The Ghost Army

A great way to promote the PBS broadcast of The Ghost Army documentary for veterans and their families to send press releases to local media.  This includes all veterans of the unit, not just those in the film. If you are interested in doing that,  here are some thoughts on how to approach it.

1. At the bottom of the page is a link to download a customizable template for a press release you can send to local media.  To find out the exact time the film will be on your local PBS station, check there. You should feel free to adjust the press release to make it work for your particular situation. Make sure you put contact info for whoever is sending the press release.
   
2. The website of your local paper probably has an email you can submit the press release to. You should submit as soon as possible, ideally by May 3.  And don’t forget to submit to the local edition of The Patch.  If the veteran belongs to an organization that has a newsletter, such as the American Legion, VFW, Rotary, etc, send it there as well.  
   
3. Pictures are important. You can use the Photos link to the right download high-res photos you submit with the release. But most important is a photo of the veteran that the story is about, preferably from WWII. If you have such a photo, scan it with a resolution of at least 300 DPI, and save it as a jpeg, Send 2-3 photos in the email with your press release. You can also just give them the link to the page and let them download themselves.  If you plan to deliver the press release by hand or postal mail, you can burn the photos to a DVD and attach them.
   
4. If the veteran is available to be interviewed, mention that in the email you send with the press release. You may also say that Filmmaker Rick Beyer is  available for interviews over the phone - the contacts for The Ghost Army PR team are on the bottom of the release.
   
5. It is a good idea to follow up by phone a few days after you send the press release, just to make sure it reached a real person.  
   

Best of luck! Every little bit helps, and I want to do everything I can to draw attention to the service of the men in this unit. Questions?  Email  rick@ghostarmy.org

Note:  The template is downloadable in two Word formats:  .doc and .docx  Use whichever one is compatible with your computer.