Road construction, snow removal, de-icing roads—tasks of the N.D. Department of Transportation’s Fargo District (NDDOT) are necessary but can frustrate area residents.
Yet if travelers understand the NDDOT employees’ work, they are more patient, which leads to safer driving. Flint Group Media Relations Specialist Melissa Reichert, based in our Fargo office, works closely with local media representatives to earn positive news coverage for the NDDOT.
Don’t crowd the plows
The ultimate goal is to show the positive side of the NDDOT. During the winter, a key tactic is to promote safety around snowplows. Melissa coordinated with Valley News Live television to feature the NDDOT on reporter John Trierweiler’s “John’s Jobs” segment. The piece highlighted new snowplow technology, de-icing mechanisms on bridges and the composition of the salt mixture that plows distribute.
The segment, John’s Jobs: DOT worker for the day, was taped earlier in the week and aired during the Valley Today morning news broadcast with some live broadcasts from one of the NDDOT locations. Melissa was on-site to prepare the NDDOT team and help everything go smoothly.
Our client, Kevin Gorder, Assistant District Engineer, and his team did a fantastic job sharing all the key educational points with John throughout the taping and live broadcasts.
We also posted news of the upcoming segment on the NDDOT Facebook page and the NDDOT Twitter.
In the summer spotlight
Next up, we are working with the NDDOT on a similar segment to explain summer road construction, to continue informing residents—and hopefully minimizing frustration and enhancing safety.