TWENTY-NINTH BIENNIAL REPORT. - 89 



REPORT OF THE BUREAU OF PUBLICITY. 



By RoLiN G. Watkins. In Charge. 



The present director of this bureau took over his duties on February 

 12, 1926. At that time there was turned over to him by Dr. H. C. 

 Bryant, who formerly had charge of the publicity of the Commission 

 in addition to his educational and research duties, about two hundred 

 names of publications which had been supplied with material relative 

 to the activities of the Fish and Game Commission. The majority of 

 these were California publications, but many of them were published 

 elsewhere throughout the nation. With the institution of a separate 

 bureau, greater opportunity was afforded to acquaint the people of 

 California with the work and aim of the Commission. The director at 

 once set about building up a larger list of California newspapers, many 

 of which Avere supplied from his own memory, but the majority were 

 called to his attention through our clipping files as papers not supplied 

 with our matter, but which were enough interested in wild life con- 

 servation to originate their own material. This list has now grown 

 to more than six hundred California publications, besides many periodi- 

 cals given over to matter of this sort issued elsewhere. 



The present activities of this bureau may be enumerated as follows : 



1. Supplying between six hundred and seven hundred newspapers 

 and periodicals with from three to seven stories weekly. These stories 

 are all straight news matter, experience having taught the director 

 that propaganda, of any sort, will react upon the bureau furnishing 

 same, as news editors will, once having been afflicted in this manner, 

 refuse to use further material, regardless of its merit, originating from 

 the same source. 



2. Supplying photographs and special stories to such magazines as 

 require them, after once the subject has been broached in general form 

 to our entire newspaper list. 



3. Special attention to the publicizing of the activities of the Cali- 

 fornia State Game Farm, at Yountville. 



4. Preparation of material to be used in radio addresses by the 

 executive officer and others. 



5. The securing of motion picture films of Commission activities, to 

 be used by the Bureau of Education. These are secured without cost 

 to the Commission through arrangement with pictorial news weeklies. 



6. Assisting the executive officer by giving lectures before service 

 clubs. 



7. Checking, crediting and filing of all the clippings relative to wild 

 life conservation and the activities of the Commission coming to the 

 bureau through Allen's Press Clipping Service. A full and complete 

 record is kept for each month, showing the number of clippings used 

 by each publication on the list, and whether our own material origi- 

 nated in regular news channels, or by special writers. These clippings 

 are furnished the heads of departments and bureaus interested in same 

 for their perusal, and return to the general files. 



8. The collection of data for editing and publication of ''The Service 

 Bulletin," the monthly publication for the Commission employees. 



The director of this bureau is likewise the director of the Bureau of 

 River and Harbor Pollution and gives much of his time to those 

 activities. His work of publicity is done with t1ie assistance of one girl 

 from the executive department. 



