For Federal, State, Regional, and Local Communicators
by the Federal Communicators Network*
Updated & Revised December 2001Printed copies available for $6 each
from University of Florida
1-800-226-1764
The Communicators Guide is now available on audiotape for people with visual or cognitive disabilities. Copies are available from the U.S. Department of Agriculture TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600.
Download the guide in PDF format
What Communicators Are Saying About the Communicators Guide
Table of Contents
"Vigorous writing is concise."
— William Strunk
- Chapter 1 - Keeping Current
- Latest Communication Trends
- The Changing Media Landscape
- Getting Your Point Across
- Networking
- Make Your Job Vital - How to Market Your Work
- Distance Learning
- New Digital Technologies
- Chapter 2 - Working With the Media
- What Do Reporters Want?
- Building Media Relationships
- What To Do When a Reporter Calls
- Media Interviews
- Use Plain Language
- Do These at the Interview
- Never Do These
- At the Interview
- Chapter 3 - Planning
- Writing Communications Plans
- Strategic Planning - Preparing to Meet the Future
- Crisis Communications: Planning to Attack the Crisis Before it Attacks You
- Communicating Risk
- Measuring Your Effectiveness
- Chapter 4 - The Internet
- Writing for the Web: Tricks of the Trade
- Make Your Web Site Customer Friendly
- Make Your Web Site Accessible
- Push versus Pull
- Netiquette
- Chapter 5 - How To Do It
- Writing Awesome and Effective News Releases
- Tip Sheets/Fact Sheets/Questions and Answers
- Background Papers
- Earned Media - Coverage on a Shoestring
- Public Service Advertisements (PSAs)
- Using a Newspaper's Editorial Board
- Using the Editorial Pages
- Satellite Media Tours
- Producing an Agency Newsletter
- Editing Your Newsletter
- Elements of Good Writing
- Tailoring Your Message
- Marketing
- Product Marketing - Selling Your Stuff
- Effective Meetings
- Effective Speeches
- Add Style to Your Next Speech
- How to Deliver Effective Speeches
- 20 Tips to Overcoming Fear of Public Speaking
- Communicating with Diverse Audiences
- Disabilities
- Internal Communications During a Crisis
- Emergency Evacuations
- Chapter 6 - Tools of the Trade/Resources
- Chapter 7 - Contributors