Earning Good Media Coverage

We all know that in public relations it is crucial to maintain mutually beneficial relationships between the organization and it's clients, but what about maintaining good relationships with reporters. To have a successful media strategy in this constantly changing industry of public relations, you must have good relationships with your media contacts.Though it make take several years for the relationship to evolve, once you obtain that connection, you have the ability to reach numerous media outlets. In order to find the appropriate reporter for the topic you are covering, be sure to read their previous articles so you know what interests them. This idea is especially useful for nonprofit organizations, since they are usually promoting a main cause, like Safe Harbor and domestic violence. Safe Harbor should maintain press lists that are up to date, as well as finding reporters who specialize in specific areas like, women health and issues.

To ensure that information is readily available to reporters, every nonprofit organization should have a Web site that includes a  press room section. I've noticed that on the contact page of Safe Harbor's website there are no links for visiting press or reporters. Safe Harbor would benefit by making a press room section, and adding the following:

• Contact information
• Press releases
• Fact sheets
• Photos, charts, graphs, and video clips

For example, I found this YouTube video on another domestic violence awareness website. This video allows the audience to become emotionally involved with the situation, and hopefully be memorable in the future when someone mentions domestic violence.

Another influential way the media can cover your story is by developing an interview. Whether the interview is on print or online, television or video, this is a great way to get a spokesperson involved and tell their story. The following video clip is an example of a domestic violence survivor sharing her story with the news program, "20/20":

Obviously, this interview probably had great results at getting the word out on domestic violence, but there are a few things you need to follow to ensure a successful interview. Be sure to participate in pre-interview briefing where you rehearse answers, review past stories, review message points, and brief reporter on organization goals.

I know in class we have talked about organizing a big event, such as the homecoming event, for Safe Harbor. First, we will need to produce the Safe Harbor event. If we were planning a huge event, it would be valuable to hire an event planning organization, but with our class has more than the knowledge and experience needed. After the producing is done, we need to use all the media options we have available, such as press conferences, interviews, and media briefings. Here is an example of a town press conference that was geared toward domestic violence:

We need to be able to have the appropriate amount of time to create a memorable event, as well. Everything needs to be planned out and given great effort in order to build a professional-quality event. Even though I have only mentioned a few options of media outlets, there are many more one could choose from. Just know that when choosing a media outlet, be sure that it will be advantageous to the organization, as well as their audience.

The Ever-Changing Industry

Keeping up with the latest media trends in a particular industry is crucial for success. Public relations is one of those fields that is always changing, so it is essential to be continuously updated on different ways you can get your message out to the public. There are many different media outlets a nonprofit organization can utilize, but knowing which ones will benefit them the most is key.

The impact of the internet and the new technology it provides means individuals have more control, as well as responsibility, in getting their message out. I believe the internet would be a great tool to take advantage of when promoting Safe Harbor and domestic violence awareness. Not only can the internet reach millions of people, it is also more affordable than many other media outlets out there. Since being a nonprofit means not a lot of extra cash to spend on marketing and promoting, the internet would be a great solution, especially the use of blogs. Bloggers, known sometimes as "citizen journalists", are changing the way news is being viewed and covered.

The chapter in the book mentions developing a good relationship with local wire services. I noticed that one of the wire services highlighted in the book was Women's eNews. This wire service would be beneficial to Safe Harbor, since they deal with stories of particular concern to women. Anything from religion to economics, to health and science, they offer a story on it. On the website, they offer a section devoted to domestic violence awareness. Safe Harbor could have an article published on the wire service, so not only would they be contributing to the cause, but they would earn recognition. Women's eNews also offers a YouTube channel, which I thought would be a strong and powerful way of sending the message to the audience. 

Another great media outlet I believe could benefit Safe Harbor, would be the use of magazines, especially articles found on their website. Many articles that are on a magazine's website are not found in print, and they tend to offer more opinion, commentary, and analysis. On Cosmopolitan's website, I found this article about domestic violence. Underneath the article, they offer a place where you can comment on the article and even email the editor asking questions. This is a great way to spread the word and see what other people are saying about a topic, as well.

I was surprised to find out that radio has progressed even further than television over the years. With the latest technology of i Pods, MP3 players, and satellite radio, messages can be sent to numerous people through audio platforms. There has even been an expanding audiences, since radio shows will usually direct their audience to their website for more information. By finding a local radio station willing to work with us, we could produce messages about Safe Harbor and the events we have planned for them. This particular satellite radio station I found online is based around women topics, so it would be ideal to find a similar radio station offering the same kind of views for Safe Harbor.