Dena Betti signs the Rail Safety Month pledge banner in Sacramento. Her 14-year-old daughter Jenna died March 2, 2014, about a block away from home when she was fatally struck by a train. Betti joined representatives from Amtrak California and Caltrans at pledge signing events in Emeryville and Sacramento to raise awareness about rail safety. ‘I finally feel now I can talk about this without crying,’ Betti said. ‘The obvious thing is to stay away. ... Train tracks really are like freeways. People don't realize that.’
Media Report for Rail Safety Events
Broadcast and print media in Los Angeles, San Diego, Emeryville and Sacramento were invited by Amtrak California and Caltrans to cover three-hour pledge banner signing events in each market during September to promote Rail Safety Month. California has more avoidable rail- related fatalities and injuries than any other state in the country – more than 600 each year – so this is a critical issue. Many of those fatalities and injuries could have been prevented by following a few safety tips around the tracks.
The four events were conducted from 7 to 10 a.m. on different dates at four Amtrak California stations. The idea was to raise awareness by targeting commuters during rush hour. In total, stories about the events ran 10 times on broadcast television; three times on radio; twice in daily newspapers; and five times online, including two online-only videos. There were 28 photos published from the events across all media. Los Angeles Union Station, Sept. 10
Attending media:
Broadcast TV
x KTLA-TV CW 5 x KABC-TV 7
x Associated Press (photographer)
Coverage summary: Despite strong attendance from the media and the most signatures on the banner for any of the four events (about twice as many due to increased traffic flow at the station), there was no coverage of the event because of breaking news elsewhere in the metro area.
San Diego Station (Downtown), Sept. 11
Attending media:
Broadcast TV:
x KFMB-TV CBS 8 x KGTV-TV ABC 10 x XETV (independent)
Coverage summary: All three stations that attended ran stories about the event. Hundreds of signatures completely filled the banner.
*Links to coverage: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/s84w69nv5lb05l9/AABPOPs1wjvu_qpPAV1vfSTSa?dl=0
*The videos play better when they are downloaded rather than being streamed directly from Dropbox.
Emeryville Station, Sept. 17
Attending media:
Broadcast TV:
x KGO-TV ABC (ran the story four times) x KTVU-TV FOX (ran the story twice) Broadcast radio:
x KCBS-AM (ran the story three times)
Print:
x San Francisco Chronicle x Oakland Tribune
Online only:
x Capitol Corridor (blog) x Bay Area News Group
Coverage summary: Emeryville attracted the strongest media attendance and coverage for any of the events. KGO-TV ABC ran the story four times; KTVU-TV Fox, twice; and KCBS- AM, three times. The San Francisco Chronicle ran a huge article in print and online, a list of safety tips from Caltrans and 16 photographs. The Oakland Tribune ran an article and five photos in print and online; Bay Area News Group ran two videos on the site to accompany the Oakland Tribune article, both interviews with Dena Betti who lost her daughter to a rail- related incident in March; and the blog for Capitol Corridor ran an article and three photos. Dena Betti talks with Bay Area News Again, hundreds of signatures filled the pledge Group in Emeryville about the death of her banner. daughter in March.
Link to the best clips from KTVU, KGO-TV and KCBS radio: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/v222hdiqyl68e3m/AAC_ahy1F2nUjUuddZqQ4HsGa
San Francisco Chronicle: http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Mom-s-tragic-warning-about-train-track-safety- 5762973.php#photo-6877213
Oakland Tribune (scroll to the bottom for the two Bay Area News Group videos): http://www.insidebayarea.com/bay-area-news/ci_26553975/emeryville-california-leads-nation- preventable-train-deaths
Capitol Corridor: http://www.capitolcorridor.org/news/whats-new/make-pledge-track-smart-rail-safety-month-2/ Gretchen Brigaman of Caltrans introduces the Marysville Charter School for the Arts Choir at the Sacramento pledge signing event as KOVR-TV CBS 13 films the proceedings. The choir sang three songs in honor of classmate Mateus Moore who was killed in a rail-related incident March 21, 2014, on tracks in Marysville.
Sacramento Station, Sept. 30
Attending media:
Broadcast TV
x KOVR-TV CBS 13 x KTXL-TV FOX 40
Broadcast radio
x NOW 100.5 FM
Online only
x Capitol Corridor (blog)
Coverage summary: KOVR-TV ran a story which used both footage and interviews from the event and clips from The Walk PSA. The Capitol Corridor blog ran an article and four photos, and NOW 100.5 FM posted the PSA to their website. For a final time, hundreds of signatures filled the banners.
Link to the KOVR-TV story: https://www.dropbox.com/s/1p5gcth2ayh6lhb/RailSafetyKOVR0930140508pm_1.mp4?dl=0
Capitol Corridor: http://www.capitolcorridor.org/news/whats-new/rail-safety-pledge-banners-make-final-stop- sacramento-station/
NOW 100.5 FM: http://now100fm.cbslocal.com/video/9325265- 82927_82927_kymx_fm_sac_multi_market_amtrak_sep13_amtrack/
Hundreds of signatures pledging to Be Track Smart fill the Los Angeles banner.