COVID-19 & Radio Pledge – Resources (as of March 18)

The COVID-19 outbreak and its impact are unlike anything public radio has covered, but we've actually have faced similar challenges before.

Wildfires in the West, hurricanes, floods and severe weather throughout the country, tsunamis, SARS, Ebola, economic uncertainty, mass shootings and 9/11 are a few that come to mind. Each time, NPR and local stations rose to the challenge and helped the listener make sense of the crisis. Once the dust settled, listeners rewarded their local station with contributions.

We're confident the same will happen this time. 

We’ve put together a number of resources associated with communicating the pivot from on-air fundraising to comprehensive news coverage under extraordinary circumstances. 

• The audience values the coverage & services

• With more listeners being asked to work from home and stay socially-distanced, some stations will see increased listening

• Parents and grandparents are listening to more hours NPR & music, and children are using television and PBS Learning Media to keep up on studies

The resources we are providing include radio scripts that explain the state of the fundraising campaign (reduced, suspended) and how listeners can still help.  We also created a brief Powerpoint with tips on how to become more news-responsive during the spring pledge drive period, while continuing to state the need for support. (We’d be happy to have a call with your station to review these slides.) In addition, Mike compiled a number of resources and services in one place that will help guide stations as they navigate an unprecedented emergency management situation. 

A direct link to the materials is here:

tinyurl.com/radiopledge-covid-19

We hope that as stations provide strong public service during the crisis, that your fundraising program will be active and successful despite interruptions to traditional on-air fundraising appeals.  One thing we do know is that your audience is grateful for the responsible coverage and comforting music you provide on any given day, so the case during the crisis should be even stronger.  We will add to this trove of resources as they are created.

Thank you for everything you do for the community.