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Working with the media

This tool provides guidelines on working with local media to attract audiences to Australia Day celebrations to help promote and publicise events.

It complements the materials in the Promoting your event tool.

You can modify the guidelines in this tool so they are more appropriate for your organisational team and your local contexts. Most of the resources offer you ideas and strategies that don’t require large budgets. There are minimal ideas and strategies about access to television because the cost of television advertising is often beyond local Australia Day organisers’ budgets.

This tool includes:

• Resource one—Assessing media possibilities in your community

• Resource two—Tips for dealing with the media

• Resource three—Guidelines for preparation of a media release

• Resource four—Style guidelines for press media releases

• Resource five—Media release checklist and template

• Resource six—Media at events

• Resource seven—The media launch

• Resource eight—Using radio and Community Service Announcements

• Resource nine—Media kits.

Why use this tool?

• Promotion and publicity are essential to success of events.

• Effective use of the media can both inform and attract audiences.

• Media coverage catches a much larger audience/readership than local ‘on the ground’ forms of publicity.

• A good working relationship with local media has the potential to attract sponsors to events.

This tool provides advice and guidelines on a wide array of maters related to effectively working with the media. Many of the resources focus on the print media and radio as these are more affordable for local communities. Local television production is quite rare in smaller communities.

Most of the resources in this tool provide information or tips and many could be used as checklists.

RESOURCE ONE—Assessing media possibilities in your community

Media you may use in your community?

• Community newsletters

• Community notice boards

• Local newspapers including free newspapers

• Tourist magazines (these are often regional and will promote local events in a ‘community events/calendar’ or ‘What’s on’ section). The 'lead-time' of these publications is often significant, so it takes some planning

• Television (some regional television stations have a community notice segment; some may have a talk-style component when interesting people engage in a discussion with a talk host. You may make an opportunity to appear on such a show. Local news is another possibility)

• Radio—both commercial and community (community radio is especially committed to supporting local community events and usually has a ‘What’s on in our community’ segment in their programming)

• Internet

• E-cards

RESOURCE TWO—Tips for working with the media

Deadlines and communication with the media

• Be aware of media deadlines. Deadlines are different for newspapers, radio and television. Check with journalists when they need information and images by.

• When calling the media, be brief and to the point and leave your name and number for follow up. It is a good idea to ask for the person most likely to be interested in your news. You can monitor local media to see which journalists cover similar stories and ask for them by name.

• Get to know local editors, news editors and senior journalists personally.

• Send media releases to the right journalist/news editor.

Finding a newsworthy hook or angle

• Remember that while your event is important to you, it doesn’t automatically mean the media will think it is newsworthy.

• If possible, offer the media a hook or angle about your event that will catch their attention. For example, local media like local angles and local personalities. Humour, quirky stories and human interest angles are always popular, as are anniversaries or milestones (e.g. the first or biggest). 

Time management and efficiency with media

• Keep invitations to the media brief, with just the basic information—time, date, location, and a brief description of events.

• When media call you for information, provide it as quickly as possible. If you need to gather information and get back to them, check when their deadline is and make sure you have their name and direct contact details. If you can not provide the information by the time they need it, tell them when you will be able to provide it.

• If you are providing a spokesperson who the media can interview, make sure that they are prepared and available from the time the media release goes out (including after hours).

Ethics, honesty and a professional approach

• Don’t make promises you cannot keep, as this can have a big impact on media planning space and stories and you relationship with the media in the long-run.

• Relationships with journalists should be based on trust. You should attempt to be available, honest, fair, helpful, reliable, accurate, enthusiastic and patient.

• Do not lie. If you do not know an answer or are unsure what to say to a difficult question don’t be afraid to say ‘I don’t know, I’ll have to check and get back to you on that’. It is better to be sure of what you are saying than to make an error. However, you should try not to be ignorant too often, and always get back to the media with an answer as soon as possible, and by their deadline.

Know your material

• Know your facts and your organisation. Make sure you are up-to-date on relevant statistics and components of your event to ensure the accuracy of your statements to the media.

• It can help to try and anticipate what some of the questions might be and work out your responses, so that you are practiced at answering them.

Ensure media have the information and accept you can’t control the outcome

• Contact the media at least two weeks before your event to let them know it is coming up. Most media are reluctant to guarantee that they will attend an event, because it depends on what else is happening on the day, but you can at least follow up a few days prior to remind them and make sure they have the details in their diary.

• Be realistic and objective. At times the media’s aims and yours will be incompatible, or other events will impact on the media coverage your event receives

RESOURCE THREE—Guidelines for preparing media releases

• Media releases are a commonly used tool in the promotion of events. They save both you the journalist time by providing the basic information about the event or the story.

• Media releases also help to ensure that your messages and facts are sent out exactly as you intend them, as opposed to speeches or media conferences in which spokespeople can make errors or leave out important information.

• With a media release you can inform large numbers of journalists or publications of the event at the same time.

Tips for writing a media release

Things to do

• Hook your audience with a good headline and ‘lead’ at the start.

• Understand your target audience for your event and write about what they will be interested in. Pitch it at the appropriate level (though this is not always easy to judge!)

• Use plain English and an active, simple and straight forward writing style. Avoid jargon and clichés. Keep sentences short, and try to keep to one main idea per sentence.

• Write the release from an interesting angle (e.g. bigger event than last year, profile a special guest/entertainer).

• The opening paragraph should be short, to the point and convey all the critical information.

• Use the ‘five Ws’ formula—what, where, why, when and who. You need to win the media’s attention to encourage them to read further into your release.

• Use direct quotes that are simple and from noteworthy or topical people wherever possible. Use quotes to add colour and emotion, to deliver your key messages and to reinforce important information. 

• Make sure that the person quoted in the media release will be available for interviews if requested.

• Provide a contact name and number that journalists can call for more information or to arrange an interview. Ensure this number will be answered over the following days (including after normal business hours). It is best to provide an office number and a mobile number for someone the media can contact with any queries, especially if there is likely to be interest on a weekend.

• Incorporate photographs with the release if you can, or note that photos are available.

• Know the media’s deadlines and submit releases well before, allowing time for the media to research details beforehand, attend the event, and include it in the next available news broadcast or publication.

• Identify any media talent (e.g. individuals, iconic figures, special groups) associated with the event and give their contact details—after checking with them first to make sure they are happy to be available for media comment.

• Ask someone who has not seen the draft media release to proof read it carefully for before you send it out.

Things to avoid

• Sending the media release at the wrong or inconvenient time (e.g. last thing on a Friday afternoon or just before publishing/broadcast deadline).

•  Sending the media release to the wrong person or department (e.g. to advertising instead of news/editorial).

• Sending information about something that’s already happened or is not happening until a much later date.

RESOURCE FOUR—Style guidelines for media releases

• Keep your media release to one page.

• Media release should be structured in an ‘inverted pyramid’ style, with the most important information first (so if media have to shorten it, they can just cut the last couple of paragraphs and it will still make sense). Some media may only use your first paragraph.

• Start with a headline and opening paragraph, include a quote or two and more background information before finishing with contact details (see Resource six—media release template for more detail).

• Titles and names should be spelled out in full in their first usage. Abbreviations can be used later as necessary.

• Do not use acronyms.

• Make sure all the spelling is correct, particularly of sponsors and main participants.

• Check that punctuation and grammar are appropriate.

• Formatting—use a standard font (like Arial or Times New Roman) in 12 or 11 point size, and double or 1.5 spacing if possible. Also leave generous margins on the sides of the page for the media to make notes. If you are including the actual event details of time and location etc. consider indenting, boxing or highlighting in bold for easy reference.

RESOURCE FIVE—Media release checklist and template

• The checklist table contains the information you need for sending a media release. It may look a bit detailed but using it will help you to capture all the relevant information in one document.

• You may prefer a modified version. Just be careful to retain the key information so that you are not caught out if some unexpected opportunity occurs.

• The template describes what to include and how you can set out your media release.

Media release checklist

EVENT DETAILS

Author?
Name of Event?
Australia Day Organisation holding the event?
Organisation contact? name position phone number availability
Date and time of the event

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MEDIA DETAILS
NOTE: repeat this section for each different journalist you intend to approach

Media contacts for media release: media organisation name position phone email
Deadline for receiving information?
Preferred format for receiving information: emailed hard copy posted hand delivered fax other
Best time and contact details to follow up?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Media release template

RESOURCE SIX—Media at events

• Provide media with the details of someone they can contact at the event when they arrive to cover it (preferable a mobile phone number). Allocate someone to meet and greet and liaise with the media to help them find what they need to cover the story (information, photo opportunities, spokespeople to interview etc).

• Ensure media attending the event have clear access to see, film or photograph the event. They need to be able to get close to the action and it’s best if they don’t have to battle their way through crowds or jostle with the public to get the view they need. If you have invited the media to attend and want the coverage, make it as easy as possible for them to get the information and vision they need to give you that coverage.

• Offer media access to a spokesperson and ensure that person is available in the weeks leading up to the event as well as on the day, including early in the morning in case your local radio station wants to talk to them.

• Remember your sponsors—if you can, conduct media interviews in front of signage which features your sponsors' branding and, if you give a sponsor naming rights to your event, ensure your spokespeople use the full, correct name of the event in interviews (e.g. ‘This year, the Bunning’s Breakfast BBQ has attracted record numbers of Charmsville residents all keen to begin Australia Day celebrations early.’)

RESOURCE SEVEN—The media launch

• As the name suggests, a media launch is a significant media event which marks the culmination of lots of work and effort through a public event heralding the commencement of an event or series of celebrations.

• This event is usually a feature of larger communities.

• Key events (e.g. Australia Day celebrations) are made known to the public through a managed media event. 

• Sometimes the launch coincides with another event and so synergies and economies are possible.

• Media launches are usually events of colour and spectacle.

• Consider using a rehearsal as a media event to promote the real event to come.

RESOURCE EIGHT—Using radio and Community Service Announcements

• Some radio stations run free Community Service Announcements (CSAs) for non-profit events and organisations. All you have to do is write a short script—the length will depend on the radio station’s own rules, but usually up to 30 seconds—and they’ll read it out on air for you at certain times over an agreed period.

• Remember to write out the names of people, places or things in full (no acronyms) and also add the phonetic spellings of in brackets of any words the radio presenter may need help to pronounce.

• Another way to get on to radio is to offer an interview to the presenters or producers of a specific program. If you can get someone from your organisation to be interviewed on a topic that is relevant to the program and its audience, it will give them the chance to talk about your organisation/event.

RESOURCE NINE—Media kits

You may consider putting together a media kit. Smaller communities might only have a couple of opportunities to use it, but the kit will not take a lot of time to get together and then it is available if needed. You might also find that VIPs and sponsors like to take a kit away with them after an event. Kits can be updated and modified each year.

Your media kit could contain:

• media release

• print quality photos or broadcast quality video footage

• the event program

• sponsor information

• interview possibilities, times and contact details of any ‘stars’

• media gifts such as complimentary tickets or invitations

Related tools
Promoting your event
Taking good photographs
Ideas for events
Sponsorship
Knowing your community