The ATR process phase, as the ATR progresses and becomes a reality, will be the largest, most complex part of your communications plan. It covers the following steps:

1. Initial inquiries to INAC and the property owners regarding the potential to purchase the property;
2. Private face-to-face meetings with non-Aboriginal stakeholders, who are influential in the municipality, such as the mayor, reeves, or counsellors, MPs, MPPs or MLAs, and key community residents such as clergy, school principals, service club presidents, business owners and would-be politicians;
3. INAC and property owners' agreement to negotiate the purchase of property(ies);
4. Media relations: a formal announcement to the media using press release, press conference and interviews as appropriate. Follow up with updates at significant points in the negotiation process;
5. General public relations including town-hall meetings or other public venues such as service clubs or special interest groups; and
6. Announcement of ATR's successful conclusion (signature day) to community, politicians and media.

The following provides an introduction to basic media relations, covering press releases, press conferences, backgrounders, fact sheets, media advisories, editorial boards, interviews and other communications tools. This section concludes with a discussion of approaches to general public relations.

Introduction to Basic Media Relations

The Media
Communications, in the general use of the word, should mean just what it implies-get the word out to those people you want to make aware of your message. COMMUNICATE! There are many ways to communicate with the public at large, but the most common method, and one which most people believe is the only way, is through media exposure. In other words, use media to spread your message. This is not the only method, as communications is comprised of a multitude of approaches, but because it is the most popular-and in many cases a priority-let's begin with the media. Let's assume that your group is totally familiar with the objectives of your ATR and you have already made contact with your primary stakeholders. You will need to know how to deal with the media. What is the media? There are, of course, different types of media to consider: radio, television, daily newspapers, all generally regarded as the big three.

(a) Newspapers
There are many publications in circulation other than daily newspapers. These include:

• the weekly or bi-weekly paper, most often seen in urban areas;
• bi-monthly papers in more rural or remote areas;
• periodicals - monthly magazines geared to the farming, logging or mining communities. These may be known as trade journals, but in some cases, such as the Alberta Report, they deal with news, personalities, local industry and politics; and
• the local and national Aboriginal publications which you receive in your area.

There are many other public media communicators, including even your local high school newspaper. Remember, young people talk to their parents and others about issues which interest them, and many of these come from the school newspaper.

(b) Radio
Radio is another powerful medium. In urban and suburban Canada, the first thing people turn on in the household is the radio and every automobile has one. For the most part, the aim is to find out what is going on in the world. Talk shows are everywhere. Particularly in the larger cities, it is hard to find a radio station that does not feature at least one talk show in its morning, afternoon or evening "drive." In remote areas, there are usually only a few stations that can be picked up. Radio is so important to some of the population that, in some cases, the community relies on the daily message service from the station to hear news from relatives, friends or others when the only phone available is several miles down a logging road. In short, a captive audience exists for this medium! So, don't forget to include your own community radio station if you are fortunate enough to have one.

(c) Television
Television is considered the be-all-and-end all of media communications. In fact, statistics prove this to be true. Most Canadians tune into the early or late evening news automatically to catch up visually on the country's news. With the odd exception, all Canadians have some sort of television reception even if it is brought in on their own satellite dish where cable TV services are not offered.