News release review: International Justice Mission

God has been teaching me about joy this semester. Paul writes in Colossians 3:23-24: Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.

Last night at my Bible study, we read about the early followers of Christ in Acts 4. They counted nothing as their own and viewed all that they had as things to be used for the Lord’s glory. A friend in the group talked about how she feels happy when she is able to meet the needs of others. Although our motivation to give and serve shouldn’t be driven by how it makes us feel, there is an undeniable feeling of peaceful joy that results when we do.

I wrote about International Justice Mission in my last post. Those involved in the organization find joy in their work to help end modern-day slavery because they feel this work is what God has called them to do. On Tuesday, the organization put out a news release about President Obama’s announcement of an executive order regarding labor trafficking in U.S. Government overseas contracts.

The release does a good job explaining how the organization is connected to a newsworthy, national event without being promotional. The release is timely. Journalists could easily construct an article from the information and interesting quotes from national and organizational leaders. It would have been good to put the job title of the person listed as the contact with the contact information. Just a name tells the reporter nothing about whom they would be contacting about the release.

International Justice Mission’s use of traditional and evolving forms of communication continually inspires me. I like to think the organization does so well communicating messages because those creating the messages find joy in doing the work God has given them.