While Usable News has put together some major consumer education outreaches, smaller projects can also be effective.  These can be national, regional, state, or local in scope.  If they are legislative in nature, they can even be targeted to specific congressional districts and states.

Media outreaches might involve the teaming of an industry spokesperson with a trusted consumer advocate or a Usable News spokesperson.  They might include one or several of the following components:  press conferences, video news releases, radio actualities (like a press release but designed for radio), media packets, press releases, print media columns, radio media tours, satellite television tours, in-person tours to specific markets.  All of these methods help disseminate important messages to customers and potential customers.

Over the years, William Kent Brunette has been involved in a wide variety of media cultivation activities.  At AARP  During his 15 years as AARP's chief consumer lobbyist, Kent engaged in an on-going campaign to position himself and AARP as a trusted media resource on a variety of consumer issues ranging from funerals, to eyeglasses, to hearing aids, to flammable nightwear, to financial services, to communications services, to product safety issues, and beyond.  Media cultivation outreaches included scheduling, conducting, generating interest in, and drafting materials for: on-the-record & off-the-record reporter meetings, editorial boards, press conferences, video news releases, radio actualities, media packets, press releases, print media columns, radio media tours, satellite television tours, and in-person tours to specific markets.  In addition to pitching story ideas to the media, Brunette also responded to incoming media calls on disparate consumer issues.  As An Author  When promoting sales for his first book Conquer Your Debt: How To Solve Your Credit Problems, Brunette personally scheduled and conducted his own 20-city media tour to major markets.  Kent landed interviews with local television network affiliates, radio stations, and newspapers in most major markets across the country.  He also generated national media attention in appearances on ABC's Good Morning America, CNN, Financial News Network, and other national broadcasts.  Similar media cultivation activities occurred with his other two books.  As A Radio Program Host & Syndicator  Brunette has also pitched two nationally syndicated radio news feature programs to countless numbers of radio news program directors throughout the country.  These included:  AT&T's Staying In Touch: Technology Made Easy & NationsBank's From Here To Security: Your Map To Financial Freedom.