How the media works

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Getting to grips with the media can sometimes seem daunting. However, by following a few simple pointers and with a bit of insight into how the media works, you can give your story the best chance of gaining media coverage.

Timings

How far in advance should I let journalists know about my story?

It really depends on the nature of the story. As a rough guide, it’s normally a good idea to alert journalists two weeks before a launch. This could be in the form of a short ‘operational (‘op’) note’ or a short personal note to key journalists that you think will be interested in the story. The idea is to ensure your story is in journalists’ and news outlets’ planning diaries.

An 'op note' contains the bare information about your story. Let’s say in this instance you are launching a report. The op note would contain information on where and when it is being launched, what it will say and details of how journalists can find out more and (if applicable) conduct interviews in advance. Op notes should be written in the future tense and aim to whet the appetite for the full press release that is to come.

For other long lead-in publications (such as monthly or quarterly magazines, TV programmes) you should think about calling the planning teams well in advance to gauge interest.

Download a sample op note and a template op note (you will need to register first - this takes 30 seconds)

What is the best day to do a media launch?

Sometimes you have no choice over when to launch your publication or story as there is a specific event it is tied to. However, if you do have a choice over days, here are a few things to consider:

• Monday - normally a good day for a launch as Mondays are often quiet news days. It also allows time for your story to run through the week if it’s strong enough - through responses, online media, blogs etc. If the story does well, be prepared for calls over the weekend from journalists wanting last minute information or pre-recorded interviews.  
• Tuesday-Thursday - if you’re aiming for national media with your story, think about which particular outlets you’re targeting and what days they are printed. For example, if you are launching a report on children’s issues and are aiming for a feature in Children & Young People Now magazine, then perhaps timing the release for a Thursday when it is published is a good idea. Similarly, if Guardian Society is a main target, consider a Wednesday launch.
• Friday - usually a day where the media rounds up stories from the rest of the week. This can make it more difficult to get news stories in. However, it can also be a relatively quiet news day meaning there could be space for smaller stories.
• Weekend - Saturday newspapers are full of supplements and you can often find columns or feature opportunities that could be appropriate for your story. To get these secured, you need to contact Saturday journalists quite a few weeks in advance. Weekend television is very different from television during the week. There are generally fewer news bulletins. On Sundays there are quite often programmes rounding up topical issues from the week – e.g. The Andrew Marr Show, Heaven and Earth etc. If there has been a strong story running during the week, it is likely this topic will be picked up on a Sunday discussion show.  You could think about putting forward spokespeople who could contribute to the relevant debates. You may choose to run your story on a Sunday. If this is the case, you might want to think about seeing if one Sunday paper would run it exclusively. If they do, you could then release the story more generally on the Monday. 
  

Top tip: remember that parliament ends its business for the week on Thursday afternoon. So if you’re running a political story and are trying to provoke a response from an MP, avoid Friday launches.

Should I put an embargo on a press release?

Putting an embargo on a press release has a number of clear advantages. Firstly, it gives a sense of importance – you have chosen a specific date and only on that date will the information be publicly available. Also, you’re preventing journalists reporting the story at different times, which can lead to one outlet publishing and others choosing not to run with it because it’s deemed ‘old news’.

There is an unwritten rule about embargoes and not breaking them. For example, if a journalist decides to run with a story that clearly has an embargo; they lose credibility not only with you but with others in their profession. Similarly, if you put a story out and allow a journalist to break the story the day before, you have broken your side of the agreement.

Dealing with journalists

Which journalists are most relevant for which stories?

Knowing who to contact at a particular publication is can be daunting. Many organisations subscribe to media list building software – such as Gorkana or MediAtlas, which allow you to find journalists with interests in specific areas. If you don’t have access to this, one of the best methods is to keep a close eye on the media and see who is reporting on what. Quite often it’s best to approach a journalist personally who you know has written on similar topics – rather than sending a generic email to the newsdesk. Build your own list (in Excel or similar database) to keep a log of contacts and how they cover your stories.

Download a template media contacts list (you will need to register first - this takes 30 seconds)

For national broadcast outlets, as well as sending information to specific journalists, you should also make sure planning desks are informed of your event/launch well in advance. This ensures it is in planning diaries and the relevant journalists will pick it up.

Make sure you send press releases to the Press Association and other agencies who offer a syndicated service. If your story is picked up here, journalists will be able to access it and it has a much stronger chance of being covered widely. The Press Association has journalists covering specific topics (see here for the Press Association who's who list). It is also worth sending press releases to the two main addresses:

• news@pa.press.net
• lobby@pa.press.net
  

Community Newswire is another good outlet to upload your press releases –and it’s free for charities.

How should go about approaching journalist?

A personal email is always a good way to begin. If you don’t know the journalist’s email address, simply give the newspaper a call and they will give you it. Or you can look at the standard email addresses for the paper and the chances are you’ll be able to work it out for the journalist you want to email. E.g.

• Guardian: firstname.surname@guardian.co.uk
• Independent: initialsurname@independent.co.uk
• BBC: firstname.surname@bbc.co.uk

If possible refer to a recent article they’ve written on a similar topic – and make it clear who you can offer to talk to them in advance and who they should contact for more information. You could attach the Op note (see above) or press release too.

If you don’t hear back, wait a day or two (depending on how soon your story is launching!) and then follow up with a phone call. You don’t want to hassle a journalist, but they do receive hundreds of emails a day and sometimes welcome a gentle reminder  Don’t be put off if you get a brusque response. Journalists are busy people!

Should I give an exclusive?

In general, the answer is no. Giving an exclusive limits the potential of your coverage – and doesn’t even completely guarantee coverage in one outlet. It can be difficult to decide whether or not to give your story to one outlet exclusively. Each case should be taken on its own merits, but here are some pros and cons to consider.

Pros

• If it is an exclusive, it is likely to be covered more extensively by the chosen outlet.
• It should guarantee you at least one piece of coverage.
• If your story is not of wide appeal, you can target a relevant publication to cover it exclusively and in-depth.

Cons

• Even if someone is planning an exclusive, the piece may end up being pulled. You then lose the chance of any coverage.
• You jeopardise the chance of wider coverage – in general, newspapers don’t like ‘old’ stories and so if it’s covered the day before in one outlet, it’ll be old new by the following day.

Should I organise a press briefing?

Unless you have a story that you know is going to attract widespread media interest then the short answer is no; more often than not a press briefing is not necessary. You run the risk of inviting journalists and having your spokespeople prepared – and nobody turning up. However, if you are having a launch event, then do consider inviting journalists.  

Useful links

• Top ten tips for charities from journalists (NFPSynergy)

Have your say

Share your top tips for contacting journalists and getting your stories covered on the communications and the media forum.