Use of the News Media
News media include television, radio, newspapers, and other print
forms, which are in the business of providing information for public
consumption. They can be used to provide visibility to a planning effort
and to generate and sustain interest among the public.
Developing relationships with interested or sympathetic journalists
can enhance information outlets. A movement toward "civic
journalism" has raised awareness among journalists of the important
role they can play in enhancing public communication and involvement and
participatory democracy.
It is important to develop a media plan, so that announcements and
stories occur in an effective manner and in coordination with the
planning and participation process. Planners should work with public
affairs officers to develop the plan.
The table below describes the variety of opportunities available
through the news media:
| Public notices and
announcements |
These are formal often legally required notices of projects,
formal public meetings, and other information, and tend to be
dry and to the point. Since the objective is to inform the
public, you should consider additional media coverage, such as
press releases or feature stories, to accompany the notice. |
| Press releases |
Send out a news release if you have new information you wish
to publicize. Some hints:· Issue the release on the agency's or
group's letterhead. · At the top put "For immediate
release" and the date. · Next, create a strong newspaper
style headline that will interest an editor who has to shuffle
through a stack of news releases every day. · The first
sentence of the copy should contain the most important fact in
your story. · The rest of the release should cover the
essentials of who, what, where, when and why. · At the bottom
put "For more information" and contact name and phone
number. · Keep the whole thing short; one to two pages
double-spaced. · For big events send out a news release seven
days prior, then telephone a reminder one to two days before the
event. |
| News conferences |
The media are invited to news conferences which are triggered
by some special announcement that is news worthy. They can be
called by government agencies or community groups, and are
announced ahead of time to generate interest and anticipation.
News conferences are useful to draw attention to a planning
effort, the achievement of a milestone, or some change in policy
or practice. |
| Feature stories |
Feature stories on television, radio, and newspapers are the
most important vehicle for media dissemination of information on
projects, programs, and the participation and decisionmaking
process. This is because they get the most attention by the
public. However, because reporters and editors control the
message and position of the story, features can sometimes work
against the objectives of an agency or group. Therefore, it is
important to influence the presentation of the story by
developing alliances with print- and news-journalists. It is
also important to provide factual and graphical material,
especially for print and television, and "quotable
quotes" or sound bites that convey information succinctly
and will likely end up in the story. |
Resources/Links:
Community Toolbox: Bringing
Solutions to Light
University of Kansas Work Group on Health Promotion and Community
Development in Lawrence, KS, and AHEC/Community Partners in Amherst,
Massachusetts
Communication
plan
Media advocacy
Public
service announcements
Press
releases
Press
conference
Arranging
news and feature stories
CD Technotes
Office of Community Development, USDA
How to Write
a Successful Press Release
Pew Center for Civic Journalism
Washington, DC
The Citizens
Handbook: A Guide to Building Community in Vancouver
Vancouver Citizens Committee
