Tips for Securing Media Interest in Your Organization

At Cause Communications, many of our clients ask us about getting local and national media attention for their cause, which is seen as the golden ticket in public relations. Being featured on a national television broadcast for example can result in increased awareness and funding for your organization and raise your profile as a leader in your field.

We recently worked with our client, Sojourner Center, to get media coverage of an innovative initiative to study the link between domestic violence and traumatic brain injury (TBI). Our proactive planning, comprehensive outreach and tailored pitches garnered significant media exposure for this launch, including The Huffington Post. Its first story about the Sojourner BRAIN Program led to an outpouring of responses from women who believed they had experienced a domestic violence-related TBI. The reporter followed up with a second story offering practical advice about what to do if you think you have suffered a TBI as a result of domestic violence, citing Sojourner Center and its BRAIN Program partners as the expert sources. In a third piece less than a week later, HuffPost Live interviewed Sojourner Center spokespeople for their livestream program on the topic.

The attention generated by The Huffington Post’s original article had a direct and positive impact on the lives of women that Sojourner Center serves, and we couldn’t have been more proud to be part of the momentum.

Here we share some of what Cause Communications has learned over the years on how to secure media interest in your organization or cause.

Step One: Gather your media assets

We recommend starting by gathering all of the items you will want to have in place and make available to reporters. Anticipate their needs. Do you have an electronic media kit that allows you to easily share background information on your organization and leadership? Are your key spokespeople media trained? What are your answers to FAQs?

Most reporters will ultimately want to know about real people that have been impacted by your organization’s work. Get a head start on this by developing a story bank to capture all of the amazing stories you hear along the way, and flagging people who would be interested in sharing their personal experiences with media. Keep this well curated with any visuals (photos, videos and/or charts) that help bring the story to life. Be sure to have updated contact information, personal history and any necessary release forms on file.

Step Two: Make a list of your top targets

Next, begin developing a list of your top media targets. They should include reporters who have already covered your organization, reporters who have covered your competitors or issue area, and those reporters or media outlets that you believe should be covering your cause. This list will evolve over time as journalists move beats and new outlets surface, so make sure to keep your list maintained on a regular basis. Because there are so many more freelancers providing important coverage these days, if you see a worthy story appear on your topic, capture as much information as you can about the reporter. Don’t be afraid to write the reporter a friendly note asking for that information.

After you have a good working list, take time to get to know these reporters and their outlets. Watch their segments, pay attention for news articles, and review their past coverage to familiarize yourself with their style, biases, interests, and anything else you could use to customize your pitch when reaching out to them.

Step Three: Introduce yourself and your organization

Once you have your list and know your media targets inside and out, you’re ready to put yourself in front of them! A strong introductory media pitch is one that concisely tells the reporter why they should care about your organization or your cause. Provide just enough of the who, what, when, where and how to get their attention and whet their appetite.

Consider providing a short list of initiatives that make your organization unique. Make sure to introduce your organization as a knowledgeable resource on the subject matter. After your initial e-mail, don’t be afraid to pick up the phone and introduce yourself—it’s a great way to start building the relationship.

Step Four: Stay in front of media targets with a steady drumbeat of useful content

Media almost always cite communications pros that show creativity, are up to date on current topics, and know the reporter’s respective coverage/beat in their pitches as those who make it to the top of their inbox and have a lasting impact.

One key to cultivating lasting and mutually beneficial relationships with your media targets is to continuously provide them with timely, relevant information that will aid them in their reporting. Even when you don’t have breaking news, think of ways to stay in front of them and remind them of your resources.

Find additional resources about getting media coverage for your cause at CauseClarity.org, where you can watch a 3-minute video and download a worksheet to go through the process.