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Working in mental health promotion requires a good understanding of the media.
Following are some insights and tips which may prove useful when you
are building your relationship with media professionals.
| The Media and Us - Some Insights |
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We need each other (the media wants to know what we’ve got
and we need the media for placement of our story ideas).
- They’re busy, so we must make our pitch as succinctly and
objectively as possible.
- It’s an editors/journos job to decide what stories will
be run - avoid excessive hype or demands that a story must be run.
Remember, a good story/angle will sell itself.
- Respect each other and never mislead or feed false information
- you’ll never be trusted.
- It’s our job to keep the public and/or the media informed
on issues. Build a reputation and credibility for being a good news
source!
- We are performing a service, we are not asking for a favour when
we submit story ideas. We should assume that our story will be judged
on its merits as seen by the editor/journalist - we don’t
have to beg to get it used.
- Our role continues after the story idea has been accepted. We
can’t control the tone of the story that appears, but we can
influence it by providing interesting news angles and additional
information.
- Always look for the human face in a story - authentic stories
told by good talent who are reliable, accessible and punctual.
- Always look for 3-4 story angles to feed tv, radio and print.
Consider local, national and international implications of your
story idea.
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| Ways to Create News For Your Organisation |
- Tie in with news events of the day
- Conduct a poll or survey
- Issue a report
- Arrange an interview or create a role for a celebrity
- Arrange for a speech
- Make an analysis or prediction
- Announce an appointment
- Celebrate an anniversary, well-known week or day.
- Issue a summary of facts
- Tie in with the silly season
- Make an award
- Hold a contest of competition
- Appear before public bodies
- Stage a special event/exhibition
- Write a letter to the editor
- Adapt national reports and surveys
- Stage a debate
- Honour a person or institution
- Inspect a project
- Issue a commendation/protest
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| Media Tips - Things to consider: |
- Provide media statements (sole and supported)
- Look for photo opportunities
- Think about how you can use letters to the editor
- Sketch out features and profiles (templates)
- Provide backgrounders and fact sheets
- Use intro or follow up calls to multi-target journalists (Health/Maori
Affairs) (Defence/Political)
- Can advertorials/supplements be useful?Radio
- How can I use news bulletins (local and national)?
- Is my issue/talent more suited to talk back?
- Can I get a better run for my issue/talent via current affairs
programming eg Kim Hill; ZB Newstalk
- Do I need to reach Youth/Māori/ Pacific/Elderly audiences?
If so, can radio help me?
- Live broadcasts
- Ad-libs-Television
- News (Breakfast/ Network News/Holmes/Te Karere/Close Up at 7)
- Talk Shows (Marae/Tagata Pasifika)
- Current Affairs (Assignment/60 Minutes/20/20)
- Programming (Shortland St/Mai Time/Inside Out/Asia Dynamic)
- Community Service ads
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For more information about working with the media,
contact Huia Communications.
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