Dealing with the media

You have a story...

and the media may be interested. But it is important that you approach the media with your stories in a way that is interesting and useful. So how do we go about getting the best coverage for the stories we want to tell. Here are some things to consider.

Grab attention

Everyday matters do not grab people's attention. The different and unusual very often will. You need to think about what are doing and how you can interest people. So church holds service is not interesting but if it is a special service of celebration or remembrance then that may be of interest. Do not be afraid to "sell" your story. It will be competing with other stories and events so will need to stand out. Having the opportunity for a good photo will help. As will if you have something to say that links to news that is of local or national interest.

Remember the church is about more than services. Your community projects, outreach events and fundraising activities may all be stories the press want to hear about.

Plan and prepare

You need to be well organised. Think who may be interested in the story. Is it your local newspaper or would the story work for radio or even television. Give them enough time to research and develop the story and think about their deadlines. Weekly newspapers tend to be printed on a Tuesday or Wednesday so it is often best to contact journalists on a Thursday or Friday.

It is still useful to put information into a press release that you can send to your local editor. For guidance about how to put a press release together see the advice of the national media team on the Church of England website.

The press release needs to seel the story. It needs a good headline that summarises the story and the basic information about the story should be in the first paragraph. The release itself should be around one side of A4 long.

The basic questions you need to be able to answer in a good press release is

What? - is happening
Who? -  is involved or affected
Where? - is it happening
When? - is it hapening

You may also want to cover the questions

How? - is this being done
Why? - are you doing this

It is a good idea to include a quote or two from relevant people.

Always remember to include contact details so the journalist can follow up the story. Make sure that person is able to talk about the story well and is actually available.  The vicar is not always the best contact just because he is the vicar.

Always follow up your press release with a phone call to the journalist.


Finally if you think the story may have wider regional or national interest or it maybe something of interest to the church press then please let the communications team know.

Help and support

If you need any help or support for dealing with the media then contact

Stuart Haynes
Media Manager

0151 705 2150
stuart.haynes@liverpool.anglican.org

In a Crisis?

In a crisis situation? Suffering from bad publicity? Or dealing with a high profile event or funeral? Don't Panic. Call us now for expert advice and support.

0753 421 8122

Useful links

For more advice about contacting the press then go to
www.cofe.anglican.org/news/comms/advicemedia.html

For a useful link to most national and regional media orgainsations go to
www.mediauk.com