How to Get Media Coverage
So, your chapter is having an event, and you want it to get covered by the media? Check out this timeline for attracting media attention, and reference it the next time you have an event!
A great media strategy starts at the planning stages of any event. Think of how to make an event as media-friendly as possible. Good ways to do this include: effective visuals, targeting locally elected officials, having local celebrities, and providing a local tie-in.
2 weeks before or more:
E-mail info@standnow.org, and the STAND Communications Team can start working with you to get media.
Find the contact information of your local media outlets. Use Congress’ website to get fax numbers and email addresses, and google reporters who typically cover students and/or activism.
1-2 weeks before:
E-mail and fax a media alert to as many media outlets as possible. Papers often have
“Daybooks,” a schedule of events that reporters can look at – make sure to ask how to get your event on the local daybook! See the Sample Media Alert and Sample Press Release for more info.
Throughout the week before an event:
Make some follow-up calls or emails. Feel free to be informal with the follow-ups, and be persistent. If an outlet says it’s not interested, try to find out why so you can better tailor the event to the press.
2-3 days before an event:
Resend media alerts to outlets that are most likely to cover the event.
1-2 days before:
Make final follow-up calls/emails to reporters. Try to get them to confirm their attendance at the event, so you can create a list of who to expect.
The event:
Make sure you’re ready for the press. Depending on the event, it may be a good idea to have a media check-in table, where you can provide the press with background materials (if you’re targeting your Congressperson, you may want to provide a one-pager on their genocide prevention legislative record).
If you have speakers, let the reporters speak to them afterwards. Also, make sure members of your chapter are always available for comment.
Immediately after:
Follow-up with the reporters who came, offering to get them any other information they’d like.
Send out a press release to all of your contacts (whether they attended or not). This may result in getting coverage that you didn’t count on.
Sometime after the event:
Database your contacts, especially those reporters who attended the event. Start building a relationship with those reporters who wrote about your chapter – they may write about you again!
E-mail info@standnow.org with the names of reporters and outlets that covered your event. We’ll put it in a national database that can help you and your chapter in the future!
Keep in mind that getting media attention doesn’t always fit neatly onto a timeline! The process can be fluid, which makes it more exciting. But, as always, email info@standnow.org with any questions!