Secrets to Successful Media Work
Recommended Resource: “Making the News - A Guide for Activists and Nonprofits” is a good beginners guide to media work. Westview Press.
[Peter Wirth of GW Associates]
Accessing the media is easier than most people realize. The most important thing is that you do something. If you haven’t worked with your local media now is the time to begin. The following is a list of suggestions on how to get the Declaration of Peace into your local media.
Write a Letter to the Editor - Call your local newspaper first; ask for the editor in charge of the letters to the editor section and inquire what the guidelines are for submitting a letter. If your letter does not appear in a few weeks it is appropriate to call to make sure they received it. At that time you can ask if they intend to run it. The editorial page is highly read.
Submit an Op-ed - Call your local newspaper and ask for the editor in charge of the op-ed section. Ask what the guidelines are and what they look for in an op-ed piece. It helps to have some expertise in the issue or first hand experience.
Arrange an Editorial Board Meeting - An editorial board meeting is simply a meeting with the editors who write editorials. Call up your paper and contact the person who is in charge of arranging editorial board meetings. If they agree to meet with you send them a brief packet of material in advance of the meeting and be prepared to present your position.
Radio & TV Talk Shows - Many stations have talk show programs. If you are not familiar with them call and ask what topics are covered. If you find a show that sounds like it might cover your issue you ultimately need to speak to the producer to make your “pitch.” Don’t be intimated. The producers are always looking for interesting material.
Send Out a Press Release - A press release is simply an announcement of some event or activity. It is designed to inform the media of something that is happening that is news worthy. Your participation in the Declaration of Peace are potential news stories.
Ideally, you send the release to a specific reporter. If you do not know the name of the reporter send it to Att. Assignment Editor for radio and TV stations, and Att. Metro Desk Editor for newspapers.
Depending how you cast your release you might also want to send it to a religion editor if there is a social justice angle or involvement with a local religious denomination. If there is a reporter who covers Iraq related news stories for your paper send a release to them.
If you are trying to get TV coverage or a photo think visually. Maybe you will kick off your Declaration of Peace activities with a ceremony at a church or a local community center where you can have a “send off” for people going to Washington, DC for the Week of Action.
It is absolutely necessary to follow up every release with a phone call to make sure they received it and see if they have any questions.
It is not under your control whether the media will cover your story. What you do control is whether you will make the effort to contact them. It is critical that you “pick up the phone.”
If you have questions or concerns please use us as a resource — we want you to succeed.
To view sample press releases, visit:
Sample Press Release from Peter Wirth
United For Peace and Justice Press Room
Peace Action Press Room
CodePINK Press Releases
Veterans for Peace Press Releases
An op-ed, or opinion piece, is a written expression of an individual’s or group’s opinion on a matter of public interest.
Op-eds bring local, national and world events into perspective for readers and commonly offer a recommendation or solution to a controversy or problem. Op-eds appear opposite the editorial page in most newspapers and can be serious, satirical or light-hearted.
Generally about 600-900 words, op-eds present a single, clear point of view, not objective discussion of both sides of an issue. Op-eds are written to grab the attention of various groups-such as legislators, opinion leaders, business owners, or the community-at-large-and urge them to consider or take action on an issue.
Newspaper editors select opinion pieces for publication based on interest to readers, quality of writing, originality of thought, timeliness, and freshness of viewpoint. Additionally, consideration is given to the number of articles already published on the topic, the strength of the argument and the writer’s expertise on the issue.
Magazines and radio stations/networks also offer opportunities for commentary. These editorial pieces usually require a longer lead time than newspaper op-eds.
The primary purpose of writing an op-ed is to draw the public’s attention to an important issue that requires action. But there are additional benefits, such as:
* Establishing the writer as an expert on a particular topic.
* Gaining national media recognition for the writer’s organization.
* Capturing the attention of local and national opinion leaders, academic colleagues, print and broadcast media, family and friends.
Op-ed writers seeking placement in general-circulation newspapers need to answer two questions”Why should readers care?” and, more importantly, “Why should they care right now?” Editors at major newspapers and magazines receive hundreds of op-ed submissions each week. Because it typically takes 24 hours for an op-ed editor to review a piece, and another two to four days for editing and publication, the topic must have staying power.
Many op-eds accepted for publication offer an opinion in advance of a major event, legal or political decision, anniversary or news topic that will likely interest a large audience or create a national debate. Identifying and taking advantage of these opportunities increases the chances for placement.
A tool in the “PR toolbox” to influence public opinion that is often under utilized by activists is editorial board meetings.
The purpose of arranging an editorial board meeting (EBM) is to influence the editors to support your position on an issue and write an editorial. You should not be intimidated to call to arrange an EBM especially for your local newspaper.
My experience, working with dozens of newspapers around the country, is that they are more than willing to meet with clients I’ve worked with time permitting. You want to call weeks in advance and try and stay away from election periods when editors get extremely busy meeting with local candidates.
Obviously it is harder but not impossible to get a meeting scheduled at a national newspaper like the New York Times.
To arrange an editorial board meeting (EBM) you call your newspaper and ask for the individual in charge of scheduling EBM’s. At larger (NYT, LAT, Washington Post etc.) papers you will want to speak with the writer assigned to write about the issue you are focusing on. For example, at the NYT there will be a writer assigned to write on Middle East issues.
Jay Silverberg, a senior consultant at San Francisco PR firm Kamer/Singer is a veteran of about 2,000 editorial board meetings by his count. “Most editorial boards work just like city desks do,” says Silverberg.
For a smaller newspaper you might meet with the entire editorial board as opposed to a writer assigned to a specific issue at a larger newspaper. It is often not uncommon to have a reporter invited to attend an EBM depending on the nature of the people you bring in.
For example, I’ve arranged editorial meetings for speakers traveling from the Middle East. At times, editors told me they would also invite a metro desk or religion reporter as this was the only time they could interview the speaker for a news story on their visit.
Prior to or at the beginning of the meeting you want to find out how much time they blocked out. This will help you focus your presentation to get across your main points especially if you have more than one speaker. You also want to make sure there is time available for questions from the editors.
If the purpose of your meeting is to back a specific position make sure you ask the paper “for their vote.” Tell the editors you would appreciate the support of the paper. Make sure you thank them for their time.
There are three possible outcomes of every EBM. The editors will write an editorial and either support or oppose your position. They will not write an editorial on your issue. A “beat reporter” will write a news story based on your visit.
Editorials do make a difference. I was once doing work for a state wide environmental organization. There was a bill that was stuck in committee. I was able to get a newspaper in Albany, NY to write an editorial calling for the bill to be voted on. A few weeks later the bill was released from committee and passed.
Regardless of the outcome it is important for activists to engage and hopefully influence important opinion makers in the community.
Below are sample press resources for local organizers to use for media work related to Declaration of Peace events (The content of documents in Word and in PDF are the same):
Sample Documents as Word Files:
Sample Press Advisory [doc]
Sample Local Press Release [doc]
Media Talking Points [doc]
Sample Documents as PDF Files:
Sample Press Advisory [pdf]
Sample Local Press Release [pdf]
Media Talking Points [pdf]
PowerPoint Files:
Media Training PowerPoint Document