Schools”
3rd Place: Best Design Nonperiodical Publications, “Lead, Inspire, Engage: A Planning Calendar”
3rd Place: General Excellence – Local & Regional Publications, Focus Magazine
3rd Place: Best Profile, “Payroll Accountant Good With More Than Numbers”
3rd Place: Best Series, “The Affordable Care Act”

COPE 378
1st Place: General Excellence – Local & Regional Publications, Local Voice
1st Place: Best Use of Social Media, “Communicating our History Through #ThrowbackThursday”
3rd Place: Best Use of Social Media, “Call Centre Action Month”
3rd Place: Best Cartoon, “Death Stars Need Workplace Safety Too”

CPWR – The Center for Construction Research and Training
1st Place: Best Design Print, “CPWR Highlights 2013 – Why We Do This Work”
1st Place: Short Videos (< 5 min), “Lessons to Go Home Safe – Case #2: Look Up and Live”
1st Place: General Excellence – Non-Periodical Publications, “CPWR Highlights 2013 – Why We Do This Work”

CSEA, Inc.
2nd Place: Best News, “True stories you can’t make up in the real ‘new’ New York”
3rd Place: Best Front Page/Cover, “Camp Runamuck”
3rd Place: Best Design Internet, “CSEANY.org”
3rd Place: Best Photograph, “Les Dawson”

CWA Local 1180
1st Place: Best Front Page/Cover, “Communique – Fall 2013 Cover”

FX Group
1st Place: Best Design, “56th GRAMMY® Awards”
1st Place: General Excellence – Other Labor Organizations, “56th GRAMMY® Awards”
2nd Place: Best Design, “Emmy® Almanac 2014 Edition”
2nd Place: General Excellence – Other Labor Organizations, “Operator 2013”
3rd Place: Best Design, “GRAMMY® Hall of Fame 40th Anniversary”
3rd Place: General Excellence – Other Labor Organizations, “Emmy® Almanac 2014 Edition”

IAMAW
1st Place: Long Promos/Public Relations, “Stronger”
1st Place: General Excellence – Blog, “iMail”
1st Place: Internet Best Content, “IAM Mobile 3.0 App”
1st Place: Best Use of Social Media, “Deep Six U-6”
2nd Place: Electronic Media / Labor History, “STAR OF AMERICA”
2nd Place: Long Promos/Public Relations, “Deep Six U-6”
2nd Place: Long Videos (> 5 min), “THE AMERICAN DREAM”
2nd Place: General Excellence – Electronic Newsletter, “iMail”

IAMAW District 751
2nd Place: General Excellence – Blog, “Machinists News”

IATSE
1st Place: General Excellence – Magazines, The Official Bulletin

IBEW Local 1245
1st Place: Best Design Newspapers and Newsletters, “Utility Reporter – Publication Design”
1st Place: Best Informational Graphic, “Weingarten Rights”
1st Place: Best Labor History Story, “Brotherhood and Betrayal: The 1913 IBEW Strike at PG&E”
2nd Place: Internet Award / Best Content, “www.ibew1245.com”
3rd Place: General Excellence – Local & Regional Publications, Utility Reporter
3rd Place: Saul Miller Award / Political Action, “Fresno Measure G Defeated”

International Brotherhood of Boilermakers
1st Place: General Excellence – Non-Periodical Publications, “LEAP Manual | Legislative Education Action Program Guide”
2nd Place: Best Design Newspapers and Newsletters, “The Boilermaker Reporter, Issue V52N4″
2nd Place: Best Front Page/Cover, “The Boilermaker Reporter, Issue V52N4″
2nd Place: General Excellence – Website, “International Brotherhood of Boilermakers”
3rd Place: Best Editorial or Column, “EPA rules will not effectively impact world climate change”

International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
1st Place: Best Design Newspapers and Newsletters, The Electrical Worker
1st Place: Education&Training/K-12 Education, “Lobbying 101”
1st Place: Internal or External Organizing, “Organizing Over Long Distances”
1st Place: Short Videos (< 5 min), “Solar Power: Made in the USA”
1st Place: Spots/Short Video Promos (<60 secs), “IBEW – It’s about growing a community”
1st Place: Best Analysis, “Exposing the Underground Economy Labor, Lawmakers Take on Payroll Fraud”
1st Place: Best Editorial or Column, “From the Officers: Stand with Low-Wage Workers”
1st Place: Best Labor History Story, “Centenary of the IBEW’s Reid-Murphy Split”
1st Place: Best News, “Sequester Shutters Space Fence, Mothballs Nuclear Submarine”
1st Place: Saul Miller Award / Organizing, “Union-Busting ‘Onslaught’ Snares Organizing Campaign”
2nd Place: Education&Training/K-12 Education, “Manufacturing Code of Excellence”
2nd Place: Best Analysis, “CONSTRUCTION COMEBACK?Tentative Recovery Driving”
2nd Place: Best Feature Story, “‘The Perfect Storm?’ Skilled Worker Shortage Looms for Construction Branch”
2nd Place: Best Profile, “Who We Are: Georgia Foreman Doubles as Wildlife Adventurer”
2nd Place: Saul Miller Award / Political Action, “Nebraska Local Helps Defeat Water Plant Privatization”
3rd Place: Best Front Page/Cover, “The Electrical Worker”
3rd Place: Internal or External Organizing, “Winning Organizing Battles Through Creativity”
3rd Place: Short Videos (< 5 min), “IBEW, Manufacturer Partnership Brings Jobs Back from China”
3rd Place: General Excellence – Electronic Newsletter, “IBEW Media Wire”
3rd Place: Internet Best Content, “IBEW Facebook”
3rd Place: Best News, “IBEW Members Build the World’s Largest Light Sculpture in San Francisco”
3rd Place: Best Profile, “‘It Was Literally A Sweatshop’ Okla. Organizers Go to Bat for Fired Tech Employees”

LIUNA
1st Place: General Excellence – Website, “LIUNA Website”

Los Angeles/Orange Counties Building and Construction Trades Council
1st Place: Best Front Page/Cover, “All-Union BNSF Rail Yard Wins at City (May Issue)”
1st Place: Best Editorial or Column, “Repeal the Two-Thirds Requirement”
1st Place: Best News, “Labor Rallies to Protest Non-Union Contractor”
1st Place: Best Profile, “Man of Steel”
1st Place: Saul Miller Award / Organizing, “Labor Rallies to Protest Non-Union Contractor”
1st Place: Saul Miller Award / Political Action, “Building Trades Protect CEQA and Wages at Capitol”
2nd Place: Best Photograph, “Student Linda Ramos Considers Iron Work”
2nd Place: Best News, “$7 Billion More for Work at LA Schools”
2nd Place: Saul Miller Award / Political Action, “Building Trades Triumph for Workers”
3rd Place: Best Front Page/Cover, “$7 Billion More for Work at LA Schools”
3rd Place: General Excellence – State & Central Body Publications, “Building Trades News – April and May Issues”
3rd Place: Best Photograph, “The Vote at City Hall Will Create Building Trades Jobs”
3rd Place: Best News, “All-Union Rail Yard Wins at City”

Metro Washington Labor Council/AFL-CIO
1st Place: General Excellence – Electronic Newsletter, “Union City”

Minneapolis Regional Labor Federation
1st Place: Best Photo Essay or Gallery, “March for Dignity and Justice, 10/5/13”
1st Place: Best Photograph, “SEIU janitors, security officers authorize strike”
1st Place: Saul Miller Award / Collective Bargaining, “SEIU Local 26 janitors, security officers vote to authorize strike”
2nd Place: Best Front Page/Cover, “Minneapolis Labor Review, February 22, 2013 front page”
2nd Place: General Excellence – State & Central Body Publications, “Minneapolis Labor Review, January 25, 2013 and February 22, 2013 issues”
2nd Place: Best Editorial or Column, “Overdue raise in state’s minimum wage would benefit all workers”

John Moyle
1st Place: Best Editorial or Column, “Oh Snap!”
2nd Place: General Excellence – Blog, “IBEW Local One Volunteers with Rebuilding Together”
2nd Place: Best Profile, “Labor Rising offers new methods for cutting-edge organizing”
3rd Place: Best Profile, “IBEW Local 1 electrician ensures heroes get proper welcomes; Union recognizes his efforts”

National Conference of Firemen and Oilers/ District Local 32BJ SEIU
1st Place: Saul Miller Award / Political Action, “Purple Wave Helps Obama Carry Ohio”
2nd Place: Best Profile, “Is the North Pole in North Platte?”

NYSUT
1st Place: Best Front Page/Cover, “Poverty ”
1st Place: General Excellence – Blog, “Goodman Mountain: A hometown passage to vivid air and civil rights”
1st Place: General Excellence – Website, “NYSUT”
2nd Place: Best Design Nonperiodical Publications, “Back to School ”
3rd Place: Best Illustration, “Black History Month poster”
3rd Place: Best Informational Graphic, “Celebrate Hispanic Heritage “

Ohio Civil Service Employees Association
2nd Place: General Excellence – Local & Regional Publications, Public Employee Quarterly – Winter and Spring 2013
2nd Place: Best Series, “Life disrupted”

Pacific Media Workers Guild, CWA Local 39521
1st Place: Best Photo Essay or Gallery, “Hundreds gather at City Hall to hear Supreme Court decision on gay marriage”

Pennsylvania AFL-CIO
1st Place: Best Analysis, “Pennsylvania AFL-CIO Analysis: Over 35,000 Voters Were Disenfranchised In 2012 General Election As A Result Of Voter ID”
2nd Place: Best Design Print, “PA AFL-CIO 2013-2014 Legislative Directory”

Peoples World
1st Place: Best News, “Unity was their cry – fast food workers go global”
2nd Place: Best Analysis, “2013 – Year of the bold new labor movement”
3rd Place: Best Analysis, “Documents expose new ALEC scheme to kill clean energy”

Professional Employees Association
1st Place: Electronic Media / Labor History, “The Professional Employees Association: Serving Professionals for 40 Years”
1st Place: General Excellence – Local & Regional Publications, The Professional
1st Place: Best Design Internet, “Endangered Experts”

Professional Staff Congress (PSC)/ CUNY, AFT Local 2334
1st Place: Best Illustration, “The Militarization of CUNY?”
2nd Place: Best Design Newspapers and Newsletters, “The national Pathways petition”
2nd Place: Best Front Page/Cover, “Against Austerity”
2nd Place: Best Analysis, “SUNY Buffalo shutters Shale Institute”
3rd Place: Best Editorial or Column, “CUNY first, users last”

PTE 17
2nd Place: Best Design Magazines, Insight Magazine
3rd Place: General Excellence – Local & Regional Publications, Insight Magazine

Public: Employees Federation (PEF) Council 234/SEIU
1st Place: Electronic Media / Education&Training/K-12 Education, “The Many Roles of a Steward”
2nd Place: Electronic Media / Education&Training/K-12 Education, “Workers’ Compensation Training Video”

SAG-AFTRA
1st Place: Best Design Magazines, SAG-AFTRA Magazine, Fall 2013
1st Place: Best Illustration, “Plunge into the Commercials Deal”
1st Place: Best Profile, “Rita Moreno: 50th Life Achievement Honoree”
2nd Place: General Excellence – Non-Periodical Publications, “SAG-AFTRA National Convention Journal”
3rd Place: Education&Training/K-12 Education, “Living Commercials Contract”
3rd Place: General Excellence – Magazines, SAG-AFTRA Magazine
3rd Place: Best Feature Story, “Voiceover Performers: More Than Just Talking for a Living”

Sheet Metal Workers International Association
1st Place: Best Series, “A History of the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers”
3rd Place: Best Design Internet, “SMART-Union.org website”

Southern Oregon Area Local/APWU #342
1st Place: General Excellence – Local & Regional Publications, Southern Oregon Area Review

St. Louis/Southern Illinois Labor Tribune
1st Place: Best Front Page/Cover, “SOLIDARITY!”
1st Place: Best Cartoon, “The Santa-Union charity work brings Christmas to our communities all year round”
1st Place: Best Photograph, “Remembering The Fallen”
1st Place: Best Labor History Story, “Fund drive could bring repairs, renovations to Mother Jones Monument”
1st Place: Best Profile, “Sherwood Kerker, crusading editor for working familes, dies at 82”
1st Place: Best Series, “Lead Poisoning”
2nd Place: Best Design Internet, “Labor Tribune Website”
2nd Place: Best Photograph, “Summertime Blues”
2nd Place: Best Editorial or Column, “Right-to-work (for less) does nothing for workers”
2nd Place: Best News, “Belleville Labor & Industry Museum tells the story of Americans at work”
2nd Place: Best Series, “Faith/Labor Alliance”
3rd Place: Best Editorial or Column, “Building Trades cite accomplishments in growing local, state economy as example of how cooperation can work for everyone, everywhere”
3rd Place: Best News, “How a retired Peabody miner found himself at the mercy of Patriot Coal’s bankruptcy plan”

St. Paul Regional Labor Federation
1st Place: General Excellence – Blog, “The Saint Paul Union Advocate”
1st Place: General Excellence – State & Central Body Publications, “The Saint Paul Union Advocate”
2nd Place: Best Analysis, “Shutdown left federal workers caught in political crossfire”

TWU
1st Place: Documentary/Social Issues, “TWU 24th Constitutional Convention: Frontlines of Hurricane Sandy”
1st Place: Electronic Media / Labor History, “TWU 24th Constitutional Convention: Labor Protests & Uprising”
2nd Place: Internal or External Organizing, “Citrus Drivers Organize”
2nd Place: Short Videos (< 5 min), “TWU Young Workers”

TWU Local 100
1st Place: General Excellence – Non-Periodical Publications, Transport Workers Bulletin
2nd Place: Multimedia Campaign, “Stand Back New York!”
3rd Place: Best Front Page/Cover, “Out With the New, In With the Old”

UFCW Canada
1st Place: Long Audio Programs, “100 Years of Solidarity”
1st Place: General Excellence – Electronic Newsletter, “DIRECTIONS Newsletter”
1st Place: Best Informational Graphic, “Harper’s growing scandal”
2nd Place: Internet Best Content, “www.ufcw.ca”
2nd Place: Best Design Internet, “www.ufcw.ca”
2nd Place: Best Use of Social Media, “S.A.M.E. – Students Against Migrant Exploitation”
2nd Place: Best Illustration, “World Mental Health Day”
3rd Place: Electronic Media / Labor History, “100 Years of Solidarity”
3rd Place: Best Illustration, “Human Rights Day, December 10”

UFCW Local 1167
2nd Place: Best Photograph, “Fall 2013 Desert Edge”

UFCW Local 175 & 633 CANADA
3rd Place: Best Design Magazines, “Checkout September 2013″
3rd Place: General Excellence – Website, “UFCW Locals 175 & 633 Website”

UFCW Local 21
1st Place: Best Design Nonperiodical Publications, Stand Together – 2013 Contract Negotiations
3rd Place: Multimedia Campaign, “Stand Together — 2013 Grocery Store Workers Contract Negotiations Campaign”

UFCW Local 324
3rd Place: Best Photo Essay or Gallery, “Dozens arrested as Walmart workers….”
3rd Place: Best Analysis, “Local’s legal strategy could soon earn place in history”
3rd Place: Best Labor History Story, “Stop the Presses! LA Times Bombing”

UFCW Local 400
1st Place: Best Design Magazines, “Local 400 Union Leader — Summer 2013 issue”
1st Place: Best Analysis, “Virginia Enacts Laws To Suppress Minority Vote”
1st Place: Best Editorial or Column, “Sec.-Treas. Update — Voting Rights Under Attack”
1st Place: Best Profile, “Local 400 ACTS!”
1st Place: Saul Miller Award / Collective Bargaining, “Members Mobilize for Tough Giant-Safeway Contract Fight”
2nd Place: General Excellence – Local & Regional Publications, UFCW Local 400 Union Leader
2nd Place: Best Design Internet, “UFCW Local 400 website”

UFCW Local 8 – Golden State
2nd Place: Best Front Page/Cover, “Voice of Action Summer 2013″
2nd Place: Best Editorial or Column, “People Before Profits”

UFCW Local 99
2nd Place: Best Feature Story, “Doing the Right Thing”

Union Privilege
1st Place: General Excellence – Blog, “Union Plus Blog Posts”
1st Place: General Excellence – Electronic Newsletter, “Union Plus E-news”
1st Place: General Excellence – Website, “Union Privilege website”
3rd Place: Best Design Internet, “Union Privilege website”

United Federation of Teachers (UFT), AFT Local 2
1st Place: Spots/Short Video Promos (<60 secs), “Mobilizing for the June 12 MLC rally”
1st Place: General Excellence – Local & Regional Publications, New York Teacher
2nd Place: General Excellence – Website, “uft.org”
2nd Place: Best Cartoon, “Care to repeat that under oath?”
2nd Place: Best Informational Graphic, “Recovery of the Few: A Tale of Two Cities”
3rd Place: Long Videos (> 5 min), “Kids helping kids”
3rd Place: Best Feature Story, “Self-expression takes shape”

United Mine Workers of America
1st Place: Best Front Page/Cover, “The Fight Is On”
1st Place: Long Videos (> 5 min), “UMWA Wives”
1st Place: Multimedia Campaign, “Fairness At Patriot”
2nd Place: Spots/Short Video Promos (<60 secs), “Fairness at Patriot TV spot”
2nd Place: Best News, “Settlement Reached with Peabody, Patriot”

United University Professions (UUP)
1st Place: Internet Award / Best Content, “UUP Website”
1st Place: Best News, “Taking a Stand for Downstate”
2nd Place: Long Videos (> 5 min), “May 9 Events to Save SUNY Downstate Medical Center”
2nd Place: General Excellence – Non-Periodical Publications, “UUP 40th Anniversary Booklet”
2nd Place: Best Use of Social Media, “SUNY Downstate Medical Center Text messaging campaign”
2nd Place: Saul Miller Award / Political Action, “Open SUNY threatens quality, may limit access”
3rd Place: General Excellence – Electronic Newsletter, “The Connection – Nov. 18, 2013; Dec. 16, 2013”

University of Minnesota Labor Education Service
1st Place: Documentary/Social Issues, “Who Built Our Capitol?”
1st Place: Long Videos (> 5 min), “Twin Cities Black Friday – End Poverty Wages”
1st Place: Short Videos (< 5 min), “Retail Cleaner’s Strike, Minneapolis, June 2013”
1st Place: Internet Awards / Best Content, “Workday Minnesota”
1st Place: Best Design Internet, “Workday Minnesota”
1st Place: Best Analysis, “Can union co-ops save democracy?”
2nd Place: Short Videos (< 5 min), “Carwash Workers’ Labor/Community Partnership”
2nd Place: General Excellence – Website, “Workday Minnesota”

Washington State Labor Council
1st Place: Education &Training/K-12 Education, “Weingarten Rights: Training for Shop Stewards”
1st Place: Long Videos (> 5 min), “The Underground Economy and Wage Theft”
1st Place: General Excellence – Website, “The Stand”
1st Place: Internet Awards / Best Content, “The Stand”
1st Place: Best Design Internet, “The Stand”
1st Place: Best Informational Graphic, “Let’s lose THEIR baggage”

Tips for Newspaper Interviews

Set Clear Goals for Yourself

You should never agree to an interview unless you are sure of what you want to convey. Not all press is good press. If you sound like you are uninformed of your message shifts erratically in the interview, you will not help your cause. Before you begin, consider how this article could be helpful to your organization and its ultimate goal. Then, think about whom you want to sway and what language or arguments would best accomplish that.

Use your goals to determine your “message.” Throughout the interview, you want a clear theme to develop. That’s your “message.”

Be Prepared

Before the interview, you should prepare possible questions you expect the interviewer to ask and come up with answers to those questions. Then make an effort to sit down, preferably with someone else to help you, and practice your responses. Try to be clear, concise, and interesting. You don’t want to drone on long after the reporter has stopped taking notes. Remember, you should have a clear message you reiterate when appropriate. For example, in preparing for your interview you and another organizer have come up with some possible questions the reporter might ask.

When brainstorming your responses, try to find ways to insert your message. You don’t need to use your catchphrase in every response, but the general message should be conveyed as often as possible. When practicing, try to anticipate difficult questions the reporter might ask you. Find different ways of answering the question and consider possible follow-up questions. When brainstorming responses to tricky questions, think two or three questions ahead to see where the reporter might try to lead you. It sounds like a lot of speculation, but it’s worth it when a little forethought can help you avoid a sticky situation.

In the interview, you want to respond to the reporter, not just answer her questions. That means you want to tailor your remarks in such a way as to lead the reporter back to your key point, your “message.” If you feel that the interviewer’s questions are straying away from the real issue, steer the dialogue back to the topic by saying something like, “That’s an interesting question, but I think the real issue is . . .” or “While that may be one aspect of the problem, the greater issue is . . . .” You don’t want to antagonize or appear to belittle the reporter, but you also don’t want to jeopardize the value of the interview.

The reporter has been trained to think of the interview and the story as theirs. Therefore, you shouldn’t expect her to docilely follow what you think the agenda for the interview should be. There’s a certain tension between any good reporter and her savvy interviewee. It’s your job to get your points across as effectively as possible and still maintain a mutually beneficial relationship. It’s in her interests to fold your perspective of the issue into the story they envision.

You should realize that most interviews will take place without a lot of preparation time for you. You shouldn’t expect to have much advance notice. Therefore, by the time you present yourself as a resource for journalists, you should have already practiced and given considerable thought to your interview techniques. You don’t want to be caught off-guard.

Understand the Reporter’s Needs

Some reporters at a newspaper have a specific beat, or topic area, that they are expected to cover and on which they can be very knowledgeable; others are general assignment reporters, or reporters who are expected to write on a variety of issues that may constantly change. When a reporter first approaches you for an interview, you should determine how much they already knows about the subject. Oftentimes, reporters new to the topic will inform you that they will need more than the usual amount of background information. This presents you with an excellent opportunity to educate them and strengthen your professional relationship. Good information from you now will make it more likely the reporter will rely on you in the future.

If you are working with a reporter new to your issue or organization, it’s a good idea to give them as much comprehensible background information as you think necessary to understand the issue. This doesn’t mean that you should fax them a hundred-page treatise. What you should do is give them one to two pages of background information and let them know about any informative and easy to use websites that are available. A bulleted fact there would be easy to read and quickly convey the key points. Remember that reporters need to prepare for interviews almost as much as you do. They’ll appreciate the extra information and the opportunity to prepare their questions in advance of the interview.

If the reporter is an old hand on the subject, you don’t need to steer them toward any information unless you think they is unaware of something new that is integral to the topic. In this case, you might want to mention the new piece of information and let them know where they can find it. If the reporter asks you about any new information, you should feel free to let her know about the latest data available, for example.

The Format

Most interviews take place over the telephone. The reporter may call you a few hours before her article is due and ask to interview you on the subject. They’ll ask you to spell your name slowly and to give them your exact title and the name of your organization. They may also ask you to succinctly describe your organization. You should have a standard description of your organization developed before your first interview.

During the interview, if you falter and inadvertently give incorrect information, make sure to correct yourself as soon as possible. Be as accurate, succinct, and clear as possible, even as you put forward your message. With practice, this will become second nature.

On the Record vs. Off the Record

Anyone who’s ever seen “All the President’s Men” has heard about on the record and off the record. On the record means that your words can be used in a story and attributed to you. Ninety-nine times out of a hundred, this is how you should be speaking to reporters. It’s rare that you would need to go off the record for any reason. Off the record is a gray area that is often dependent on different reporters. Before you enter this murky area, make sure that you and the reporter understand each other about how the information will be used. For the most part, off the record means that your information cannot be used in the article and the reporter cannot repeat it to anyone using you as the source. What the reporter can do is to ask other people to confirm what they have learned from you, on the record.

For an advocate, you should almost always restrict yourself to things that can be used on the record and attributed to you. If you’re giving reporters information that you don’t want to be linked to, you should realize that this situation could easily backfire on you. If you really feel that you must give this information, make sure to let the reporter know that this information is off the record BEFORE you say a word.

There are other categories for sharing information with reporters. One is called background. Saying something on background means that you don’t necessarily want the information to appear in the story, although it can, depending upon your agreement with the reporter. It cannot, however, be attributed to you. Background information is used to help a reporter frame a story or more accurately understand the context of the issue. The reporter might attribute it to “a source in the activist community” but that should not jeopardize your anonymity. While this information can be useful to the reporter, they will probably still try to have someone confirm the information on the record.

Not for attribution is another method of dispensing information. It can be used in the story, but it should be attributed to a “source.”

If a reporter uses a tape recorder to record the interview, it should be turned off before you provide any information that is anything but off the record. No matter your relationship with the reporter, mistakes can be made.

Remember, reporters aren’t there to protect you from yourself. If you volunteer too much information; forget to say that something is off the record before you say it; misunderstand what the reporter means when they says off the record, on background, or not for attribution, you’re going to be the one who’s hurt. The clearer you are in the beginning, the less damage control you’ll have to do later.

Ending the Interview

Once the interview has come to an end, make sure the reporter has your phone number (if they did not call you first) or other contact information such as e-mail to insure that they can get in touch with you if they has any follow-up questions as they is writing her story. Get their phone number as well, in case you have anything really important to add. If possible, find out when they expects the story to run. Sometimes, even when a reporter has written a story, it does not run due to the newspaper’s space constraints. You never know when a water main might break and drive you from relevance. In closing the interview, make sure to thank them for their time.

Collecting Clips

If this is the first time you have ever seen your name in print, you probably won’t need to hear this advice; however, it’s important to collect and file your clips. These clips can be used in soliciting other articles on your issues, can be included in press kits, used in testimony, brought to editorial board meetings, sent to funders, and analyzed for future interviews. And besides, they may come in handy for your organization’s 25th (or 50th) anniversary celebration!

Corrections

Hopefully, this won’t ever be an issue, but everyone is capable of making a mistake or misunderstanding something you might have said. If it’s a really grave error, call the reporter and let them know of the mistake, in a professional, non-confrontational way. If you come on strong, yelling and threatening to get her fired, you can pretty much say goodbye to any good relationship you might have had with them and, perhaps, other members of the press. Reporters are like the rest of us, they like to talk, and reporters have friends and colleagues who are also reporters. Always remember to be calm and polite in pointing out inaccuracies.

If the reporter is unresponsive to your request for correction and the mistake is something huge you have to set the record straight. Talk to the reporter’s editor at the newspaper and let him know calmly, professionally- that this information is inaccurate and damaging. If this article is one of a series that seems to show a bias against your organization by this reporter, you can ask to have another reporter cover your stories in the future. However, this should very rarely occur and you should be aware that it could diminish your coverage. If you are seen as troublesome, you could be bypassed by the media.

Conclusion

It’s important for you to remain self-assured no matter how nervous you may be feeling. The reporter has come to you as an authority. Be confident in your mastery of the material. With the proper preparation, there’s no reason to worry. The more interviews you do, the more comfortable you will be.

2014 Max Steinbock Award Winner

The Max Steinbock Award is given in recognition of an outstanding journalistic writing effort that explores an issue of concern for working families, with particular sensitivity and insight into the human spirit.

The award is named for a much-respected past ILCA president. Topics can range from human rights issues to individuals’ acts of courage or conscience, economic justice initiatives to community service activities or commentary about the American labor
movement.

The 2014 Max Steinbock Award Winner is Eric Wolfe, IBEW Local 1245 for “Brother’s Keeper.”

In his story “Brother’s Keeper,” Eric Wolfe takes on one of the most important subjects labor journalists must face—safety on the job.

In this instance Wolfe drills down to a particular instance of the topic—how do workers help their co-workers maintain safety standards as brother and sister unionists without the threat, authority or intent to enforce code violations with penalties.

Wolfe does this by taking his members inside a union-sponsored training for “safety stewards,” a progressive experiment going on in his local, IBEW 1245, the employees of one of the country’s most documented violators of safety, Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E). IBEW 1245 has set up an informal network and program where members, not as representatives of the union or the company, take on the task of finding “brotherly” ways of making collective safety the norm on the streets. As he says in the story, the goal is “to remind people that we all want to get home alive each day.”

Through the words of members training to become safety stewards, Wolfe has them explain how they try to do this, and how they feel about it as workers who have been injured on the job or have some co-workers hurt and killed. Their perceptions are touching and compelling, and Wolfe gets them across without preaching.

You can read Eric Wolfe’s award-winning piece here: IBEW1245_Feature_Brother_Keeper

Social Media Image Sizes

Twitter

Profile Photo – 400 x 400 (Displays 200 x 200)

Your Twitter profile photo is the main image that represents you or your brand across the network. It’s going to be seen across the site in a number of places by a number of people so make sure it’s of the highest quality. Here are the places your profile photo will be visible on the site:

On Your Page
The largest display of your profile picture is on your homepage and can be viewed by your followers as well as individuals who stumble upon your page.

In-Stream
A smaller version of your profile picture appears in a follower’s Twitter stream every time you send out a tweet. It’s also going to appear in the stream of your followers’ followers every time that they retweet you.

Who to Follow
Your profile picture is also going to appear next to a link to your page in the “Who to follow” box. This is located directly to the right of your Twitter stream.

Image Guidelines
Square Image – recommended 400 x 400 pixels.
Maximum file size 100 KB.
JPG, GIF, or PNG.

Header Photo – 1,500 x 500

Your header photo is the image that spans the top of your Twitter profile page. It’s quite a bit larger than your profile photo so make sure to save it at the highest resolution possible.

Image Guidelines
Recommended 1,500 x 500 pixels.
Maximum file size of 10 MB.
JPG, GIF, or PNG.

In-Stream Photo – Minimum 440 x 220

Twitter gives users the ability to attach photos to any of their tweets. However, when you attach a photo to a tweet, Twitter needs to create a separate link for that photo, so ultimately you have fewer characters to work with. The photos that you upload are going to appear in the streams of your followers and the streams of their followers should your photo get retweeted. Photos that are included in public tweets may also appear in certain Twitter search results.

It’s also important to note that Twitter may collapse your photo into a smaller version to fit seamlessly into a user’s stream. In order to make sure that Twitter is displaying the portion of the photo you want followers to see, make sure the width of your image fits the minimum requirements and that your content is horizontally centered.

Image Guidelines
Minimum to appear expanded 440 x 220 pixels.
Maximum to appear expanded 1024 x 512 pixels.
Appears in stream collapsed at 506 x 253 pixels.
Maximum file size of 5 MB for photos and 3 MB for animated GIFs.

Facebook

There is a difference between how things will display on your personal timeline and how things will display in a user’s newsfeed. Make sure that you are choosing dimensions based on where you want the majority of viewers to see your image.

Profile Picture – 180 x 180 (Displays 160 x 160)

This is the square photo that appears on your timeline layered over your cover photo. Your profile picture will also appear when you post to other walls or comment on posts.

Image Guidelines
Must be at least 180 x 180 pixels.
Photo will appear on the page as 160 x 160 pixels.
Photo thumbnail will appear throughout Facebook at 32 x 32 pixels.

Cover Photo – 851 x 315

Your cover photo will only appear in your Facebook timeline, but it is a lot bigger than the profile picture, which gives you more freedom to choose something creative. Where your profile picture might be a good choice for your logo, use this space to post something that highlights your organization or members.

Image Guidelines
Appear on page at 851 x 315 pixels. Anything less will be stretched.
Minimum size of 399 x 150 pixels.
For best results, upload an RGB JPG file less than 100 KB.
Images with a logo or text may be best as a PNG file.

Shared Image – 1,200 x 900

A shared image is one of the most common forms of sharing on Facebook. These images will always appear on your timeline, and ideally they will show up in most of your followers’ News Feeds — though with the decrease in organic reach, it’s unlikely that everyone will see your post. The more people engage with your post, the more likely it is that the rest of your followers and their followers will see that activity.

Image Guidelines
Recommended upload size of 1,200 x 900 pixels.
Will appear in the feed at a max width of 470 pixels (will scale to a max of 1:1).
Will appear on the page at a max width of 504 pixels (will scale to a max of 1:1).

Shared Link – 1,200 x 627 (Recommended)

Another great tool in your Facebook belt is the ability to share a link. It’s very similar to posting a shared image, but it gives you even more fields to work with. You can choose to create a shared link with a small square image to the left and text on the right, or with a larger rectangular image on top with text underneath. Whichever ad you choose will permit you more fields to fill out with helpful information (a link headline, a display link and a description of the link) and the shared link will also click-through to the site of your choosing.

Image Guidelines
Recommended upload size of 1,200 x 627 pixels.
Square Photo: Minimum 154 x 154px in feed.
Square Photo: Minimum 116 x 116 on page.
Rectangular Photo: Minimum 470 x 246 pixels in feed.
Rectangular Photo: Minimum 484 x 252 on page.
Facebook will scale photos under the minimum dimensions. For better results, increase image resolution at the same scale as the minimum size.

Highlighted Image – 1,200 x 717 (Recommended)

A milestone is a great time to create a highlighted image. This image is going to be housed on your personal timeline, but it is going to take up a great deal more space than a shared link or image, so it’s a good place to celebrate the victories that keep you going!

Image Guidelines
Will appear on your page at 843 x 504 pixels.
Choose a higher resolution at that scale for better quality.

Google+

Being directly connected to Google search, Google+ can be a great way to increase your organization’s reach to members.

Profile Picture – 250 x 250 (Recommended)

Though you upload your image in a square format it’s going to render on your page as a circle, so be wary you don’t choose a photo that cuts out important details.

Image Guidelines
Minimum 120 x 120 pixels.
Recommended 250 x 250 pixels.
Maximum not listed – I was able to upload a 20 MB photo at 5,200 x 5,300 pixels.
JPG, GIF or PNG.

Cover Image – 1,080 x 608

The Google+ cover image is the biggest photo on your page. It’s a great opportunity for you to showcase your organization and members.

Image Guidelines
Recommended 1,080 x 608 pixels.
Minimum 480 x 270 pixels.
Maximum 2,120 x 1,192 pixels.

Shared Image – 497 x 373

Google+ sharing is similar to that of other social networks, with one key difference: circles. With circles you can group people together based off of certain criteria that you deem relevant, and then share different images to different circles based off that demographics’ personality.

Image Guidelines
Appears in home stream and on page at a width of 426 pixels (height is scaled).
Minimum width of 497 pixels (will scale the height for you).
Maximum upload 2,048 x 2,048 pixels.

Shared Link – 150 x 150 (Thumbnail)

A shared link comes with the same ability to choose which circles you want to share with, but the post itself has different capabilities. You’ll still have the ability to type in whatever description that you’d like, but with a shared link you also have the opportunity to link your post to your site. This is going to pull a photo from your site and add it to the post so that your viewers can click through to your page.

Image Guidelines
Shows in the feed and on page as 150 x 150 pixels (pulls in photo from linked site).

Shared Video – Width of 496 Pixels
Just as with links and images you can pick and choose which circles would be best for each video.

Video Guidelines
Shows in the feed and on page as 497 x 279 pixels.

Pinterest

Pinterest can be an amazing social tool for driving referral traffic to your site. This is mostly due to the fact that 90% of Pinterest pages are external links. So it’s very important for you to make sure you’re optimizing your Pinterest page regularly and using proper image sizes for your boards and pins.

Profile Picture – 165 x 165

When setting up your Pinterest account you have the option to do so using Facebook, Twitter or email. If you choose Facebook or Twitter, Pinterest will pull in the profile image that you have set there. If you’re using email, or would prefer to use a different photo, you can do that too: just upload a square photograph (the larger the better) and Pinterest will resize it to fit. Like other social sites your profile picture on Pinterest should be something closely tied to you or your brand.

Image Guidelines
Appears at 165 x 165 pixels on home page.
Appears at 32 x 32 pixels on the rest of Pinterest.
Maximum 10 MB (wouldn’t allow me to upload anything larger).

Pin Sizes

When adding a pin to your board it’s important to remember that Pinterest puts a limit on the width of the image but not the length. This gives you the opportunity to add a photo that’s square or one that will scale to be even taller. Just remember to make sure you’re creating large images because they add more value, not just because you can.

Image Guidelines
Pins on main page appear as 236 pixels (height is scaled).
Pins on a board appear as 236 pixels (height is scaled).
Expanded pins have a minimum width 600 pixels (height is scaled).

Board Display

Creating boards is one of the most important things that you can do on Pinterest. It’s important to make sure you’re using an image that fits the size criteria perfectly. Not only is it important to choose a photo that is enticing to your audience, it’s important to choose one that’s relevant to that particular board.

Image Guidelines
222 x 150 pixels (large thumbnail)
55 x 55 (smaller thumbnail)

LinkedIn

LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network. Where other social networks may be good drivers of traffic and customers, LinkedIn is a great place for you to connect with other professionals in your area of interest.

Banner Image – 646 x 220 (Minimum)

The banner image is one of the newest and most prominent of the images that you can use on LinkedIn. This image appears when a user visits your homepage. Since this image is located on your homepage it’s likely the visitor is actively searching for your organization, so use this opportunity to reach them.

Image Guidelines
Minimum 646 x 220 pixels.
Maximum 2 MB.
Landscape Layout.
PNG, JPG or GIF.

Standard Logo – 100 x 60

One of the two brand logos that you should be uploading to LinkedIn is the business logo. This is the bigger of the two and is going to show up right next to your brand name on your LinkedIn homepage. This image also appears in the “Companies you may want to follow” section, so the more enticing the photo the more likely the followers!

Image Guidelines
100 x 60 pixels (resized to fit).
Maximum 2 MB.
PNG, JPG or GIF.

Square Logo – 50 x 50

This is the brand image that shows up when your company is searched. Make sure you use something recognizable to your brand to make sure customers know which company they want to click on.

Image Guidelines
50 x 50 pixels (resized to fit).
Maximum 2 MB.
PNG, JPG or GIF.

Career Cover Photo – 974 x 300

Finding great people to come work for your company is one of the most important aspects of LinkedIn. You can have a separate tab that is solely based on career opportunities at your company. At the top of this page sits a banner that is bigger than any of the other images on LinkedIn. You can use this space to choose a picture that speaks to your company in order to attract some great potential employees.

Image Guidelines
Minimum 974 x 300 pixels.
Maximum 2 MB.
Landscape Layout.
PNG, JPG or GIF.

Profile Picture – 500 x 500
This is the image for individual LinkedIn pages.

Image Guidelines
500 x 500 pixels (resized to fit).
Maximum 4 MB.
PNG, JPG or GIF.

YouTube

YouTube has more than 1 billion unique users every month and is available on hundreds of millions of devices. More than 1 million brands have already realized that YouTube is a great opportunity to reach their fan-base.

Channel Cover Photo – 2,560 x 1,440

Spice up your YouTube channel with some “channel art.” When users click through your YouTube videos to your channel, some appealing images could entice them to stay on your page longer and watch more of your videos.

Across Different Devices
There are a lot of different platforms and devices that users can stream YouTube on so it’s important that your brand has a photo optimized for each one.

Display Sizes
Tablet display: 1,855 x 423
Mobile display: 1,546 x 423
TV display: 2,560 x 1,440
Desktop: 2,560 x 423 (1,546 x 423 pixels are always visible)

Video Uploads

Uploading your content to YouTube is the one of the most important parts of establishing your presence on the site. Videos can tell viewers something about you as a person, or it could show off something that your business might offer.

Video Guidelines
Videos must maintain a 16:9 aspect ratio.
In order to qualify as full HD, your dimensions must be at least 1,280 x 720 pixels.

Instagram

Instagram is one of the most popular photo-sharing social networks with a user base of over 100 million people. It’s a great place for you to take and share fun or creative photos that show what you or you’re all about.

Profile Picture – 110 x 110

Instagram is based on photographs, which should be an indication of how important it is to pick a great one for your page. Instagram will automatically create a header that cycles through some of the photos that you post to the page, so it may be best to use your profile picture to create a static image of you or your brand.

Image Guidelines
Appear on your home page at 110 x 110 pixels.Square photo – make sure to maintain an aspect ratio of 1:1.

Photo Thumbnails – 161 x 161

When someone goes to your page they’ll be presented with all of your photos arranged in rows of thumbnails. These smaller renditions of your photos will expand when clicked, and will include a place for people to comment.

Image Guidelines
The thumbnails will appear on the page at 161 x 161 pixels.
Square photo – Make sure to maintain an aspect ratio of 1:1 ratio.

Photo Size – 640 x 640

Instagram is all about the photos. These pictures are going to appear in the feed of all of your followers. Instagram allows photos of a higher resolution if they are taken from the native Instagram application. If you decided to upload a photo taken from any other device the resolution will be much lower.

Image Guidelines
Instagram still scales these photos down to 612 x 612 pixels.
Appear in feed at 510 x 510 pixels.

Tumblr

Tumblr is customizable social site that lets users effortlessly share anything that they want. Due to the fact that almost everything is sharable, it isn’t hard to imagine that there are currently over 189 million blogs that have churned out more than 83 billion posts.

Profile Picture – 128 x 128

Although there is a profile photo associated with your Tumblr page it doesn’t appear very frequently throughout the site. It will appear as a thumbnail adjacent to your posts within a follower’s feed. It also appears next to the buttons to follow you on Tumblr when someone visits your page.

Your profile photo will also appear somewhere on your Tumblr profile page. Whichever theme you choose is going to play a part in where the photo appears and how large it is. Some brands choose a large image while others keep them subtler. Just make sure to mind the minimum and pick an image that fits not only your brand, but that also fits your page’s layout.

Image Guidelines
Minimum 128 x 128 pixels.
JPG, GIF, PNG or BMP

Image Posts – 500 x 750

These are the posts that you send out to your followers that will also appear on your page. Due to the fact that Tumblr is so customizable and each theme is so different, not all people are going to want to post the same size photos.

Image Guidelines
Dash image sizes max at 1,280 x 1,920, and show in feeds at 500 x 750
Images can’t exceed 10 MB.
Animated GIFS must be under 1 MB and max at 500 pixels.

Thunderclap: Amplifying Your Message Through Social Media

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Questions? Contact us at ILCA@aflcio.org.

Tips for Better Smartphone Video

Smartphones give you the power to get great video at a moments notice. Whether you’re on a picket line, at a rally or a membership meeting, your smartphone gives you the ability to capture all of these moments and more. Before you begin shooting video you need to remember these tips.

Landscape
Before shooting any video turn your phone horizontally to shoot in landscape format. Otherwise, your footage will have two black vertical bars along both sides of your video.

Framing
Framing is key to an esthetically pleasing shot. If you are conducting an interview with someone do not center them in the shot. Place them left or right of center and be sure to remind them to not look at the camera.

Zoom
Although some smartphones allow for digital zoom in video it will create pixelation and make for ugly video. Get closer to your subjects. This will be especially important when interviewing people in order to pick up better audio. If you’re planning on adding titles to your video be sure to use a head and shoulders shot of your subject to leave room for the title.

Lighting
While smartphones come equipped with LED lights, these can alter the color temperature of photos. Use as much natural lighting as possible or artificial lighting when necessary.

Backlighting
Avoid backlit settings. While you may be able to make out your subject, your smartphone camera won’t. Having your subject in front of a window or having the sun behind your subject will create negative lighting you’ll want to avoid.

Accessories
You can improve your videos with a few basic accessories. The addition of a third party camera app, a tripod mount, and an external microphone can give you professional quality video and audio for less than $100.

Editing
A little editing can go a long way towards making your videos look professional. Both iOS and Android phones provide editing software that allow for trimming clips and adding transitions and titles.

Remember, when it comes to smartphone video, less is more. Using simple cuts or fade-ins and fade-outs will look more professional than fancy transitions that steal focus from the story you’re trying to tell.

Organizing New Members

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Questions? Contact us at ILCA@aflcio.org.