How Do You Tell Your Story to the Media?

• Know your local media: daily and weekly newspapers, radio and TV, Internet and blogs, wire services.


• In this digital age, don’t discount radio. With the approval of your refuge manager, contact a local radio station to suggest a regular monthly program hosted by the manager or other refuge staff.


• Your local public access cable television station might consider interviewing the refuge manager or Friends president.


• List your events on newspaper, television Web sites as well as Internet sites such as Patch.com.


• Know what makes a good story.


• People. (Who is doing something groundbreaking, fascinating or just unusual?)


• Relating to what’s in the news. (How is the drought or sea level rise affecting wildlife on the refuge?)


• Something that is surprising, counterintuitive, one–of–a–kind


• An urgent or unexpected threat. (Are volunteers needed to protect sea turtle nests suddenly exposed by a higher–than–usual tide?)


• Contests, festivals, seasonal special events


• Know how to write a good press release.


• Answer the key questions succinctly: who, what, when, where, why.


• Include a date and contact information. Follow up with a phone call and leave specifics in your message.


• Don’t depend exclusively on press releases—follow Twitter and Facebook pages of interested reporters and publications so that you can comment about your refuge or Friends group when it’s appropriate.


• Target your stories.


• Consider news, features, leisure and lifestyle, travel, op–ed/letters to the editor.


• Regularly update your media contact lists.


• Build a relationship with individual reporters.


• Know the message you want to convey.


• Identify no more than three key take–away ideas.


• Keep your talking points short. Radio–TV sound bites are 5–20 seconds.


• Avoid bureaucratic lingo or acronyms.


• Create good photo opportunities to illustrate your message.