Calling All Media Experts! The Red Cross Communications Team Needs Your Support!

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The Red Cross Communications Team works to share the stories of the wonderful contributions our workforce and donors. There are a number of ways that volunteers can support our efforts to inform the community in both day to day activities and during our large disaster responses. We have opportunities for all experience levels and will provide the necessary training to set our volunteers up for success.

Our Media Team is broken into the following categories:

Operations Support Team - Plans, organizes and implements the operational details necessary to ensure the effective flow of communication.

• Serves as liaison between media teams
• Ensure website is current with local and regional content
• Keep communication materials current and available to internal stakeholders
• Coordinate training logistics of Communications team.
• Support media team in tracking media in database
• Provide technical support to other team members; upload photos, videos, news releases, and other online content.

Time Commitment: Minimum 1 year, 6-10 Hours per month (increased involvement during recognition events)
Community Relations Team - Serves as the face of Red Cross in the community, fielding media inquiries.

• Work with news media in communities around Cascades Region to promote Red Cross programs
• Find creative ways to promote media campaigns
• Act as liaison at community events and meetings
• Monitor and create content for social media
• Identify areas to improve Cascades Region communications and engagement with community partners

Time Commitment: Minimum 1 year, 5-10 hours per month, flexible dependent on projects and disaster responses.

Creative Content Team - Tells the stories of Red Cross volunteers and programs, creating content via writing, photography, and videos

• Cultivate internal sources for content within Red Cross departments
• Contact, interview and photograph individuals to tell stories of volunteers
• Share stories with Media Relations and Social Engagement team
• Organize stories and photos so they can be stored, categorized, referenced and retrieved

Time Commitment: Minimum 1 year, 10-14 hours per month, flexible dependent on individual projects and disaster response.

Media Relations Team - Handle interactions with news media by using proactive, reactive and interactive tactics.

• Ability to be on-call to respond to media inquiries
• Serve as primary spokesperson on behalf of Red Cross
• Develop and maintain list of subject matter experts around the region to speak with media
• Monitor media mentions of Red Cross and partner organizations
• Maintain database of media interviews and news stories
• Provide information and prep subject matter experts during media interviews
• Assist in research and writing of media advisories and news releases

Time Commitment: Minimum 1 year commitment, flexible depending on disaster responses. Up to 72 hours of on-call availability a month, with an average of 3-6 hours of active work per month. During large scale disasters, shifts can last as long as 12 hours.

Social Engagement Team - Engage community in conversations that create understanding, ownership and involvement in Red Cross mission and programs.

• Develop and maintain editorial calendar to guide creation of content
• Monitor Social Media for mentions and conversations relevant to Red Cross
• Join existing conversations to validate and correct misinformation, recognize partners, and provide additional information
• Create and share content covering all aspects of Red Cross service and community involvement.
• Use appropriate metrics to evaluate social media engagement strategy
• Train and encourage stakeholders to use social media platforms in order to promote Red Cross
• Monitor and support social media efforts throughout the region.

Time Commitment: Minimum 1 year commitment, 5-10 hours per month, flexible dependent on local disaster responses. Remote work possible.

Archives Team - Organizes and preserves historical documents and artifacts related to the Cascades Region's history.

• Organize and maintain inventory of historic items
• Create and maintain digital library of current photos and videos
• Develop policies and procedures for display or sharing archive items
• Research and implement best practices to digitally integrate pictures and procedures for displaying or sharing archives
• Scan photos and other items, storing in virtual library
• Identify items that should be considered for addition to archive

Time Commitment: 1 year commitment, 4-6 hours per month