Getting Out the News

Section 2

• Develop and implement a media relations plan, based on the suggestions listed in this section. Areas you should include in the plan are as follows:

• Determine news media goals.
• Determine the approaches you will need to take to accomplish your goals.
• Assign responsibility for handling media inquiries.
• Develop source books (experts and media).
• Entries for the "experts" book should include their names, addresses, phone numbers (home and work), e-mail addresses, Web sites (if any), and area(s) of expertise.
• Entries for the news media book should include the reporters’ names, business addresses, phone numbers, e-mail addresses, and "beat" assignment(s). (Objectives 1, 2, 3)

• Maintain a scrapbook of current news stories on your subject matter area from newspapers, magazines, and the Internet so you stay abreast of up-to-date information and issues. This reference may be in the form of an actual scrapbook of cutout clippings or folders with clippings in them. Keep this information handy for quick reference if a reporter should call. (Objectives 2, 7, 8)
• Maintain a topic list of "bookmarks" on the World Wide Web. This list should include sites that are for or against any stance you may take on your issue. These bookmarks provide important information about organizations and issues. (Objectives 2, 7, 8)

• Determine how contacting the media would promote your environmental education program. How would working with the news media help? (Objectives 3, 7)

• Brainstorm several ideas for stories that you believe reporters would be interested in covering. Maintain this list. Try to "pitch" to reporters at least one story idea a month generated from the list. (Objectives 1, 2, 3, 8)
• Using one of the ideas generated in the previous activity, determine the following:

• Does the idea meet "news value" criteria?
• How can you make it "different" so the news media will want to cover the story?
• How can you "pitch" the same idea to different media (newspaper, television, and radio)? (Objectives 1, 2, 3, 8)

• Invite a panel of news reporters, representing different media (newspaper, television, and radio) to discuss the characteristics they like to see in a news story idea, the different approaches reporters take in covering stories, and ways you can better work with reporters to get your stories covered. (Objective 2)
• Invite a news photographer to discuss proper news photograph composition. What does a newspaper want in a photograph that you might submit with a story? Does the newspaper want a "grip and grin" (shot of a person accepting an award with one hand and shaking hands with the presenter of the award with the other hand)? Does the newspaper want "people" shots? Ask the photographer to bring photographic examples. (Objectives 2, 9)

• Complete the items on the Media Contact Check-Off  each time you submit a story idea to a reporter. (Objectives 2, 3, 7)
• Invite a panel of people with opposing views on a topic to debate the topic. Invite the news media to cover the debate. As a communications specialist, part of your media relations plan may be to provide an objective forum location where opposing sides can voice their views to the media. (Objectives 1, 2, 3, 8)
• Use the PowerPoint presentation Communicating with the Media with your organization. The presentation can be run directly from the Web site or downloaded to your computer. (Objectives 2, 3)