talking to the press
Getting support is crucial to the success of any fundraising event and that means letting people know about your event. The quickest way to do that is through local media – newspapers, radio and even television. Your local media are always on the lookout for interesting stories, so they will be very happy to hear from you.
Everyday millions of interesting stories fail to get media coverage. This is because the information isn’t passed on in the right way, at the right time or with the right amount of detail. Here are a few things you can do to increase your chances of success.
Say why your event is different? Sponsored runs and fetes are important fundraising events, but the media hear about them all the time. If your idea is different it is more likely to interest them. The wackier the better really.
What is visually interesting about your event? It’s a simple fact that pictures sell papers (and they’re essential for TV). No matter how interesting the event is, a lack of good photo opportunities will make journalists less interested. So think about this before contacting the press.
Who does your event affect? If you’re raising money for your local community, tell them. Local media are interested in stories that affect real people. The more relevant to your area the better!
Knowing the right people
Good contacts with your local media are crucial. If they haven’t heard from you before, it’s unlikely that they will run your story. If you’ve spoken to the journalist before you’ve increased your chance of success.
Keep a list of targets. There should only be a few local newspapers and radio stations in your area, so keep an up-to-date list. Try to get the email addresses and telephone numbers of the news editors as they will be the people deciding what makes the news that day. Named contacts are better than generic email addresses.
Understand media pressures. The worst possible thing you can do is call a journalist when they are working to a deadline. Working in the media can be very pressured and when a deadline needs to be met they often have very little time to get their work done. Always start your call with “Is this a good time?”. Don’t be fobbed off, keep ringing back, but calling at the wrong time could do more harm than good.
Be persistent. News breaks every minute of the day. Journalists try to keep track of key events, but you can help to remind them. Regular phone calls and emails will ensure your event doesn’t slip their mind. Be careful not to bother them too often though, as this will irritate them.
Getting your facts right
The final thing you can do to make sure you secure the very best media coverage is get your facts right. Your local media need every bit of information for them to make a good story. It might seem like a lot of work, but the easier you make it for them the greater your chances of getting good coverage.
Don’t forget a detail. There’s nothing more frustrating for a journalist than having to go back and ask for more information after you’ve been in touch. Ideally, they want everything set out in clear, simple language in a press release. So you need to highlight exactly what the appeal is for, who is involved, when you expect to reach your target, what you are doing and when.
Be available. There’s nothing worse than getting the media interested and then disappointing them by being unavailable. Make sure you can be contacted at most times of the day. Representatives of your fundraising group should also be available – for interviews, or at the events. You need to make sure you give the media plenty of warning about any event you are organising, as they need to plan ahead if they want a photographer or journalist to attend.
Keep in touch. It’s very unlikely that one event will raise all the money you need for your appeal, so keep in touch. Appeals can take months if not years so remind the media about your progress – when you reach significant milestones such as each £10,000 mark or secure the help of a local politician for example. Make sure you jump on every opportunity to get some coverage.
We have included a local press release template for a made up event, please feel free to adapt this for your own event.
