Using the media
London campaigners session
- Maria Castellina, Media Manager
Session summary
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Introductions
Why use the media?
What are news hooks?
Breakout activity: how to make your event media friendly
London specifics
Telling the press your story
How to write the perfect press release
Breakout activity: press release writing
Wrap up
Why use the media?
• Getting people to care about the environment – reaching the media
isn’t about reaching journalists
• Using the local press is a good way to influence local politicians – they
will all read their local paper/watch their local news
• It’s a good way to reach out to people who might not be familiar with
Friends of the Earth or our campaign
News hooks
There are certain hooks that are always more likely to get the media interested in what
you do. For example:
• Something new
• Facts and stats
• Milestones/anniversaries
• Celebrity
• An interesting picture
• Local interest
• Human interest
• Humour
• Shock/breaking news
• Conflict/debate
• Something that’s
quirky/different
Using news hooks
• Can you find facts and statistics to show how your issue is impacting
people locally?
• Can you create an interesting visual or stunt that would make an
interesting picture and grab the newspapers attention?
• Do you have an individual who can talk about how the issue has impacted
on them, or their family, to put a human face to the problem?
• Do you have a local celebrity who could attend your event? Will your local
MP or councillor come and have their picture taken at your event?
An event which has one or two of these thing increases the chances of
getting the local press along, and makes it easier to write your press release.
Breakout activity one:
creating a media friendly event
Your local Friends of the Earth group had been planning to run a stall at
the local market talking about bees/air pollution/recycling - how can
you turn your stall into a media worthy event?
• What news hooks can you use?
• How can you make it visual? What would the photograph be?
• You have 15 minutes to brain storm some ideas – you can be as
creative as you like!
Press in London
• Regional press in London is almost national – can make it harder to
get coverage
• But local papers/radio still key – delivered straight to people’s homes
• There is more of it in London than anywhere else – look up your local
contacts
Tell the press
• So, you’ve decided on your event. Now to tell the journalists
about it
• Journalists get emailed hundreds of press releases every day,
they will scan through their email subject lines and only
bother reading the ones that look the most interesting
• Your two priorities are to make yours simple and exciting
Perfect press releases
• Length: Keep press releases short – preferably no longer that one side of A4
• Keep it simple: Avoid technical jargon or complicated language. The press release
should be able to be understood by someone who knows nothing about the
subject.
• Headline: Your top message should form your headline. Keep it short and catchy
but give a clear idea of the story.
• Opening paragraph: Expand the headline to make your first paragraph. It should
answer the basic questions – Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How
• Next paragraph: This should expand on the first, bringing in some context and
one or two sentences of relevant background information
• Quote: The quote is usually the only part of your press release that will appear
directly in the paper. Try and write as if a real person was speaking – reading your
quote out loud will help with this. Keep sentences short and punchy. If they only
print one sentence about your campaign or event, what should it say?
Perfect press releases
Also include:
• A date of release at the top, usually ‘immediate release’ on the day you
send it out. Embargoes should be imposed only when strictly necessary.
• A contact name, email and phone number of someone who knows about
the story, who will be available to answer journalist’s queries and organise
or conduct interviews.
• Photo call: Describe what a journalist will be able to photograph, the more
exciting the picture the more likely they will send along a photographer,
and let them know exactly where and how to find you.
• Notes to the editor – any additional information should go in notes at the
end. These should be used sparingly and only when the detail is essential.
Perfect press releases
• Sending it out: Email your release to the journalist – use the headline
as the subject line
• Follow up: Once you have emailed your press release, if you have
time follow it up with a phone call to the journalist. Tell them a little
bit about the story, ask them if they’ve seen the release, and then see
if they are interested in covering it or sending a photographer. Be
friendly and don’t take up too much of their time.
• Get a good photo: If they sound interested but can’t send out a
photographer, follow-up with them after the event and send images –
a good photo can make the difference between getting coverage and
not, so spend time at your event getting your pictures right
Break out activity 2:
press releases (20min)
A press release has been written but it’s been cut up into pieces, can
you put it together again in the right order?
• Top tip: think about whether you need to include everything
• The headline is missing – can you write a new one?
This activity is about how to order a press release, what info do you
need to keep in, and what can you leave out. Try to only keep in the
most exciting/important information!
Learning from one another
• Do any of you have an examples you’d like to share of what
has worked well in your area?
• Any times when it hasn’t worked so well?
• Any other questions?