| Eleanor Cates 
When the U.S. presidential election comes around this November, every voter will have a decision to make. Who the candidates are will influence each person's vote to varying degrees, but so will the issues and topics that matter to constituents. Organizations whose work and missions align with this election's key topics have an opportunity to join the national conversation before, on and after Election Day. However, it can be challenging to navigate the topics making headlines. Here are a few newsworthy content themes and press release examples to help you become an all-star contributor when distributing election-related content to voting blocs, political media and policy makers. The Economy Among the most pressing challenges of the new millennium are wage and benefit reform, as regular conversations about minimum wage, equal pay, paid leave and caregiving have gripped the nation. These resolutions are crucial to employment and the development of our country's economy. Up-to-date, reliably sourced information from organizations that are experts on these topics can help citizens create a roadmap from entrepreneurship all the way through to retirement and social security. Energy and Environment Hand in hand with monetary policy are key platform items focused on energy independence, agriculture and clean energy jobs in coal, oil and natural gas. New technologies and scientific research continue to tackle the environmental challenges that we face as both individuals and a country, such as the management of our public lands and waters, protections for our farmers and the health of our families. Environmental and energy efforts offer a lot of content potential for organizations. One of my favorite campaigns is the American Eagle Foundation's DC Eagle Cam featuring “Mr. President” and “The First Lady,” a pair of Bald Eagles nesting in the U.S. National Arboretum in Washington, D.C. Thanks in part to the press releases the foundation distributed, the hatching of two baby bald eaglets named "Freedom" and "Liberty" received thousands of daily viewers and boosted awareness for wildlife conservation. 
Healthcare and Public Safety Mental health concerns, including drug and alcohol addiction, are receiving unprecedented attention, especially from key voting blocs like millennials. Social media and viral news content allow for real-time discussions as these newer topics join the price of prescription medications and reproductive health in the public eye. Luckily, healthcare and biomedical R&D news breaks every single day. And if you look closely, you can even see grassroots and corporate organizations working together to support policies that benefit everyone. Take this pair of news releases from the National Alliance on Mental Illness as examples. Social Advocacy Civil and human rights, gender equality, criminal justice reform, poverty, immigration and other social advocacy topics have long been important, with the 2016 election season being no different. A huge range of advocacy groups and coalitions are taking part in the conversation, and there are many opportunities to add to the discourse – from new research and partnerships to educational events and awareness programs, such as this week's announcement from Fairness USA about their upcoming RNC and DNC advertising campaigns. With any public interest topics, you need to be sure your organization is making a productive and authentic contribution to the conversation. This is especially true for social advocacy news. The media and other audiences will take note of ill-informed, empty messaging. Education While the election newscycle often focuses on issues that are critical to the here and now, it's important to remember our future. Specifically, the education of children and young adults is a topic on the top of many candidates', lawmakers' and voters' minds. Education content can run the gamut from concerns over rising college costs and student debt to research about improving student success and resources for K-12 educators. It can also cross borders with other topics, like nutrition, food safety and exercise. When planning your election content strategy, it's important to think multi-dimensionally. How targeted is the audience you're trying to reach? What's the goal of your campaign? For instance, you may want to give a local angle to something of national importance, like the Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose putting the spotlight on the community benefits of clean energy. Or, conversely, show how local efforts are playing out on the larger national stage, such as the National PTA's materials about bridging the STEM Gap. You'll also need to consider that every audience – regardless of how broad they are or aren't – is increasingly receiving information in new ways and cross-referencing press coverage with trusted recommendations from key influencers in real time. A multichannel strategy that includes mobile, video, and social media, as well as more traditional communications tactics is essential for reaching your audience where they are. Download our guide Maximize the Reach of Your Message with a Strategic, Multichannel Plan to learn how to identify the right mix of distribution channels for cause marketing and other types of content. Eleanor Cates manages public interest accounts at PR Newswire. She specializes in outreach strategy for PI/government policy, higher education, healthcare & biotech, arts, charity and non-profit media sectors, and is a product champion for the PR Newswire Election 2016 product suite. Follow her on Twitter at @EllyCates and @PRNPublishing, or connect on LinkedIn. | 
