Our Hen House

Changemaking Tip: Media Outreach (with Meredith Turner)

Posted on 14. Dec, 2010 by Visiting Animal in Media Mavens, The Visiting Animal

Surely it’s no secret that media is the way in for animals… at least, we think so. What other arena carries with it more attention and power? One of my favorite media mavens — the brilliant and ethical Meredith Turner — created for us a thorough and enlightening guide to amplifying our activism through the media.

Amplifying Your Activism

by Meredith Turner

When it comes to raising mainstream awareness about the abysmal conditions endured by billions of animals on factory farms, there is no tool more effective than mass media. Every media story highlighting compassion for farm animals or the benefits of a vegan diet plants a powerful seed of change in the public consciousness. As Farm Sanctuary’s Media Relations Specialist, I’ve got a razor-sharp focus on penetrating the mainstream with pro-animal messages. I believe that turkeys in USA TODAY, cows in PEOPLE Pets, Power Vegans in Businessweek, factory farming on Access Hollywood, and  vegan NBA stars on HLN are how we’re going to win this. If you want to start amplifying your activism, here are a few tricks of the trade to get you started.

Good Stories Come from Anywhere

You don’t need to be affiliated with a large organization or have access to a professional media database to pitch a story to the media. All you need is a good story… and good stories come from anywhere. Most outlets have a “Contact Us” tab on their website that will take you to a list of e-mail addresses and phone numbers for their most frequently contacted departments (i.e. classifieds, advertising, editorial, etc.).

The contacts you want are:

• Calendar/events editor (for calendar listings)
• News director
• News desk
• Reporter
• Editor (assignment editor, managing editor, editorial staff, breaking news, local news, features, entertainment, etc., depending on the type of story you are pitching)
• Producer (for broadcast outlets)
• Any general contact for submitting a “news tip” or “news story”

Additionally, many reporters are now including their e-mail address at the end of their articles online.

So whether you’re looking to publicize a local benefit for your favorite animal protection organization, a vegan bake sale, an exciting animal rescue you took part in, or a growing trend that’s ripe for some national buzz, all it takes is a little internet research to put you in touch with the outlet you want to pitch. Whereas it’s always best to pitch a story idea to a specific reporter you’ve identified as a good target based on your familiarity with their work (this is where those pro databases like Cision come in handy), don’t worry if all you have is a generic “newstip@” address. Good stories get noticed, and most reporters are more than happy to forward a strong pitch to a colleague they feel would be a more appropriate fit for your story.

Pitches and Press Releases: Your Keys to the Media

All press releases need a pitch, but not all pitches need a press release. Confused? Don’t be. Here’s how it all breaks down: a pitch is a short, 1-2 paragraph note designed to entice a reporter to cover your story. A press release is a more formal media communication presented in standard industry format and designed to quickly and clearly convey all the details time-pressed journalists need to cover your story. Like all things in life, innovation is encouraged, but your creativity is best channeled into coming up with an irresistible headline and lead (first paragraph of the release) than in reinventing the form. Press releases more or less adhere to a tried and true format that has been responsible for generating 99% of all media exposure since the dawn of moveable type, so it’s important to learn the rules before you break them. Only after you’ve mastered the “5 W’s” and the “inverted pyramid” style of reporting, can you start dropping your own science.

Once you have a compelling press release, you can use it to pitch numerous print and broadcast media outlets. To increase your effectiveness, I recommend prefacing your release with a short, carefully crafted pitch tailored to the particular recipient (print or broadcast, local or national) that clearly communicates your goal in contacting them. Pitches, unlike their more buttoned-down cousin — the press release — love nothing more than making a splashy entrance and grabbing everybody’s attention by any means necessary. They are the opening act that warms up the room with the titillating promise of great things to come. Anything goes here and something is only wrong if it doesn’t work.

That said, all good pitches must answer the question: “why should I care?” That is the question on every reporter’s mind as they open your e-mail (IF they open your e-mail — more on that later). It is your job to convey to them why your story is of such critical importance, intrigue and relevance to their audience that they really can’t afford not to tell it. And if you don’t believe your story is newsworthy, I can assure you no one else will.

So what makes a good story?

Last week I had the pleasure of pitching a rescue story that was so good it prompted a local Sacramento news producer to tell me he would “go unstable if he couldn’t cover it.” This is, without a doubt, the best response ever received from a member of the press in the history of public relations. So, what was this story that had an otherwise sane newsman teetering on the brink of insanity?

“Goat Knocks on Good Samaritan’s Door to Save His Own Life”

The story practically pitches itself. This producer’s reaction, though rarely verbalized in such a fantastic way, is exactly what all good stories should do — make the mind go crazy visualizing the possibilities immediately upon hearing it. Now, I know what you may be thinking: not all stories are infused with this kind of life and death drama. Think again. As an animal activist, everything you do to help animals is lifesaving work. You are, indeed, saving lives one vegan cupcake at a time. Need proof that you can get a top-tier national outlet to cover your vegan bake sale? Look no further than Our Hen House co-founder Jasmin Singer on CNN.com!

Try boiling your story down to one sentence that is so captivating it could threaten someone’s mental health if they couldn’t hear more. Here are some elements guaranteed to drive reporters mad:

• Conflict
• Drama
• Extremes
• The unexpected

Go ahead, make them care.

A Picture Speaks a Thousand Moos

Because photos have the power to instantly communicate complex ideas better than volumes of the most carefully crafted prose ever could, I take every opportunity to insert one into my pitches. Since all media has a visual component, pitches that are accompanied by an image attract more attention and help reporters/producers visualize the story. I recommend pasting one into the body of your e-mail (never send an unsolicited image as an attachment to a reporter — it drives them nuts, and not in the good way).

One source of images you can use is Farm Sanctuary’s Flickr Photostream. Please feel free to browse our galleries and download any images you think will strengthen and support your pitch. These images are free for you to use, but please credit “Farm Sanctuary.”

Courtesy Farm Sanctuary

In showing the horrors of factory farming, I also like to show how life should be for these amazing animals.

Connie Pugh for Farm Sanctuary

E-mail Subject Lines

It’s impossible to overstate the importance of the e-mail subject line when pitching media. Because members of the press receive literally hundreds of pitches every day and can only cover a tiny fraction of the stories they receive, most pitches get deleted before they are even opened. One way to increase the chances of your pitch being opened is to craft a captivating subject line that conveys so much intrigue and promise it begs to be read.

Avoid subject lines that are too long, as many mailboxes have spam filters that automatically block e-mails if the subject line contains too many characters.

Timing is Everything

Calendar Listings

To increase the chances of getting your event listed in your local media’s community calendar sections, you should generally send out your calendar listing at least 4 weeks in advance. Community event calendars are not just found in print publications — most broadcast outlets, including radio stations, local TV news affiliates, and local cable networks actively promote local events, either on the air or on their website.

Press Releases

Print Media

With the exception of long-lead publications (monthly magazines require at least a 2-3 month lead time for story consideration), most daily or weekly print publications require about 1-2 weeks prior notice to consider covering an event. If you pitch too early, you risk getting lost in the deluge of breaking news stories that are always unfolding; pitch too late, and outlets may have already determined which events their limited staff will cover (most media outlets operate with a small “skeleton crew” on weekends and must be very judicious when deciding what to cover. Do not be surprised if a reporter who has shown strong interest in your event ends up being pulled away at the last minute to cover a local fire or other breaking news story).

Broadcast Media

-LOCAL TV NEWS AFFILIATES

Most local TV news affiliates also require roughly 1-2 weeks advance notice to consider covering an event. Again, most news crews operate with a “skeleton crew” on weekends, so it is important to use any unique/interesting local angles you can think of in your pitch to convince them why they should cover your event. Television is all about images, so the more “visuals” you can offer, the better. For example, if you are expecting a large turn-out, let them know! “More than 700 people are expected to hit the streets to spread a message of compassion for farm animals.”

-RADIO STATIONS

Many local radio show hosts will chat about local events as part of their on-air “banter.” Radio also presents a great opportunity for “preview” interviews before the event. These interviews will either be LIVE or TAPED and will likely last less than 10 minutes (3-5 minutes is average).

Go Wide

Without a doubt, a compelling pitch with a strong hook is the silver bullet for amplifying your activism, but since media outreach is often a numbers game, the more outlets you pitch, the better your chances of getting coverage.

Following Up

If a few days go by and you haven’t received a response from an outlet, feel free to follow up. Reporters are very busy and receive hundreds of e-mails a day. A lack of response may simply mean that your pitch was lost in the daily deluge of breaking news stories. Half of pitching is following up! However, if you do not receive a response on your second try, it’s safe to assume they are likely not interested (or you are targeting the wrong individual at that outlet, in which case a quick phone call to the outlet’s reception or news desk should yield the name and contact information of a more suitable contact).

If you are promoting an event, make sure to send out a reminder a week before the event, and again the day before the event. For local TV news coverage, you may also want to put in a call to the newsroom to make sure your event is on their radar. If you haven’t already, they will likely ask you to send your press release to their news desk.

Interviews

If you feel comfortable speaking with the media, there is nothing more noble than using your voice to speak out for animals! Most local outlets are keen to speak with local event coordinators, as they are always looking to spotlight the achievements of local citizens.

Here are some interview etiquette tips:

1. Be succinct.  Reporters have little patience or time. They want the information quickly and clearly stated. They are always in search of a great quote or soundbite.
2. Organize your thoughts in advance. Start with the most important messages and proceed down the hierarchy. Narrow the points you want to make to three key statements that you insert repeatedly throughout the interview to ensure that they resonate with the reporter. Repetition may feel a little uncomfortable in conversation, but it’s necessary to ensure message resonance. For phone interviews, have a copy of talking points on hand to reference.
3. Review, if possible, recent articles written by the reporter. The more familiar you are with their opinions and interests, the better you can tailor your remarks.
4. Think in terms of the audience that reads or watches the media outlet and discuss your issue in relation to this audience.
5. Don’t say anything that you would not want to see in print. Avoid saying “off the record.”  Assume that nothing EVER is.
6. If you cannot answer a question, say that you aren’t sure but that you’ll get back to the reporter with an answer soon. (Take notes and keep track of who needs what information, when.) Then, be sure to make good on the promise.
7. Do not talk about other reporters with whom you’re meeting or have met. If a reporter thinks he/she is getting “old news,” the chances of coverage diminish significantly. Besides, no one likes to hear that you’re interviewing with the competition, too.
8. Except for press kits, do not offer gifts to reporters.
9. Always follow up with a “thank you” via e-mail to ensure that the reporter has all the information they need and to encourage good will and free-flowing contact moving forward. RELAX AND HAVE FUN!!!!

***

Meredith Turner

Meredith Turner is the Media Relations Specialist at Farm Sanctuary. Prior to joining Farm Sanctuary in 2009 and fulfilling her lifelong dream of being a publicist for farm animals, Meredith was a Senior Account Executive at a full service Manhattan public relations firm, where she handled publicity for a wide variety of high-profile clients, including various magazines, the prestigious One Club organization, and Hugh Hefner for the launch of his definitive biography “Mr. Playboy.”  A native South Carolinian, Meredith proudly hails from an all-veg family and has been vegetarian (and now vegan) since the age of 12. She enjoys traveling and writing screenplays in her spare time.