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.Reporters get press releases unrelated to their interests all the time; bynarrowing your focus you will stand out and find the outlets that really want totell your story.Craft Your MessageOnce you decide what message will best resonate, and your idealaudience, the following four tips know your stuff, stand out, make it personal,and make it timely will help you craft a newsworthy story angle.TIP 1: KNOW YOUR STUFF.Journalists want to hear your perspective; they are always on the lookoutfor a fresh new take on an old issue or a heads-up on emerging issues.But howmany of them have time to research every relevant political, environmental,and social issue on a daily basis? Win their trust by demonstrating mastery offacts and figures and presenting your information in a compelling andunbiased way.If you bring carefully researched, well-reasoned arguments totheir attention, you re doing them a favor.If you are part of an organization, pitch your issue or the individuals atthe heart of the organization, not the organization itself.Journalists are wary ofdoing stories that appear to be biased public relations stories for organizations,even if they agree with the organization s perspective.Keep in mind thatjournalists are under pressure to produce balanced stories and will oftencontact the organization or individuals that represent the  opposite side ofyour story.TIP 2: STAND OUT.Think like reporters.They may love your story, but when their editorsask why the story matters, what will the reporters say?Superlatives: Articulate what s unique about your organization and itsapproach.Is your project the first of its kind in your city? The biggest in thestate? Are you hosting the largest student gathering your city has ever seen?Are you the youngest person to ever pass a city resolution in Wichita, Kansas?Are you the youngest constituents of a statewide coalition pushing for waterquality legislation? Think first, biggest, youngest, and largest: reporters lovesuperlatives!Controversy: Spotlight any conflict inherent in your campaign.Davidand Goliath-style stories, in which an underdog goes to battle against a big,powerful figure or institution, can capture the interest and sympathy of areporter and the public.TIP 3: MAKE IT PERSONAL.People love reading about other people.Fess up: when s the last time youpeeked at a celebrity gossip magazine? You need to make your story personal.Pitch the people involved in the campaign, first and foremost, as a windowinto the issue.You can also invite someone famous or a well-known localfigure to support the campaign, give a media quote, or put that recognizablename in the press release headline.Major population areas will often have culture-specific publications.Does your issue strongly affect one cultural or ethnic group? For example, ifyou re trying to expand green space in a predominantly Korean-Americanneighborhood, do outreach to the Korean-American newspaper in town.TIP 4: MAKE IT TIMELY.There are lots of time-sensitive  handles for media releases: a newcampaign, an upcoming vote, a campaign victory such as passage of a bill oran adoption of a new policy, a public event like a toxic tour or community fair,a protest, the anniversary of a historical event (such as the Exxon Valdez spill)linked to your campaign, release of a new report or new information, or theannouncement of a new coalition member or influential individual lendingsupport to your work.Make the case for why your story is relevant now.GETTING YOUR STORY HEARD FAR AND WIDENow that you know what story to share with traditional media outlets,how can you catch the media s attention? First, try to find a mentor in thebusiness: local reporters might be willing to introduce you to the local medialandscape.Take them out to lunch, pick their brains, and build a long-termrelationship, so you can test future story ideas or get referrals for other outlets.Whether or not a mentor assists you along the way, these five steps will helpyou get your story heard far and wide: build your media list, prepare yourmaterials, pitch the story, prepare for the interview, and debrief.Build Your Media ListEvery group should have a media list on hand.You have a few options:build it yourself, share it, or buy it.Creating a media list from scratch can takea lot of time and energy.So try to get a list from a local nonprofit (like a localSierra Club chapter, for example) or a public agency like the mayor s office orcounty school board.Sometimes all it takes is a web search and a few simplecalls you might be surprised how willing people are to help.Reach out andask them to support your group by sharing their list.If you re working with alocal company, see whether their media team will share their list and offermedia support.Buying lists is costly I wouldn t recommend it.Media services likeGreen Media Toolshed or Cision are sometimes available for free at your locallibrary or social justice resource center [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]