Working with the media
Use the media as a tool to raise your profile and get your message across - a little bit of work on your part can get a story read by thousands of people. It’s easy, and great for getting new members!
Top Tips
- Make your actions creative and media-friendly
- Practice writing press releases
- Work on your soundbites!
The most obvious targets for your attention are school or college newsletters. You might also think about getting stories on the Sixth Form website. But don’t be put off approaching other local media outlets, or even the nationals, if you think your event or action warrants it.
KES P&P group got their fantastic human vending machine publicised in a local paper.
Paul Collins Southern Daily Echo
Getting your story reported
How can you get your story reported? Think where you’ve seen similar stories before. If you know how the media works, with a bit of practice you can be front page news!
- Which media can you contact? Local, and alternative media; press associations and national news.
- Background work: find out editorial and news contact details, maybe ring to introduce yourself.
- Finding the right angle - to get coverage of a story it is important to present it attractively to the journalist. What is the “hook” that makes your story current and interesting?
- Press stunts - the media look for events that are imaginative, visual and relevant.
More on getting your story reported
Press releases
Press release template
Download a press release template as a guide to writing your own.
The press release is the standard format you should use to get your story in the media. Staff producing Sixth Form newsletters might not be as bothered, but it will look impressive so they’re more likely to use it! Send one out well in advance of the action, another just before, and one more afterwards.
Other media techniques
Here we look at few other ways of getting your story in the media…
- Interviews and phone-ins
- Letters to the editor
- Free “what’s on” guides
