Making the news : a guide for activists and nonprofits / Jason Salzman.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Salzman, Jason.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Publicity--United States.

Publicity.

Fund raising--United States.

Fund raising.

Mass media and social service.

Endowments.

Management.

Social service--Public relations.

Endowments--Public relations.

United States.

Endowments--Public relations--United States.

Social service--Public relations--United States.

Social service.

Nonprofit organizations--United States--Finance.

Nonprofit organizations.

Finance.

Endowments--United States--Management.

Special events.

Mass media--Social aspects--United States.

Mass media.

Mass media--Social aspects.

Mass media and social service--United States.

Physical Description:

xiv, 289 pages : illustrations ; 21 cm

Edition:

Revised and updated.

Place of Publication:

Boulder, Colo. : Westview Press, [2003]

Summary:

A handbook for activists, nonprofit organizations, or any concerned citizen, Making the News explains how to combine creativity with nuts-and-bolts media skills to score news coverage for important public causes

Contents:

Saving the World in Obscurity? 2

Inside-the-Media Insights from Journalists 4

Ethical Spin 4

Part 1 Stop Being a Bore 7

1 Think Outside the Stratosphere 9

Ways to Get Media Attention 9

Foolish and Credible 48

Part 2 Landing on Oprah is not a Strategy 51

2 What's Newsworthy? 53

Characteristics of News 54

Images for Television 55

Eat Bread, Water, and the News 56

3 Strategic Media Plans 57

What's Your Goal? 57

Who's Your Audience(s)? 58

What's Your Message and Who Are Your Spokespeople? 58

Examples of Different Ways to "Frame" a Political Debate 60

Which Media Outlets Reach Your Target Audience? 61

Write Your Plan 62

4 Starting Your Media Program 63

Benefits of Media Coverage 63

Basic Tools for Effective Media Work 64

Working with Media Consultants 65

5 Cultivate Relationships with Journalists 66

Tips on Becoming a Resource for Journalists 67

Tips on Developing Credibility 68

Tips on Cultivating a Lasting Relationship with a Journalist 69

6 How and When to Complain About Coverage 70

Tips for Complaining About Errors in Stories 71

Part 3 How to Stage a Media Event 75

7 First, What's Strategic and Doable? 77

Enough Money, People, Time? 77

Will the Event Be Fun? 78

8 As Thoreau Said: Simplify 79

9 Brainstorm Stunt Ideas 81

10 The Best Times to Get Coverage 84

For Best Coverage, Monday Through Thursday 84

Hook Your Event to Stories in the News 85

For Photographs, Try Monday, Tuesday, or Sunday Morning 86

Dodge Busy News Days and the "Sweeps" 87

Be Flexible 87

Sample Timetable for Organizing a Media Event 88

11 Where to Stage a Media Event 90

Sample Permit Application 92

Tips for Creating a Great Photo 93

12 Media Sponsors 94

Tips for Signing Up a Media Sponsor 95

Cause-Related Marketing 96

13 Media Lists 98

How to Get a Media List 99

How to Organize a Media List 100

14 News Releases 104

News Advisories 112

Video for TV 113

Photos 113

Chotchkas 113

Embargoes 113

15 Distributing a News Release 116

How Should You Deliver Your News Release? 116

When Should a Release Be Distributed? 119

How Many Reporters at a Single Outlet Should Receive the Release? 119

Send Your Release to Daybooks 119

Whom to Contact at News Outlets 120

Use Diverse Media to Your Advantage 125

16 Interviews 127

Stay on Message 127

Create Sound Bites 128

Anticipate Interview Questions 129

Practice Your Answers and Sound Bites 130

Avoid Talking to a Journalist "Off the Record" 130

Tips for Any Interview 131

Tips for TV Interviews 133

Tips for Radio Interviews 135

Tips for Print Media Interviews 136

How to Conduct Yourself After an Interview 137

17 It's the Follow-up Call, Stupid 138

When to Place a Follow-up Call 139

Tips for an Effective Follow-up Call 139

Four Sample Follow-up Calls 140

18 News Conferences and Media Kits 145

Outdoor or Indoor News Conferences 145

News Conferences by Phone 146

News Conferences on the Web or by Satellite 146

Tips for Staging a News Conference 147

Assemble a Media Kit 148

Disruptions at a News Conference 149

19 Assess 150

Tips for Maximizing the Benefit from News Coverage 152

Part 4 How to Get News Coverage Without Staging a Media Event 153

20 Suggest Story Ideas to Journalists 155

Tips for E-Mailing or Calling Journalists with Story Ideas 155

Exclusive Pitches 157

Sample News Story Pitch by Phone 157

Sample News Story Pitch by E-Mail 158

Pitching Feature Stories 159

Tips for Generating a Feature Story 160

21 Hook Your Story to Breaking News 162

Worm Your Way into the News 164

Tips on Offering Quotes to Journalists in Response to Breaking News 164

22 Influence Editorial Writers and Other Journalists 166

Tips for Initiating Contact with Editorial Page Staff 167

Tips for Briefing Editorial Page Staff 168

List of Written Information for Editorial Page Staff 168

Sample Letter Requesting an Editorial Board Meeting 169

Responding to an Error in an Editorial 170

Tips for Briefing Reporters 170

23 Write a Guest Opinion (Op-Ed) 172

Tips for Writing Op-Eds 173

Tips for Submitting Op-Eds 173

24 Publish (or Broadcast) a Letter to the Editor 177

Tips for Writing Letters to the Editor of a Newspaper 178

Sample Letter to the Editor 179

25 Persuade a Columnist to Write About Your Issue 180

Learn the Interests and Styles of Local Columnists 180

Tips for Pitching Story Ideas to Columnists 181

Tips for Keeping Columnists Informed 182

26 Influence Newspaper Photographers 183

27 Sway a Cartoonist 185

28 Tune Your Cause to Talk Radio 187

Tips for Booking a Guest on Talk Radio 187

Tips for Talk-Radio Interviews 188

29 Place Your TV Production or Information on Cable 190

What Is Cable Access? 191

Submit Calendar Listings 192

Broadcast Independently Produced Programs 192

Produce Your Own Program 192

Who Watches Cable Access? 193

30 Use Community Calendars and Public Service Announcements 194

Tips for Getting Listed in Community Calendars 195

Public Service Announcements (PSAs) 195

31 Publicize a Report or Academic Paper 197

News-Induced Headaches and Tips on How to Avoid Them 198

Tips for Making a Report More Newsworthy 200

32 Promote a Story to Journalists at National News Outlets 203

Associated Press Is a Gateway to National Coverage 204

Six Ways to Increase Your Chances of AP Coverage 206

One Example of How a Local Story Can Become National News 208

33 Generate News Coverage Abroad 209

Tips for Obtaining Lists of Foreign Journalists 210

Tips for Attracting Foreign Journalists to a Story 211

Tips for Generating News at an International Summit 212

34 Hit the Small-Time: Neighborhood and Rural News 214

Tips for Making Small-Time News 214

Newspapers 215

Radio 216

Television 216

Part 5 Your Cause in Cyberspace 219

35 News on the Web 221

Websites for General News 222

Websites for Niche Audiences 223

News on Search Engines 224

36 Media-Friendly Websites 225

Tips for Creating a Media Friendly Website 225

37 Bloggers 228

Tips for Getting the Attention of Bloggers 229

38 Viral Marketing 231

Examples and Classification of Viral E-Mails 232

Tips for Creating Viral E-Mails 235

Getting News Coverage of Viral E-Mails 236

Part 6 Prime-Time Guerrilla Activism 237

39 Civil Disobedience and Surprise Protests 239

Tips for Alerting Journalists to Direct Action 241

Sample Call to a Journalist from a Protest Involving Civil Disobedience 245

Sample Interactions with Media at an Event Involving Civil Disobedience 247

40 Street Posters 249

How to Apply Posters 250

Recipes for Wheatpaste 250

Postering and Media Coverage 252

Legal Considerations 253

41 Spray, Stick, Cover... 254

Billboard Alterations 254

Graffiti 255

Stickers 256

Parking Meters, Urinal Screens, and More 256

42 Wrap Your Local Newspaper in a Fake Front Page 258

Tips for Wrapping Newspapers 260

43 Guerrilla Activists Hit Cyberspace 262

Website Media Hoaxes 263

Look-Alike (Spoof) Websites 263

Hactivism 264

Part 7 Help, Media Frenzy! 267

44 A Media Crisis 269

Prepare a Crisis Communications Plan 269

Tips for Dealing with an Unwanted Media Frenzy 270

Example of Handling Media in a Crisis 271

45 Unsolicited Calls from Journalists 274

Tips for Responding to an Unsolicited Call from a Journalist 274

Sample Form for Recording Incoming Calls by Reporters 276

Media How-to Books 279

Lists of News Outlets and Journalists 280

Guerrilla Media 280

Media Monitoring 281

News-Media Watchdogs 281

Public Opinion Research 281.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 279-282) and index.

ISBN:

0813340950

OCLC:

52195688