Therefore, don't think that every press release is going to
result in press coverage -- it's not. But sustaining regular
press contacts will build recognition of your organization among
reporters, and the result will be ongoing payoffs down the road.
If the press can rely on you fore regular, credible information,
they will also rely on you to fill gaps on a slow news day. They
may even be willing to let you delay negative news for a few
hours, even a day, in order for you to better prepare for the
fallout - but only if you have cultivated a relationship with
them.
As coverage for your organization is generated, you won't just
be reaching new audiences -- you will also be reaching current
volunteers, supporters (including donors) and clients, reminding
them of what your organization is doing and what they have
chosen to be a part of.
A big challenge is that the number of press outlets shrinks
every year. Your area may not have a daily news outlet, radio
station or TV station that is primarily focused on it - you may
have to try to get a news outlet 50 miles away to care about
what you are doing. What news outlets do still exist are
under-staffed, and many no longer have people dedicated to
making assignments for reporters - reporters may just grab what
they can as they see something become available. Many news
outlets have regular staff turnover, which makes cultivating
relationships even more difficult. And worst of all, many news
outlets are turning over news writing to AI programs, meaning
there's no relationship to cultivate - you just have to hope you
are using the language an AI program believes is newsworthy, and
hope that AI will use your press release to write its story and
not hallucinate misinformation to include in it.
The Basics of Press Relations
The following suggestions are low-cost or no-cost activities.
They don't require money to undertake, as much as they require time
and commitment.
- Make a commitment to return calls from the media immediately.
Whether it is a large newspaper or a small community radio
show, if a representative tries to reach you, always call or
email that person back immediately. The person
contacting you could be on deadline, and if they don't reach
you immediately, they might move on to another organization.
There is a media personality whom I loathed. I'm not going to
say his name; I will say that he was not an elected official,
but he was very politically active (he died several
years ago). I could not figure out why he was always
on TV and in every news article I read about certain topics. I
thought he had some high-profile PR company representing him.
But then I heard a reporter say that the "secret" was that
this person always and promptly called any
media person back, and would talk to any media
representative, no matter how small the media outlet. The
reporter said that, since he was so easy to reach and would
always comment, no matter what time of day, that the press
called on him again and again for comments -- it was easier
than trying to track down someone else.
- Make a commitment to be honest with the press. Treat the
press the way you want to be treated. The moment the press
decides you aren't telling them the truth, they will deliver a
public relations nightmare to you and your initiative. That
doesn't mean going out and telling the press every bad thing
happening at your initiative, but it does mean answering press
questions to the BEST of your abilities - and that can include
this phrase: "I do not have a comment on that."
- Next: is your mission statement the perfect, brief
description of your organization? If not, revise it before you
approach the press. If you don't write a good, brief
description of your organization and have such displayed
prominently on your Web site and letterhead, in press releases
and brochures, etc., the press will make up one themselves --
and it may or may not be accurate. As a followup to the
previous step: everyone at your organization should be able to
recite that mission statement from memory. If it's too long
for paid staff, volunteers and board members to easily
remember, it's too long for the press to remember as well.
- Media relations needs to be fully supported by everyone
at your organization, and you need policies and procedures
around your organization's press relations. Answering these
questions is a start in forming your policies:
- Who is responsible for media relations at your
organization (writing press releases, answering calls from
the press, inviting press to events, etc.)? Does the
person who answers the phone know to refer ALL calls from
the press to that staff member?
- Do all paid staff members and volunteers (including
board members) know exactly what to do if they are
contacted by a press representative? (do they talk with
that person and then let the organization's media contact
person know they have done so, or, do they refer the
reporter to the media contact person FIRST before any
conversations/interviews take place?) Decide on a policy,
one way or another, and make sure it is communicated to
everyone.
- Other than the press relations contact person, who at
your organization needs to know that a photographer or
camera crew is showing up at your organization or event?
The press relations person should brief everyone
at the organization as quickly as possible if a
photographer or camera crew is on its way.
- Should the press contact person be present at all
interviews? That's up to you. My personal rule when in
charge of media relations is that I am to be present at
all media interviews unless I am absolutely certain
that the interviewee will be able to answer all questions,
that he or she feels comfortable with my not being there,
and I know the interviewer well. That policy comes from
trying to balance giving a person enough "space" with
providing proper support.
- As a result of your media outreach activities, what
exactly do you want to happen? More people at an event? A
particular group of people at an event (such as potential
donors, government officials, local religious leaders)? An
increase in the number of online references to your
organization? An increase in recognition of your
organization among the general public? Know your goals,
think about how your media outreach activities could reach
those goals, and think about ways to measure your success.
- Identify all area media outlets, long before you ever have
the need to contact them. You want the names, postal
addresses, phone numbers, fax numbers, and email address of
all local daily and weekly newspapers, all TV stations, all
radio stations, all organizations and editors that maintain
event calendars (such as a tourism board that serves your
area, or the nearest consulates or embassies of other
countries), all press bureau offices for national or major
regional media in your area, and all TV programs, radio
programs and specific beat reporters that would be interested
in your initiative's work in particular. Don't forget
ethnic-specifc or culturally-specific press outlets serving
your area. If you are in a rural area, also identify the major
media outlets for the nearest metropolitan area. You can use Google or Bing to compile this
information, as well as contacting other organizations for
advice.
You don't necessarily have to have reporter's names - sending
something to "Attention Calendar Editor" at a newspaper will
get to the right person as quickly as putting that person's
name on it. And given the high turnover in media, it's
certainly easier to maintain your database of media contacts
this way.
Also, look for reporters at national media outlets who cover
your specific geographic area or cover a topic that is closely
aligned with your initiative's mission. Regularly monitor free
online news sources, such as YahooNews,
to find such reporters.
Don't wait until you have a press release to send to gather
this contact information! <
- Do you know how to write a press release? If not, type in
these words:
Sample Press release
into Google; you will get
a long list of web sites that feature sample press releases.
For your press release contact information, put your cell
phone as well as your office phone, if you are not in your
office most of the time.
- Do NOT contact ALL media outlets EVERY TIME you send a
press release (if such is more than every other month). If you
do, you will overwhelm the organization, and reporters and
editors will stop reading your materials. Also, some
publications are highly-focused: a weekly neighborhood or
community paper may interested only in activities that
DIRECTLY and OBVIOUSLY involve their particular community or
population served. Therefore, you may have to tailor press
releases to these publications to illustrate this connection
clearly.
Who gets what information, and when? The following is a
general overview, but you will need to tailor this for your
own organization's events and resources, as well as per your
goals for media outreach. For instance, I directed public
relations activities for a professional association in
Austin, Texas for two years; this organization had a limited
space for its monthly meetings. My first efforts more than
filled the room -- much to everyone's discomfort. The
association did not want to move to a bigger space and could
not provide microphones for speakers. So I scaled back by
outreach efforts, generating enough attendance just to fill
the room and meet the annual membership goals.
Working with other staff members, develop an outreach
calendar: What are the dates of events your organization
will sponsor in the next six months? What about events that
will involve your Executive Director or other key staff (a
high-profile speaking engagement to a key group or
conference, for instance)? What about the launch of a new
program or service? The launch of your annual fund raising
campaign?
Once you've developed this calendar of events, you can set
your dates to contact the media. Your press release "send"
schedule should follow this basic model:
- Calendar editors (including those that manage online
calendars) get press releases that announce events,
workshops, etc. These should be sent two - three weeks in
advance for daily and weekly publications; they should be
sent at least eight weeks in advance for monthly
publications.
- Assignment editors at TV stations get press releases
two weeks in advance that announce events you think would
provide good visuals for the news. Remember that TV
stations are looking for lively visuals (faces and
movement). You should also fax a reminder to the
assignment editor 12-24 hours before such an event -- a
one page fax with just the who, what, why, where, when,
how, a contact name and why this event is particularly
"filmable" (this is one of those cases where a fax is
still better than email).
- Beat reporters (people who are assigned to a particular
subject or issue area, such as education, entertainment,
senior issues, sports, etc.) should get press releases
ONLY for events, workshops or services that relate to
their particular focus. Send these two - four weeks in
advance.
- In urban areas, most radio stations have a music
format, and have very limited time for public service
announcements. Send your press releases to only those
radio stations that feature regular news times, audio
event calendars or public affair shows, following the
sending guidelines above. For other radio stations,
consider event partnerships; are you hosting an event that
would be a good place for a radio station to set up a live
broadcast? Or are you trying to target a particular
community or population that also makes up most of an
audience of a particular radio station (for instance, if
an organization is hosting a conflict resolution workshop
for youth, perhaps the radio station that teenagers listen
to most in the area would be willing to sponsor this event
and promote it on their station)?
- In addition to announcing events, you can send press
releases to:
- announce new activities, the latest results of or
changes in your programs and services
- highlight particularly effective, unique, innovative or
interesting volunteer activities
- announce how a particular piece of pending or
recently-passed legislation will affect your organization
and those it serves
- announce the results of your latest fund-raising
efforts, a new grant you have just received, or a
partnership you have formed with another
organization/other organizations
- announce your latest annual
financial report
- announce awards your organization is giving or
receiving
- announce staff changes
- announce an impending visit to your organization by an
internationally-recognized expert
- acknowledge a particular day of focus that relates to
your organization and its work
(for instance, if you are an environmental organization,
send a press release relating to Earth Day, about two
weeks before the day itself; or, if you are an
organization with a program or programs focused on women,
send a press release relating to International
Women's Day)
- Non-press organizations and other non-press representatives
should also get your organization press releases (as
appropriate); this is how you will build a public reputation
and become associated with public policy issues that might
affect your organization's target population. As a result,
these organizations may start directing calls from the press
to you when they get them, as appropriate:
- city (mayor, council people), county, state
(legislators) and federal officials (congresspeople and
senators) that represent your area
- chambers of commerce (most areas are served by more
than one -- there's the main one, but there also might be
a Black chamber, a women's chamber, etc.), tourist
association, arts council, etc.
- send press releases announcing major events or
activities to local consulates or embassies representing
other organizations (they might refer foreign press to
you)
- if you are in the USA: the United Way (even if you are
NOT a United Way agency)
- nonprofit development or support centers that serve
your area
- nonprofit and public sector agencies in your area with
a similar focus
- professional associations and civic groups
- university departments that have studies that focus on
the same areas served by your mission; for instance, if
you serve children and youth, send information to the
teacher-training school within a university
- Should you send press releases primarily via email, fax,
phone calls or post? It depends on your resources, the news
you are providing, and who you are contacting. Email is less
of a cost than the post or fax, but some reporters are so
overwhelmed by junk mail, solicitations and email press
releases that your information could get lost in the sea of
cyberspace. I got my start in press relations in the
pre-Internet days (in fact, in the pre-fax days), sending
press releases primarily by postal mail, but I do use email
now, most of the time, and with excellent results. I
supplement this with phone calls and/or faxes to reporters
when I'm targeting someone in particular for coverage.
Different situations call for different communications
methods, and I'm constantly altering my delivery methods based
on the ever-changing times and the results of my most-recent
efforts. I can't give you an absolute formula; you are going
to have to figure this one out for yourself.
- Make sure the press see your executive director and other
key staff and board members as accessible. For instance, the
head of your organization should have lunch or dinner
occasionally, one-on-one, with key local reporters, not
necessarily to pitch stories or to do an interview, but just
to network and cultivate a relationship. However, staff
members should NOT consider these meetings off the record;
they need to watch what they say and conduct themselves as
representatives of the organization at all times.
- Consider arranging with a local or national newspaper for
your executive director or another key representative to write
an editorial or commentary for the paper in conjunction with a
current "hot" issue or a day with special significance. You
can ghost-write the column with him or her. The editorial will
probably have to be submitted three weeks before the day the
column is to run.
- Consider making an exclusive pitch to a reporter. For
instance, if there is a fantastic, exceptional success story
regarding someone your organization has helped, you could call
a trusted press person with whom you have a good relationship,
and offer to set up an interview and photo opportunity
regarding this person only for that particular press
person.
- If your organization feels an event is inappropriate for a
camera crew (for instance, a dress rehearsal for a play the
night before opening, or a group counseling session with
children), what alternative can you give the crew? Always have
alternatives ready when a film crew calls.
- Also, ALWAYS notify people they are going to be (or might
be) photographed or filmed BEFORE it happens! You don't want
someone throwing a fit for the evening news. If children will
be present, get parental permission first!
- Not all press relations is about good news: you may also
have to engage in press and other outreach to counter
misunderstandings, rumors and myths, or to counter online criticism. That will
be much easier to do if you have followed the above guidelines
and established a good, ongoing relationship with the press.
What about online press release distribution services? For most
nonprofit organizations, these aren't worth the fee they
charge.
Those are the basics -- they will get you started on the
road to building a reputation with the press and getting media
coverage. There's much more you can do, ofcourse, but these basic
activities will build a great foundation for expanded efforts.
Note how many of these activities have to do with human contacts,
commitment to outreach, and always having information available
for the press, rather than what tools you use.
Evaluate & Celebrate Your Efforts
Evaluate your media outreach efforts every few months: Are
stories being generated? Are press people attending your events?
Are more people attending your events or calling your
organization?
The person who answers your phone, or anyone who signs anyone
up for an activity at your organization (volunteers, donors,
people who attend events, etc.), should ask these people, at the
time they are signing up, how they heard about your
organization, the activity or the event. This will help you to
learn how effective your outreach activities are, and help you
plan strategically for the future.
Also, make sure other staff members know the results of your
efforts:
- Distribute copies of all articles that appear about your
organization, positive or negative, in newspapers or online,
to all staff and board members. As resources allow and as
appropriate, also send copies of stories to volunteers, donors
and customers/clients.
- Find space in a public area at your organization or a place
that staff frequent (the break room or a hallway, for
instance) for a "brag board," where you will post articles
about your organization that are published in newspapers or
online. (NOTE: I once got a raise because the Executive
Director stood in front of the brag board and was stunned that
so much press had been generated; he'd seen the articles as
they had come out, but seeing three months of positive
newspaper articles posted on a wall made a BIG impression).
- Also watch the "Letters to the Editor" column for things
that might relate to your organization, and distribute them
appropriately. If your Executive Director or other staff
member writes a letter on behalf of your organization (with
pre-approval from the organization, ofcourse), make sure all
staff and board members get copies (and, as appropriate, make
copies for volunteers, donors and clients, particularly if it
is rebutting a negative article).
- A notice should go out to all staff and board members if a
TV, radio or online broadcast is going to feature on your
organization (more than just a mention of the dates and times
of an event).
- A notice should go out to all staff, board members,
volunteers, donors and customers/clients if there is a
partnership with a particular media outlet for an event your
organization is sponsoring.
The Role of Volunteers in Media
Relations
Can volunteers help with media relations? Should
volunteers be involved with media relations? The answer to both
is yes -- but with some cautions.
Many organizations are too small to hire a full-time paid
media relations person and, therefore, must rely on volunteers
to help with media relations. Great assignments for volunteers
in this role, including pro-bono consultants, include:
- researching media (looking for and documenting local,
regional, national and international media contacts)
- monitoring media (using tools like Yahoo News Search)
to find stories about your organization, or reporters doing
stories relating to your organization's interest that could be
good to approach)
- drafting press releases
- suggesting ideas for press releases
- drafting press strategies
It's preferable for a full-time or part-time paid staff person,
who is in the office regularly and frequently, to be the media
contact person, however, as most volunteers are not in an
organization's offices regularly and frequently, and therefore may
not be around if a press person calls. If you have no choice but
to have a volunteer to be your media contact person, make sure
that person can make the necessary time commitment, every day and
for a substantial length of time, to fulfill all activities
associated with basic media outreach that has been defined here.
But Not Everyone Is Reached By the
Press...
Reaching the press is vital for your organization, but it must
be done with the realization that not everyone is reached by the
press. Not everyone reads, or has access, to newspapers or
online news, and not everyone has access, or listens, to radio,
TV or online broadcasts.
Representatives from your organization will have to reach out,
often face-to-face, to conferences, communities of faith,
farmer's associations, women's cooperatives, professional
associations, schools, universities, student groups, informal
groups and various other associations, formal or not, to get
your organization's messages out and understood to everyone you
need to reach. You will also have to think about posters and
handouts, and in some cases, even live performance
methods (theater, dance, puppets, etc.), in order to reach
everyone with your information.
Press relations is oh-so-important, but remember that it's
only one part of your overall community outreach.
Be Ready for a Misinformation Campaigns
There are individuals that don't like your nonprofit. There
may be an organized group that doesn't like your nonprofit.
Internet tools make it easier than ever for just one person or a
group of person to promote misinformation about your
organization. This
resource on addressing these misinformation campaigns can
help - don't wait to read it until after such an attack
begins!
Other resources
- For Schools: You Should Be
Using Social Media. Here's How.
There are a lot of web sites saying what the benefits are for
schools to use social media. But there's few that give
specifics on what a public school should be sharing via
Facebook and other social media. This advice talks not only
about exactly what your school should be posting to social
media, but the consequences of not doing so, as well how to
handle tough questions and criticism. It also links to legal
advice.
- For Local City &
County Governments: You Should Be Using Social Media. Here's
How.
To not be using social media to deliver
information and to engage means you are denying critical
information to much of your community and promoting an image
of secrecy and lack of transparency. In fact, the lack of
use of social media can be seen as your city council or
county government trying to hide something, and even lead to
rumors that are much harder to dispel than they would have
been to prevent. This advice talks not only about exactly
what your school should be posting to social media, but also
how to handle tough questions and criticism.
- The
Care and Feeding of the Press by Esther Schindler and
the members of the Internet Press Guild is a good guide to
people who pitch stories to the online press. It's from the
press's point of view, and offers good advice about writing
your press releases and making your pitch.
- Outreach Via the Internet for
Not-for-Profit or Public Sector Organizations
It's more than just putting up a Web site; it involves finding
and posting to appropriate Internet discussion groups, sending
emails to current and potential customers, perhaps even
starting your own online community.... it's pro-active,
interactive and ongoing.
- The Nonprofit & NGO Guide to
Using Reddit
As of July 2019, Reddit ranked as the No. 5 most visited
website in the USA and No. 13 in the world. Reddit is a
community of communities, and its communities are called
subreddits. A subreddit can have a focus on a geographic area,
a book, a celebrity, a particular time in history, a specific
hobby - anything. Statistics suggest that 74% of Reddit users
are male. Users tend to be significantly younger than other
online communities like Facebook with less than 1% of users
being 65 or over. If you want to reach a younger demographic
regarding your volunteering opportunities, your awareness
messages, your data that shows your value to the community and
more, you need to build posts to Reddit into your marketing
strategy, no matter what your nonprofit's size or focus. This
resource tells you how to do it.
- What are good blog topics for
mission-based organizations?
The word "blog" is short for "web log", and means keeping a
journal or diary online. Blogging is NOT a new concept --
people have been doing it long before it had a snazzy media
label. The appeal of blogging for an online audience is that
it's more personal and less formal than other information on a
web site. Readers who want to connect with an organization on
a more personal level, or who are more intensely interested in
an organization than the perhaps general public as a whole,
love blogs. Blogs can come from your Executive Director, other
staff members, volunteers, and even those you serve. Content
options are many, and this list
reviews some of your options.
See more resources re: Outreach
& Engagement, With and Without Technology
Like fund raising, press
relations is an ongoing cultivation process. Your
organization's strategy for press coverage needs to go beyond
trying to land one big story; you want various press outlets to
know that you are THE organization to contact whenever they are
doing a story on a subject that relates to your organization's
work, and that you are a reliable source for information and
stories. In short, you want to be quoted or referenced in a
variety of stories, not just one.
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