Launching a Successful Media Outreach Program

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‣ Are comfortable speaking to a reporter about their story and their mental illness or lived experience, understanding they will be publicizing the experience for public knowledge ‣ Are friendly, focused and understand the key messages ‣ Are generally available to speak to media NOTE: Although it is not recommended, if you cannot find spokespeople who will agree to disclose their name, you may choose to use someone who will agree to be interviewed anonymously. Please check with the reporter before setting up this type of interview as not all news outlets allow these types of stories to run. Another option is to only use a first name, or a pseudonym. You will probably want to start by looking at the people around you and with whom you work. Sometimes, a person who works for NAMI can be an appropriate spokesperson. As long as they have a compelling story to tell and are comfortable with media interviews, it can work. Additionally, consider people who have background knowledge about NAMI and direct experience with specific program you are promoting. ‣ Local media outlets are generally interested in hearing personal stories. Once you have a spokesperson who has agreed to be interviewed, find out his/her story, as if you were a reporter. Write this down into a short biography that you can add to your press release and pitch letter to reporters. This part is very important because it is the human-interest portion of the story. An interesting story makes for a personal local news story that will interest reporters. Make sure the spokesperson is comfortable telling the story in a succinct and brief manner. Creating a <strong>Media</strong> List To ensure that your news about NAMI and its programs reach your target audiences, it is essential to identify the right media outlets and reporters. We recommend developing a comprehensive and diverse media list that includes local print, broadcast and radio outlets in your market. A media list is a document that contains details about local contacts and all the information you need to conduct business in your community. The Internet is a great resource for finding information to help you understand the media landscape in your county and develop the media lists, including detailed contact information for all media targets. To identify local media contacts: ‣ Find your local media outlets (community TV stations, radio stations and newspapers) by searching the Internet, taking notice of newsstands or asking your local Chamber of Commerce. Select which ones you think may be interested in writing a news story about a NAMI program. You can monitor the
news coverage in your area for a week to see the types of stories they cover. You can even call the news desk at your local newspaper or television station and ask if they are interested in these types of stories. ‣ Print publications, radio stations and television stations typically organize their employees by news specialty. There will probably be a specific person – either a reporter or editor – that focuses on a specific area of knowledge, or “beat.” News about NAMI and its programs would likely be of interest to editors/reporters on the following beats: Health, Features, Community, and Living. After you have your initial research, it’s time to compile a media list: ‣ To develop a media list, obtain the contact information for each person you will be contacting at each media outlet. This may be as simple as calling the newspaper, TV station or radio station’s main number and asking the receptionist for the person’s name, phone extension, fax number and e-mail address. It may be helpful at this time to ask how a specific editor/reporter prefers to receive news (e.g., a phone call, e-mail, or fax). Capture all of the contact information in a media list. You can keep the media list in a format that is easy to organize and keep updated, such as in a Microsoft Word document or Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. A media list should include the following information: • Name of newspaper, radio station, television or Web site outlet • Contact name • Job title of contact • Mailing address (if appropriate) • E-mail address • Telephone number • Fax number (if appropriate) • Publication and contact notes • Section for notes to help you keep track of your outreach efforts and to keep track of information about the reporter that may be helpful in developing a long term relationship with him or her (i.e., areas of interest, how he/she likes to receive information, etc.) A good place to capture this information is by creating a table in Microsoft Word or in Microsoft Excel. If you need assistance in preparing a media list, please contact the NAMI media team by contacting Christine Armstrong (Christinea@nami.org) or call the NAMI office at 703-524-7600 and ask for the NAMI <strong>Media</strong> Relations department. A sample media list is included at the end of this document.
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Page 5 and 6: ‣ Timeliness. The material needs
Page 7 and 8: After the Interview After the inter

Launching a Successful Media Outreach Program

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