The News Business is Changing and So Should Your Media Strategy

by Claire Meyerhoff on February 11, 2009

in Claire Meyerhoff,Guest Bloggers,Media Relations

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By Nonprofit Marketing Guide’s Media Maven,
Claire Meyerhoff

Extra! Extra! Read all about it!

Once upon a time, in the Olden Days we now refer to as “the ’90′s,” if you wanted to get the word out about your good cause, you “did some press.” You slaved over a press release, made copies on something called “paper” and sent them to news editors by way of the U.S. Mail (gosh, things were so complicated back then). You followed up with a phone call, speaking to an editor, and hopefully, the Newspaper/TV Station/Radio Station would send a reporter to cover your story.

That was Grandma’s strategy for getting media attention when Grandpa manned the city desk phones at “The Olden Days News and Record.” Well, I have a NewsFlash for you, my friends in the nonprofit world . . .

. . . that’s old news.

Today, a newspaper’s staff is shrinking daily as advertising revenues dry up. Check your local paper’s bylines and you’ll see more stories from the Associated Press and other news services. TV stations and radio stations are feeling it, too. To top it off, a news organization’s shrunken staff also has to feed a beast called “the website.”

What does that mean for you, and how you go about getting media attention for your fine organization?

It means that you can get media coverage, if you know what’s going in your local media and how to pitch your story in a real-world way.

The #1 Rule is . . .

. . . always know what’s in it for them.

What’s in it for the harried assignment editor at WBIG-TV? What’s in it for the busy beat reporter at The Cutback Chronicle?

Find out “what’s in it for them.”  Then give it to them. Savvy nonprofit communicators tap the trends and feed the beast, when the beast needs to be fed.

At Nonprofit Marketing Guide, we believe you should be your own media mogul. At the same time, mainstream media can still play an important role in getting the word out. But the rules of the game are different now.

Want to learn more about what you need to do in today’s environment to get press coverage? Join Kivi and Claire on Thursday, February 19 at Noon Eastern for a webinar on Getting Media Attention for Your Good Cause. We’ll look at the kinds of stories that are hot right now and how savvy nonprofits are tapping into those trends. We’ll also explain how to give the media what they need, when they need it, so you maximize your chances of getting coverage for your good cause. Learn more and register.

Tagged as: nonprofit PR

  • http://www.davidkinard.com David Kinard

    This is a great and timely post. It is all to often that marketers forget that to make news you have to be newsworthy. I love the point that you can get media coverage, if you know what’s going in your local media and how to pitch your story in a real-world way.

    I’d like to suggest your readers listen to a radio interview I did with Chip Heath, co-author of the amazing book Made to Stick. In the book, Chip and his brother (the other author) talk about ways to make ideas newsworthy and sticky. A podcast of the interview is available at http://www.davidkinard.com/media.htm.

    Kudos to Claire for focusing our eyes on this key point.

    – David Kinard

  • http://www.jamblemag.com Ian Everett

    As well as figuring out ‘what’s in it for them’, it’s also always a good idea to figure out ‘what makes it easy for them’.

    For example, if you’re able to offer a news story written in the same style as the publication, it means less editing work for them, and a better chance of keeping your key messages intact. Newspapers generally use AP style guide, magazines often use Chicago Manual of style.

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