Peak Performance USA - An Asthma Management Program for Schools

Working with the Media

First, identify all of your local media outlets: newspapers, magazines, television stations, radio stations, Internet websites. Then, review their content to see which are appropriate for your message.

Next, call the media outlets that you have selected as appropriate. Ask how they want to receive a press release, in what form they want the information, and how far in advance it must be submitted. Most importantly, find out to whom to address the information.

You can also determine who covers health-related topics (the health beat) by scrutinizing bylines or by calling the newspaper, television or radio station, or visiting their websites. At most television stations you will want to approach the assignments editor and/or medical reporter. At radio stations your PSA or community event should be directed to the public service director. Peak Performance USA and other community service campaigns will be of interest to radio public service directors who consistently tape interviews for their Sunday morning public service programs.

A press release mailed to a major newspaper (and not to a specific person or department at that paper which handles information such as yours) may wind up on the very busy desk of a reporter that covers the police beat. Your release will likely be thrown away, unused. Once you’ve made contacts, you may use them later to “plant” stories about your event or your organization generally.

You can mail, fax, email, or deliver a news release in person. In small communities, personal delivery gives you a chance to get to know the local editors and reporters. For large, metropolitan newspapers and magazines, faxing is fine if there is no photo. Use overnight mail/courier or email if there is a photo. A reporter will open an express envelope long before he/she wades through all the standard envelopes overflowing the in-basket.

Be careful to follow media schedule needs. Weekly or semiweekly community newspapers need to receive local news about events or programs at least a week before expected publication. Public service programming (radio) is planned and produced weeks before actual air time. Large daily newspaper stories and television news coverage changes and is scheduled every day, though daily newspapers do include special sections that are planned weeks in advance.

Media “follow-up” is a critical part of the publicity process. Because reporters are inundated with news releases, following-up with reporters is the only way of ensuring your release has been received and remembered.

Before attempting to follow-up by phone, allow sufficient time for the reporter to have received your news release—one day is sufficient. Be prepared to discuss its contents and answer questions. The reporter may be scanning the release for the first time while speaking to you, so point out the most important parts.

Never try to “hard sell” the reporter on your release. Rather, ask if he has a minute to talk about the release. Don't take offense if he curtly says, “I got it, and I’ll call if I need anything,” before hanging up. Deadline pressure and the tidal wave of daily news releases are hard on manners.

How do you get your story into print or on the air: While no one is successful all of the time, following these tips will increase the odds of your story being used. Here are a few do's and don'ts concerning media contact.

Dos:

Do know what the reporter writes about.
Do remain truthful at all times.
Do be considerate of the reporter’s time.
Do return phone calls or emails, but only when you are prepared.
Do cultivate your relationship with the media.
Do discuss story ideas with reporters.
Do make follow-up phone calls or emails.
Do call or email a reporter to offer new facts or to more clearly communicate a key point, not to “see if he got the release.”
Do sell a reporter he/she wrote a good, fair and accurate story.
Do suggest an interesting new angle the reporter might want to consider for a future story.

Don't:

Don’t call right before deadline. (Call the paper or station to find out what the deadlines are.)
Don’t think because you advertise a reporter will write a story.
Don’t violate an “exclusive” story agreement with one reporter.
Don’t betray a reporter's confidence.
Don’t blast a reporter for an unfavorable story, innocent misquote, or for not using your material.
Don’t go overboard about praising a positive story.