Monday, August 15, 2011

A fish called Wanda or Committing News Pt. 2


Using the media can be an effective tool in influencing policy. Kerra Bolton, former Capitol bureau chief for the Asheville Citizen Times and principal of Lightning Bolt Meda, contributed a series of posts on communications for non-profits.
Wanda writes press releases – a lot of them. They don’t ramble and are confined to a single page.  The text is written in 12 point Times New Roman. They are sent to the right reporter. She’s even called the reporters to make sure they received the press releases. But her stories don’t get picked up. Why?
It’s probably because Wanda’s press releases lack a hook. By hook, I mean there is no story, no impact, or compelling set of facts to distinguish your press release from the myriad of others reporters get in a day.
A statewide action day to raise awareness about the importance of funding for afterschool programs, for example, should encompass local examples for each media market. This should include: the number of programs headed for the chopping block, contact information for each media market, the number of children affected, the statistics for juvenile crime before and after the programs were implemented.
These examples tell reporters, policymakers, and the general audience about why your program is important. Most importantly, the hook draws the audience to your story and hopefully will make them want to take action.
When possible, add personal stories to your facts and figures. A budget proposal that cuts Medicaid by 5 percent this year and 15 percent next year may raise eyebrows. But if the cuts mean that a family can’t afford to get home health care for their disabled child, that’s a story.
Timing is also important when pitching stories and writing press releases. You want your story to hit during critical points of legislation, preferably when a bill has been introduced or in committee. This is an opportunity to talk about the broad implications of the legislation and how it will affect your constituency.
The last thing you want to do is wait until the bill is on the floor for your first story to hit. By then, it’s too late and your moment has passed.
Don’t be a Wanda. Follow these tips and your press releases won’t swim with the fishes.

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