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HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OF THE MEDIA Points to consider: Don't overlook how POWERFUL the media can be in helping create a positive image of your organisation. Endeavour to cultivate good relationships with those in the media. Bring them close to the organisation, and make sure where possible that you are dealing with those who directly influence what is written or broadcast about your organisation, and how it is perceived (in Broadcast Media it is often the News Director, and Print Media it is usually the Editor or Section Editor). Make sure that information disseminated to the media is clear and concise, and shows the organisation's Mission Statement and visual symbols, as well as the particular information that the media release is dealing with. Not only are you reinforcing "who you are, and what you do" to the public a large, but also you are reinforcing these messages to those in the media. In doing this, the media worker will instantly recognise which organisation he/she is dealing with.
ENDEAVOUR TO DEVELOP A MEDIA POLICY TO COVER AREAS SUCH AS: Who in your organisation is responsible for speaking to the media. What areas should not be discussed with the media. Pre-plan Media information for anything that your organisation may do that is of a sensitive nature. WHEN PLANNING AN EVENT TO BE COVERED BY THE MEDIA, MAKE SURE THAT THERE IS SOMETHING THERE FOR THEM TO COVER!! TAKE INTO ACCOUNT: TELEVISION NEWS Has small 30 second segments, which rely on visual rather than auditory recognition. Create something that will make best use of this 30 second 'grab' and will be visually exciting, and recognisable to the viewer. The viewer must be able to "get the message" very quickly. RADIO Also has small segments - but relies on auditory recognition. Create some information which gives startling facts about your fund-raising campaign. Include figures: people remember things like "Last year this particular event was an all time record, bringing in half a million dollars. This year organisers are expecting over 10,000 people to participate, with funds raised to exceed $750,000." NEWSPAPERS Have a variety of ways to disseminate information. Human interest stories, unusual information about your organisation, coupled with events about fund-raising activities, can make good reading. A newspaper's life span is much longer than TV or radio news, particularly if you manage to get your information into the weekend papers (send releases on Thursdays marked to the attention of the 'Weekend Editor' - by name if you can find this out). ADVERTISING in the Public Notice Columns, which has a high level of readership. People read the Birth, Deaths & Marriages section, and the Public Notices are on the same pages. This is a good and usually cost effective place to advertise - remember though, it will cost money. Reporting on the actual event, such as a release detailing the event's success and providing pictures with everyone's name left to right, may be good for the social pages of the newspaper, or maybe even the news section. Worksheet: MEDIA LIST DETAILS Previous Page: Marketing Options Next Page: Know and Understand the Media |
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