Difference between revisions of "Building Personal Relations with the Media"
From NGO Handbook
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Ideas and stories cannot be brow beat, whined, or nagged into the newspapers or onto the airways. The only way is by working with the media and marketing stories and ideas to them. The key word here is “with.” There is not much point wasting time bemoaning how bad the media are and the fact that they will not reshape their world to accommodate yours. Your job is to figure out how you can fit your ideas into their world, into their stories, and into their minds. | Ideas and stories cannot be brow beat, whined, or nagged into the newspapers or onto the airways. The only way is by working with the media and marketing stories and ideas to them. The key word here is “with.” There is not much point wasting time bemoaning how bad the media are and the fact that they will not reshape their world to accommodate yours. Your job is to figure out how you can fit your ideas into their world, into their stories, and into their minds. | ||
| − | How do you go about marketing your ideas? To do it effectively, the most important thing is to get to know the reporters that you are dealing with, and the editors that will be writing the opinion pages or that edit the op-ed pages. Get to know the bookers and the producers at the radio and television shows that you want to have your people on. Though it is simple enough, it takes time. | + | How do you go about marketing your ideas? To do it effectively, the most important thing is to get to know the reporters that you are dealing with, and the editors that will be writing the opinion pages or that edit the op-ed pages. Get to know the bookers and the producers at the radio and television shows that you want to have your people on. Though it is simple enough, it takes time. This article provides an overview of how to market your ideas to the media. |
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| − | ==Planning strategically== | + | ==Planning strategically: Who to reach== |
| − | Since it is not necessary to meet everyone | + | Since it is not necessary to meet everyone—every reporter, producer and booker—you first need to have a strategic plan as to what you are going to accomplish. Figure out who you need to reach, which outlets will carry your message, and then look within those organizations and find the right people who can help get your message out. |
| − | In the United States, typically everyone wants to get their story into The New York Times and The Washington Post. One must first consider if that is really necessary. It does not mean you would ignore these prominent newspapers, but it is important to point out that Members of Congress read just as closely the hometown papers in the districts that elected them and that they report back to. | + | In the United States, typically everyone wants to get their story into ''The New York Times'' and ''The Washington Post''. One must first consider if that is really necessary. It does not mean you would ignore these prominent newspapers, but it is important to point out that Members of Congress read just as closely the hometown papers in the districts that elected them and that they report back to. |
If you are working legislatively, and there is particular legislation you are interested in, then research who chairs that committee, who are the movers and shakers, and who are the swing votes which you need to bring to your side. Figure out which back home media are important to them and work on those media people. Get to know them. Who are the top talk shows back in Des Moines, Idaho for example? Get to know the producers there; tell them what is important. Cultivate the weekly community newspapers and do not think that they are second class. Some of the world’s best reporters have come from there. They are very good allies for you to have. | If you are working legislatively, and there is particular legislation you are interested in, then research who chairs that committee, who are the movers and shakers, and who are the swing votes which you need to bring to your side. Figure out which back home media are important to them and work on those media people. Get to know them. Who are the top talk shows back in Des Moines, Idaho for example? Get to know the producers there; tell them what is important. Cultivate the weekly community newspapers and do not think that they are second class. Some of the world’s best reporters have come from there. They are very good allies for you to have. | ||
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Consider who on a newspaper staff you need to get to know. Do you need to know the editorial page editors, or at least the editorial writers that cover the topic in which you are interested? Do you need to know the political writers or the bureau reporters? Or, do you need to know the beat reporters? You probably do not need to know them all, but you are going to need to know a couple of them, at least. | Consider who on a newspaper staff you need to get to know. Do you need to know the editorial page editors, or at least the editorial writers that cover the topic in which you are interested? Do you need to know the political writers or the bureau reporters? Or, do you need to know the beat reporters? You probably do not need to know them all, but you are going to need to know a couple of them, at least. | ||
| − | Figure out who you need to communicate your story to, and then do that. You cannot expect them to listen to you unless you make a conscious effort to get their attention and make a sincere effort to gain their confidence and respect. If you do not make a special effort to introduce yourself to the media | + | Figure out who you need to communicate your story to, and then do that. You cannot expect them to listen to you unless you make a conscious effort to get their attention and make a sincere effort to gain their confidence and respect. If you do not make a special effort to introduce yourself to the media—to those people who logically should be interested in your story—then they are unlikely to come to you on their own. There are hundreds of other people out there to whom they can go, and some of them are making an effort to get to know them. And that is where they will go. |
It is highly important to look at the culture of the newspaper that you are dealing with too. What is their editorial voice? Is it youth-oriented, is it trendy, is it very cerebral? The more you can remold the language in your press releases and your editorial pages to match what they are putting out, the more you have helped them accept what you are presenting. If it is fact-based, give them lots of facts in your editorials. | It is highly important to look at the culture of the newspaper that you are dealing with too. What is their editorial voice? Is it youth-oriented, is it trendy, is it very cerebral? The more you can remold the language in your press releases and your editorial pages to match what they are putting out, the more you have helped them accept what you are presenting. If it is fact-based, give them lots of facts in your editorials. | ||
Revision as of 08:35, 1 October 2008
Ideas and stories cannot be brow beat, whined, or nagged into the newspapers or onto the airways. The only way is by working with the media and marketing stories and ideas to them. The key word here is “with.” There is not much point wasting time bemoaning how bad the media are and the fact that they will not reshape their world to accommodate yours. Your job is to figure out how you can fit your ideas into their world, into their stories, and into their minds.
How do you go about marketing your ideas? To do it effectively, the most important thing is to get to know the reporters that you are dealing with, and the editors that will be writing the opinion pages or that edit the op-ed pages. Get to know the bookers and the producers at the radio and television shows that you want to have your people on. Though it is simple enough, it takes time. This article provides an overview of how to market your ideas to the media.
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