How to Improve Media Relations
Marshall McLuhan famously said, "The media is the message." The importance of the media is just as great in the governmental world as it is in other aspects of society. In fact, the way that people think about your organization is often associated with the way it is portrayed by the media.
How do the media obtain information about your organization? It could come from a variety of sources.
Action idea: Recognize that you are one of the most important sources – if not THE most important source – for media relations. The manner in which you approach this function could impact the long-term impression of your organization.
The following are 10 "common sense" ideas for improving media relations.
- Become informed about the media. Read and watch the local news. Subscribe to publications providing information about governmental entities. You might even join groups such as press clubs where you could meet local reporters.
- Try to develop relationships with reporters. Once you find out who the key contacts are, you can send information directly to them. Concentrate on those media members (e.g., a calendar page editor) who would be most interested in events involving your organization.
- Use the personal touch. Stop by the local newspaper or other media outlet to introduce yourself and drop off a press release or brochure. Make the meeting brief; their time is valuable. In the following months, you can strengthen the relationship through regular communication.
- Distribute copies of your publications. Don’t include copies for reporters in your mass mailings. Send them under a separate cover with a personal note attached. This may be particularly beneficial for invitations to special events.
- Monitor turnover at media outlets. Changes can happen frequently in the industry. Your personal communications won’t do much good if the reporter is no longer working for the newspaper or station.
- Trumpet newsworthy occurrences. Make sure that the information is relevant to the public. Reporters are not interested in “yesterday’s news” or events that only affect people in your organization. On the other hand, human interest stories may have an appeal.
- Assemble a media kit. It should include a biography of your entity, its mission statement, the main objectives, profiles of key staff members, recent news releases and a downloadable file of the current annual report. Make sure the media kit is easily accessible via the Internet.
- Use new news to promote your organization. Try to enlist the services of experts in the field who will address the issues of importance to your organization. These experts should be receptive to media inquiries (especially if they come from within your organization).
- Make yourself available to the media at any time. Provide a home or cell phone number where you can be reached after normal business hours. Make it easy to get in touch with you. Reporters are usually working on a deadline; they will appreciate your cooperation.
- Thank media contacts for their coverage. Don’t complain about minor inaccuracies. You don’t want to risk turning off a valuable media source.
Action idea: Make a concerted effort to use many, if not all, of these ideas. Don’t leave media contact to chance.
To ensure compliance with requirements imposed by the IRS, we inform you that any U.S. federal tax advice contained in this communication (including any attachments) is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, for the purpose of (i) avoiding penalties under the Internal Revenue Code or (ii) promoting, marketing or recommending to another party any transaction or tax related matter.