Rotary in the Media Update

Dear Colleagues:

Rotary is receiving significant international media coverage this week for its role in the historic polio-free certification of the World Health Organization’s South-East Asia region.   

Highlights include:

·           CNN International: India beats the odds, beats polio

·           BBC.com : World now 80% polio free, World Health Organization says

·           The Guardian: India may be free of polio – but the disease hasn't been eradicated yet (op-ed by Archie Panjabi)

·          Reuters: Q+A: India at risk until polio is eradicated globally-Rotary

·           The Wall Street Journal Online: Q&A: India Eliminates Polio

·           HuffPost Live:Violinist & Conductor Itzhak Perlman LIVE

·           Forbes.com: John Hewko explains polio's legacy

A complete report will follow next week. Please share the good news with others. 

I am also pleased to report that Rotary received extensive media coverage throughout 2013, with more than 626 news organizations in 35 countries featuring our humanitarian efforts. Of those, 58 stories appeared in top tier international news organizations, including nine out of the 10 most influential ranked by Forbes, including the Associated Press, The New York Times, BBC, Agence France Presse, The Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal.

Rotary's role in the fight to end polio was highlighted in top-level, global media at unprecedented levels last year. And Rotary’s partnership with its celebrity ambassadors for polio eradication helped raise our digital visibility to new audiences via posts on endpolio.org and celebrity social media channels.  

Enclosed are a report and summary of Rotary’s 2013 media coverage and a sharable compilation of the highlights with links to the coverage here. To view full articles, click on the headlines. 

Best regards,

John Hewko,

General Secretary

Rotary International