GTFO: Get The Filter Out
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DoSomething
09/20/23
Get the Filter Out Hosts Cigarette Butt Cleanup for Community Members
Participating in the GTFO campaign as a volunteer can help to safeguard the environment, wildlife, and people.
PROVIDENCE RI (November 22, 2023)- Get the Filter Out will host a cigarette butt cleanup, encouraging residents to take action. In order to maintain the neighborhood as a clean and safe place for its residents, the company will participate in this effort and hopes to reach the target of tossing 10,000 cigarette butts.
“Cleaning up cigarette butts protects humans, animals, and the environment. That’s why DoSomething members — in combination with past campaigns — have picked up 4.7 million butts already,” says the organization. Cigarettes contain contaminants that may negatively impact aquatic life, drinking water, and other environmental factors which is why it’s important to solve the issue. Members of DoSomething have had success and are raising awareness of the chance for locals to contribute to the creation of a protected area.
The campaign will take place in the city of Providence Rhode Island on November 22, 2023, hosted by the DoSomething organization.
Given that Providence has a large population and that cigarettes are the most typical item littered in the world, makes the city an ideal location for the GTFO cleanup. By taking a short amount of time out of your day, you can choose to make a difference in your community and even earn volunteer credits to inspire others.
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DoSomething is a nonprofit organization that works to change the world by inspiring people to take action. They run a variety of different campaigns to encourage engagement in efforts to resolve problems on a global scale.
Media Contact:
DeNora Getachew
DoSomething
help@dosomething.org
The form of propaganda I decided to create was a press release to accomplish the goal of the campaign I chose, which was “Get the Filter Out” (GTFO). Considering that I’m a public relations major, my first instinct was to write a press release since I am used to writing them to inform the public about a topic that needs to be heard. My press release was made to be a tool to raise awareness about the issue of cigarette litter in the environment. For my campaign event I chose to plan a cigarette cleanup to get people to have a reason to support the issue and participate. I chose to represent propaganda in a positive way. The idea is to highlight the advantages of the cleanup effort and any prospective advantages for the neighborhood and environment.
I began my press release with a heading and a subheading which were used to grab the attention of the audience. “Get the Filter Out Hosts Cigarette Butt Cleanup for Community Members”, was my headline used to indicate the purpose of the press release. My subheading began to describe what the audience was getting out of it as indicated by noting why participating in this cleanup is beneficial. In the first paragraph I described the goal of the campaign along with how volunteers could help make a difference in their community. By stressing the importance of community involvement, I was able to appeal to the audience as a unity and encourage them to want to keep their area clean and safe. An important tactic I used was a quote from the organization’s website that stated, “Cleaning up cigarette butts protects humans, animals, and the environment. That’s why DoSomething members — in combination with past campaigns — have picked up 4.7 million butts already.” Including this statement supporting the cleanup effort from the event’s planners work to encourage participation by promoting the event and giving it credibility. I used the emotional appeal of highlighting the protection of living things in the environment, hoping to encourage people to want to take action. The strategy of sharing past achievements from the organization is also used in my release to motivate people and show them that it is possible to accomplish the goal of the campaign. In the last paragraph I mentioned how participants would receive volunteer credit which is a way of drawing people to want to participate in the campaign. I chose Providence, RI for the location of the cleanup due to its environmental issues with cigarette litter, the active community, the positive public perception, and alignment with sustainability efforts. Providence is an excellent location for a cigarette cleanup. A cleanup effort in Providence has the potential to significantly improve the environment and increase public understanding of the value of ethical waste management. My target audience is the residents of providence. Residents’ participation in the cigarette cleanup campaign can promote a stronger sense of community pride and unity, improve the environment and public health, encourage responsible behavior, and allow for a deeper involvement with the neighborhood. I know that I would personally want to be involved in a positive campaign to help my community and the area I live in if I were offered the opportunity.
Propaganda seeks to persuade a group of people or a society to follow views, attitudes, or behaviors that are consistent with an established goal. I applied what I learned about propaganda by using a few of the 7 principles of propaganda that we learned in class. One of the strategies I used was fear and appeal to emotions by mentioning the chemicals that come from cigarettes. I explained how these chemicals can be harmful to people, animals, and the environment which creates fear and concern. The goal of this tactic was to appeal to the audience’s emotions by sparking a reaction to make them feel inclined to participate in the cleanup. When I was reading about GTFO on the DoSomething website, I read, “With 4.5 trillion discarded each year, cigarette butts are the most-littered item on the planet and the single greatest source of ocean trash.” This immediately made me feel concerned for the world we are living in. I believe that using the concept of fear and emotional appeal would be a clever tactic to use in my release. The next principle of propaganda I used was the use of the campaign’s slogans which was, “GTFO” abbreviated for “get the filter out”. Using this memorable catchphrase can simplify concepts into messages that are simple to understand. The “GTFO” catchphrase is supposed to link to the propaganda message and can leave an impression on the audience. When I was looking through topics, I came back to “GTFO” because I felt it was the most memorable campaign. Press releases are commonly sent via email and seeing an email with the subject “GTFO” may make people interested in what it’s about. Target audience is the next principle that I used to appeal to the readers who will see the press release. Taking into consideration the demographics is important in convincing the audience to take action because of the meaning and effect it has on them. Overall, becoming aware of these concepts helps people to make more informed decisions.
I was excited to write about the topic of littering since I am taking an environmental communications class this semester and am beginning to learn about sustainability. I enjoyed the opportunity to use my own form of propaganda to inform the public about the subject I have chosen. This was a creative and interesting way for us to put our ideas and newly acquired knowledge into practice and see how other people could react to the method in which we presented them. This tool of propaganda must be used logically and with the goal of advancing society and the greater good. Something I found difficult while writing my press release was trying not to use it negatively. I found that it is important to keep in mind that even if a press release may spread information and help good causes, it must go by the ethical rules of honesty, openness, and responsible communication. Press releases shouldn’t be used for propagandistic objectives because doing so might lead to misinformation, a lack of critical thinking, and a decrease in public confidence in the media. To keep a society informed and democratic, responsible communication and ethical media are crucial.
