General Tips
Learn how the media works and how to work with it. Find out the best time to communicate with the media and how to frame your message best.
Consider these tips before you launch your next media outreach campaign.
How the News Media Works
- Generally speaking, most news stories have to do with conflict, events, and issues that affect the readership or broadcast audience. Stories often take local angles on national issues, are appealing human interest stories, or cover celebrity events.
- Journalists usually work on very tight timelines.
- Local media generally focus on local news. National news coverage in local newspapers, on local television, and on radio news programs is often provided to the station by national wire services or broadcast news services.
- Most local markets have at least a handful of radio (and sometimes television) talk shows. Many of these are excellent outlets.
How to Pitch to the Media
Find what you need to gain media attention for your program across multiple platforms. Our resources offer tips for writing to and for newspapers; assembling news releases, pitch letters, and media kits; and planning events.
Media Kits give the media a snapshot of your program and the work you do. You should give a media kit to any reporter you meet or who attends your event. It should be a concise, compelling and attractive set of materials that conveys the importance of your work and the difference it is making.
Building one is easier than you think: start with a program profile (see tips for creating one) and a news release about your event. Add in fact sheets on afterschool (or afterschool and whatever issue is relevant to your story) from our Facts & Research Center. Visit our Marketing Toolbox for additional creative, simple ideas to showcase your programs and your youth, and take our marketing tutorial.
Events: Working with media is an important part of any event. In addition to a news release on the day of the event, you will want to develop a media advisory and a calendar announcement. Learn how to create one, when to send it and where.
How to Use a News Release
Key tips about news releases:
- News releases should sound like a news story written by a sympathetic reporter. That means that they should be written in a reporter's voice, not an advocate's. Commentary in a news release should be in quotes and attributed to your spokesperson.
- News releases should have a headline. Some may also have a "subhead," or a second headline.
- News releases should have a "lead paragraph" that clearly states the news of the release, and answers the Who, What, When, Where and Why questions
- Many news releases are structured as follows (see sample below):
- Lead Paragraph: Who, What, When, Where, Why
- 2nd Paragraph: Quote from organizational spokesperson
- 3rd Paragraph: More information about the announcement
- 4th Paragraph: More information and examples
- 5th Paragraph: Second quote from another organizational spokesperson
- 6th Paragraph: Contact information for the organization
- Don't forget to include at the top of the document a name and phone number of someone the media can contact to follow up. Be sure to date the document.
- To build credibility with your local media, only send out a news release when you have a newsworthy event or story.
Sample News Release:
For Immediate Release October 16, 20xx
Contact: Jill Smith (513) 555-1234
MAYOR MILLSTONE 'TURNS ON THE LIGHTS' OF JUST FOR KIDS' AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAM
Program Will Provide Tutoring, Sports & Creative Arts For Local Middle School Students
Rivertowne, Ohio - Mayor Stephanie Millstone joined the principal and faculty members of Stevens Middle School, business leaders and local families today for the grand opening of Stevens Middle School's afterschool program, Just For Kids. At exactly 3 p.m., the mayor "turned on the lights for afterschool." Nearly a third of the students attending Stevens Middle School have already enrolled in the program that will provide three hours (3 p.m. - 6 p.m.) of supervised afterschool activities, including homework assistance, arts and crafts, and recreation. The program is open to students in grades six to eight. Program leaders say that 250 students are likely to be enrolled in the next month.
"The need and demand for high quality afterschool programs in our city is tremendous," said Mayor Millstone. "Too many children are unsupervised between the time the school doors close and parents get home from work. Just For Kids will help give children educational, safe, exciting places to spend their time after school."
More than 28 million school-age children have either their only parent or both parents working outside the home. More than 11 million "latchkey children" go home afterschool each day to a house with no adult supervision, and without the opportunities to learn that afterschool programs can provide.
"We are proud our school is a part of the Rivertowne Student Success program and that it is helping to better meet the needs of our students and their families," said Michael Koss, Principal of Stevens Middle School. "Afterschool programs pay enormous benefits. They inspire children to learn. They keep kids safe in the sometimes perilous afterschool hours. And they help working parents keep working, free of fears about what their kids might be up to after the end of the regular school day."
Just For Kids is the tenth afterschool program established through the Rivertowne Student Success program in the past two years, with nearly 2,000 students enrolled. The nine other participating schools offering afterschool programs have seen a noticeable improvement in the students' grades, fewer disciplinary problems and higher attendance rates. The Rivertowne police department reports there has been a lower rate of juvenile crime between the hours of 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. since the Student Success program began.
Rivertowne Student Success program is a collaborative effort of the Mayor's office and the Rivertowne School District with the goal of making afterschool programs available to every public elementary and middle school student in the city. For more information about Rivertowne Student Success program, contact Jennifer Greene at (513) 555-4567. Parents interested in enrolling their child in Just For Kids should call (513) 555-2345.
How to Use a Media Advisory
- Media advisories are excellent tools to use to attract media to your afterschool events, such as an open house or your participation in Lights On Afterschool. The more news value of your event, the better the chances media will attend. For example, if a newsmaker like your mayor or Congressional representative is attending, make sure this is emphasized in your media advisory.
- Advisories can be written in narrative form, like the example that follows, or they can be written in bullet form, answering the questions: What, When, Where, Who and Why. Regardless of the format, an advisory must announce an upcoming event or press availability.
- An advisory should say when an event is, where it is, and what and whom reporters will find there. It should also offer a compelling reason for media to attend.
- Don't forget to include at the top of the document a name and phone number of someone the media can contact to follow up. Be sure to date the document.
Sample Media Advisory:
MEDIA ALERT
June 8, 20xx
Contact: Jill Smith
(513) 555-1234
MAYOR TO OPEN NEWEST AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAM DESIGNED TO IMPROVE ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT & MEET THE NEEDS OF WORKING FAMILIES
The Mayor of Rivertowne will join the principal and faculty members of Stevens Middle School, AmeriCorps volunteers and local families for the grand opening of Stevens Middle School's afterschool program, Just For Kids. The mayor will officially "turn on the lights for afterschool" at:
3 p.m., Tuesday, June 9, 20xx
Stevens Middle School
104 First Street
WITH
Rivertowne Mayor Stephanie Millstone
Michael Koss, Principal of Stevens Middle School
Just For Kids is the tenth afterschool program Rivertowne Student Success has opened in the past two years. Rivertowne Student Success program is a collaborative effort of the Mayor's office and the Rivertowne School District with the goal of making afterschool programs available to every public elementary and middle school student in the city. Just For Kids will be staffed by Stevens Middle School faculty as well as five members of AmeriCorps.
How to Use a Calendar Announcement
- Many newspapers print community calendars in which they use such information. Call the newspaper before sending an announcement to find out who compiles their community calendar.
- Radio stations and some television stations do the same. Call the station in advance to find out who should receive the announcement.
- The announcement should include: who, what, where, when, and information of interest about the event.
- Don't forget to include at the top of the document a name and phone number of someone the media can contact to follow up. Be sure to date the document.
Sample Calendar Announcement:
CALENDAR ANNOUNCEMENT
September 1, 20xx
Contact: Jill Smith
(513) 555-1234
On September 11, Stevens Middle School on 104 First Street will officially open its afterschool program for students in grades six to eight. The program, Just For Kids, will provide three hours (3-6 p.m.) of supervised afterschool activities, including homework assistance, arts and crafts, and recreation. The program is part of Mayor Millstone's Rivertowne Student Success program, a collaborative effort of the Mayor's office and the Rivertowne School District with the goal of providing afterschool services to every public elementary and middle school student in the city. To mark the opening of the program, Mayor Millstone will officially "turn on the lights for afterschool" at 3:00 p.m. For more information and/or enrollment, call (513) 555-2345.
And remember, whether you are planning a Lights On Afterschool celebration, site visit or other event, the media materials provided in the media section of our Lights On Afterschool event planning kit can be adapted to suit your needs.
Afterschool Public Service Announcements
Public Service Announcements (PSAs) are non-commercial advertisements focusing on social issues. They are intended to modify public attitudes by raising awareness of a specific issue or concern.
Tips on creating PSAs:
You don't need a production budget. Work in partnership with media to create PSAs promoting afterschool and/or your program. Radio stations are especially receptive to airing PSAs, and are easiest to produce -- all you need is to write a script that the radio DJ can read. Cable operators like Cox, Comcast, Bright House, and your local community cable station are often willing to create a spot for you if they can place their own logo on the PSA, too. Cable stations may even be interested in working with your students to create the PSAs.
Adapt our Lights On Afterschool radio PSA script. Edit the script to promote your local event. Approach radio stations early so that they have time to read the PSA in the weeks leading up to Lights On Afterschool.
Simple messages are the most effective. Years of public opinion research show that the most effective message on afterschool is: Afterschool programs keep kids safe, inspire them to learn, and help working families. You don't have to use these words, but let them inspire what you choose to focus on. Consult our polling data and previous PSAs created with the Ad Council for inspiration.
Think about the call to action or resource in your PSA. Do you have a website or phone number listeners or viewers can call for more information? Can your program handle an increased volume of calls or participants?
Who to contact at TV, radio, and print outlets. Make sure you're reaching out to the right people.
Key points to make in your meetings with the media about PSAs. Landed a meeting with a media representative? Make the most of it by hitting the right notes.
The Afterschool Alliance was fortunate to run nationwide PSA campaigns on afterschool in partnership with the Ad Council and the Mott Foundation. These campaigns are no longer active, but we encourage you to take a look at the PSAs to spur your own thinking and plans. See previous Afterschool PSA Campaigns.
Contact the Media
If you don't already have a list of reporters, editors, columnists, photo editors, and producers who cover education, children and families, parenting, workplace, and feature stories in your media market, now is a good time to create one.
Resources to tap for a start:
- Some United Way locations have media guides that are available to community agencies for a nominal fee
- Public relations offices at community colleges are often willing to share their media lists with other education agencies
Then, make a list of all local TV and radio stations (including college and university-affiliated stations), daily and weekly newspapers (including ethnic, community, and other specialty papers), wire services and magazines, locally-oriented websites, and newsletters or bulletins from interested community and faith-based organizations.
Call and ask for the name of the editor, reporter, or producer who covers education, children and families, parenting, workplace, and features. Request the phone number and e-mail address of each person. Also, ask for the names of and contact information for producers at broadcast news and talk shows that cover issues like afterschool and columnists who cover education and family issues at local newspapers of all kinds.
Media lists should be updated twice per year, as journalists tend to shift beats and jobs fairly often. You will use it often to promote Lights On Afterschool and other activities.