Lisa Sommer Working With Todays Media

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Working with Today’s Media to Get Attention for Your Organization

Lisa SommerMedia Relations Manager

1048 Pierpont, Suite 3Lansing, MI 48911

(517)492-2400

www.mnaonline.org

Expectations

Building relationships with the media…AND your constituents, community, supporters, volunteers, legislators…

Effective outreach

Tools and Techniques

Tell Your Story

We are our best storytellers

Who are the passionate people connected to your cause?

Get Their Attention

Getting Started

Develop an editorial calendar for your organization

Review editorial calendars

Develop a press list

Know reporter’s beat, best way to reach them and their deadlines

Develop an Online News Room

Build the Relationship

Develop a Media Kit – mail to interested media contacts; have on hand at events

Cold Call

Set up an informational meeting

Read what the reporter writes/watch what they produce – and comment about it

Keep a Media Log

Connect through Social Media platforms

Web site – News Room

Media Contact(s)

Current Media Releases

Current media coverage

Organization Fact Sheet

PSAs

RSS feed

Story bank

Links to Blog, video, podcasts, Facebook,

Twitter, Flickr, etc.

Finding and Tracking Media

www.helpareporter.com

Help A Reporter Out

www.google.com/alerts

Google Alerts

www.tweetbeep.com

www.search.twitter.com

www.minewsline.com

Michiganfinderbinder.com

Television

Media release – send one to two weeks out

Media Advisory – send day before or by 7 a.m. day of

Morning meetings at 9 or 9:30 a.m.

Follow up call around 10:00 a.m. or 2:00 p.m.

Determine if they accept PSAs

Never call during a news cast!

Television contacts

Planning editors

Assignment editors

Producers of specific shows

Reporters – what are their special interests?

Print

Know your publication

– Daily/Weekly/Monthly

– Deadlines– day of week and/or time of day

– Prefer email, call or fax

Reader Submissions available – story and photo

Editorial board meeting

Call between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Print contacts

City editor

Business editor

Editorial page editor

Nonprofit reporter

Columnists who cover your issue

Photo editor

Radio

Call or email between 7:30 and 8:30 a.m. or after 10 a.m.

Know the audience the station reaches

Know the programming

Determine if they accept PSAs

Radio contacts

News directors

Assignment desk staff

Show producers

Blogs

Videos

Photos

Podcast

Be quick and smart

Personal view, conversational style

Comment on their blog

Comment about their blog

Communication Tools

Communication Tools

• Media Release

• Media Advisory

• Letter to the Editor

• Opinion Piece

• Public Service Announcement

• Cold Calls

• Web site

• Blog

• YouTube

• Photos

• Video

• Twitter

• PodCast

Organizing Media Releases

Remember it’s not just press that will read the release

City and date of media release origin Easy to find media contact information Lead sentence – why it matters Utilize effective and appropriate quotes Organization boilerplate near bottom Limit to 1 page unless absolutely necessary Provide links within text to direct readers to land on

your web site Add social media tags Incorporate video or photos Do not send as email attachment

Organizing Media Advisories

Invitation or announcement to media

City and date of origin

Clear bullets: what, when, where, who

Media opportunities

Organization boilerplate

Include links directing to land on your web site

Organizing Letters to the Editor

Article title

Author

Date published

Word Count

– If maximum word count is unknown, keep less than 300

Submit with author headshot

Organizing Op-Eds

Effective title

Word count

– If maximum word count is unknown, keep less than 600

Submit with author headshot

Include brief bio of author

PSA

Be clear, concise and conversational

Active voice and present tense

Include way for listener or viewer to obtain more information

Provide multiple lengths

– 15 seconds

– 30 seconds

– 60 seconds

Questions?

Lisa SommerMedia Relations Manager(517) 492-2412 lsommer@mnaonline.org

www.mnaonline.org