What journalists want
Occasionally, a community organisation or charity will ask me how they can "get into the papers".
Often, the conversation starts because they’re doing something nice, decide they need a press release, and ask me to write one. And, you know, that's great - I'm obviously very happy to write press releases. But, let's be honest, if you don't already have a relationship with the media, what are you going to do with it? Send it off to a list of email addresses, and then sit back and wait for the camera crew to roll up?
No, if you really want to get into the papers (or the telly, radio, or news websites), you need to make sure they already have your number (or email address, or social media). And then you have to give them what they want.
Get noticed online, then take it offline.
These days, social media and the slow decline of traditional newspaper publishing means that the lines of communication are a lot more open - or is that blurred? - than they used to be. Now, anyone can contact the media. However . . . anyone can contact the media. So . . .
To give you the best possible chance of being noticed for a news story, you need to lay the groundwork well in advance. Be active on social media. Join Facebook groups that are relevant to your work, both geographically and topically. Follow and engage. Like and subscribe.
Make your name, or your organisation’s name, familiar to everyone by just putting it in front of them, day after day.
Want to get into the papers? Read the papers. Write to the papers - did you know that local papers still accept "letters to the editor"? Write some! Express your strong, but informed, opinion about a topic you understand and have authority on. You don’t have to relate it directly to your work, but make sure you sign it with your job title, group or company name, and social media contacts. Do this regularly.
Notice a story that relates to what you do? Contact the writer directly (contact details are often underneath the credit, or you can contact the paper directly) and offer your help.
Your goal is to be the expert; the name on people’s lips when they think about your area of work, and the person to whom journalists can reliably turn whenever they have a story that needs a comment from your industry or sector.
The full media package
Even the laziest journalists will tell you they prefer interesting stories over the myriad product launches, recruitment announcements and event promotions they receive every day. More importantly, those interesting stories should be from the horse's mouth. But press releases can't offer this on their own.
You need to prepare, and you need to prepare others. Get those consent forms ready because, as well as a press release, your media package should include:
A written case study of a client or service user (if you can’t gain consent, it can be anonymous)
Access to someone who won't mind being interviewed about their personal experience (ideally client, otherwise support worker). This is your "horse's mouth", and it is this that will turn your dry news into a human interest story.
Photos and even videos of your work, including the people you work with
Say you have a service that supports families by offering them access to a local city farm, where the kids can learn how to look after animals, and learn to ride a pony. You want to promote it, so you're holding an open day.
Sure, a journalist might write up a press release that mentions the open day and includes a bit of background about the farm.
But they are way more likely to be inspired by the story of Ray, a teenager from a deprived area, who used to struggle with his social skills but started visiting the farm every week, and now helps the younger kids get into the saddle. Lovely Ray, who doesn’t mind being interviewed, speaks from the heart, has already given his consent in writing, and will pose for a photo.
In short: if you can be the on-call expert, with a host of media-prepared volunteers, you will be way ahead of the game. And you might even get into the papers.
