Ready, Set, Present! 7-1
Chapter 7
Reaching Your
Audience
Through the Media
Audience
Printed media
n Audience
n Printed media
n Electronic media
n Press releases
n Press conferences
n PSAs
One of the best ways to reach the public at large is to get
your message out through newspapers, radio, and televi-
sion. These media are especially important where a study
has found safety, health, or environmental problems that
need to be shared with the public. Including data in press
releases, public service announcements, or interviews gives
study findings factual credibility.
There is less concern for targeting audiences in drafting
media materials than there is in writing brochures or re-
ports, because final control over the material lies with the
media. Materials may be edited for length as well as style.
However, since the audience is broad, the information and
message should be kept simple and easy to understand.
Newspapers are a good vehicle for presenting results: they
can publish in a variety of formats, including human inter-
est stories, letters to the editor, features, news, and factoids.
In most cases, smaller dailies and weekly newspapers are the
preferred target. Large papers, like the Boston Globe, will
report on major rivers and state- or region-wide water issues,
and occasionally on smaller water bodies with a newsy issue.
So include these papers in your press-release list, but if you
want regular data reports, focus your efforts on a Cape Cod
Times or Williamstown Advocate.
News media may cover a topic in any of several ways. The
most straightforward is the news story, reporting notewor-
thy events that have occurred since the last edition or
broadcast. In addition, there are human interest pieces,
feature stories, special-interest columns (e.g. real-estate,
outdoors), and editorials. All have a different slant, and any
Tips
n Avoid jargon.
n Explain your purpose.
n Clearly outline the
study area.
7-2 Reaching Your Audience Through the Media
Example 7-1. A human interest story. (Article from The Reminder, Nov. 15 1994)
Ready, Set, Present! 7-3
of them may be appropriate for your data, depending on
the issue, the timing, or the nature of your results.
The human interest piece
Newspapers love stories about local folks and about kids, so
find a volunteer willing to be interviewed and photo-
graphed. Work your data into the story by featuring volun-
teers and their findings in your press release. See how this
was accomplished in Example 7-1, a human interest piece
about an Eagle Scouts project at a local pond. The photo shows
the scout holding a Secchi disk, and the narrative mentions
water transparency levels as well as the aquatic plants found.
Editorial page
This is the part of a newspaper where opinions are wel-
come, even expected. Its a good place to use persuasion
with your data; describe the consequences of problems
youve found and recommend solutions. There are three
ways to get your data into the editorial page:
n A letter to the editor: the simplest, and widely read. No
charts or jargon here, of course. Use lay terms and stick to the
length restrictions the paper maintains.
n An op-ed piece: these are the opinion articles written by
regular or guest columnists. They appear on the page
opposite the papers own editorials. These are usually 700 to
900 words in length. To get an op-ed printed, contact the
editorial page editor and describe the issue and what you
want to say. They may request a writing sample, or ask you
to submit the piece for their consideration.
n The papers own editorial: if you want your story here,
contact the editor(s) and suggest they weigh in on the topic.
Relay the high points of your findings, explain the issue, why its
important to the papers readers, and discuss different
angles (environment, health, economic aspects).
Whether you are making a pitch for editorial or news
coverage of a story, it pays to establish good relations with
the editors, sub-editors, and/or reporters. Contact them
directly and introduce yourself and your issues. Each paper
is different, but a few examples of departments which might
have specific editors or reporters are: geographical, sports
and outdoors, business, and science and environment.
Once every year or so, you might want to arrange a meeting
with the full editorial staff of the paper. In such a meeting,
bring two or three of your staff, board or committee chairs;
discuss the big picture of your watershed (issues and trends),
Getting your story in
the paper
n Ask the paper about
their publishing
guidelines.
n Increase your chances of
coverage by involving a
school in your program;
most papers provide
ample coverage of local
schools.
7-4 Reaching Your Audience Through the Media
Prepare a Press Kit with
n a brief description of
your organization.
n a business card of
contact person.
n a map of watershed or
monitoring area.
n photos of the resource,
events, people, etc.
n a graphic of results.
n your most recent
report.
Factoids or mini-column
Factoids are brief news updates, provided on a regular
basis. Take advantage of the fact that monitoring and
newspaper publishing take place on a regular basis.
Convince the editor to make your data report a regular
feature of the paper. It could be Water Quality in Your
Neighborhood, for example, or a graph in the weather
section. The Lower Colorado River Water Authority uses a
simple graphic to summarize water quality in the factoid
shown in Example 7-2.
Tips for Query Letters
n The first sentence should
be an attention grabber.
n Describe the content of
your article and why the
issue is relevant to the
community, and specifi-
cally the papers readers.
n Explain why you are
qualified to write this
article.
n Keep it to one page.
n Include a short writing
sample.
your organization and monitoring program. Alert them to
future events (such as your upcoming sampling season), and
offer your organization as a source of news, background
information, or commentary (i.e. when they are looking for a
quote on a current issue). In this way, you may be able to get
the paper to devote more coverage to the watershed.
The feature story
Feature stories are in-depth pieces on a particular topic.
They work best as a discussion of monitoring results at the
end of the season, or as an advance notice of an investiga-
tion you are about to conduct. To get feature coverage,
contact a reporter and ask her/him to accompany you on a
monitoring trip. The reporter might welcome the chance
to cover something other than the Selectboard meeting.
For the feature story, however, simple results are not
enough; include analysis, context, and pictures. For in-
stance, discuss how documented conditions affect swim-
ming, fishing, or public health in town. Provide reporters
with the salient points of the study, keeping data and
background information to a minimum.
The news story
For news stories, send a press release (discussed below) or
contact a reporter or editor directly. Generally, newspa-
pers prefer to have material written by their own staff, but
consider sending a query letter to the appropriate editor
about publishing a piece written by your organization.
Data Strategy:
Use summarizing graphics to share your data rather
than text. Talk to the papers graphic artists or designers
instead of sending your own graphics. They may be able
to create an eye-catching display format for your data,
which can be used thereafter for regular data reports.
Prepare a Press Kit with:
n a brief description of your
organization.
n a business card of contact
person.
n a map of watershed or
monitoring area.
n photos of the resource,
events, people, etc.
n a graphic of results.
n your most recent report.
Ready, Set, Present! 7-5
Electronic media
Example 7-2: A newspaper factoid.
Radio and commercial television
Radio and television can bring your story to more people
than any other medium. Include them in your contact list
for press releases and conferences, but expect brief cover-
age, as air time is precious. For a list of stations in your area,
Burrells Media Directory is found in most libraries. In addi-
tion to news stories, talk shows are an excellent forum for
publicizing monitoring programs. Listen to or view the
show several times before contacting the talk show host. If
the show seems like a good match for your program, con-
tact the host and explain why you think the shows audi-
ence would be interested in your programs findings.
Public access television
Public access television is gaining popularity as a way to com-
municate with the community. Public access TV typically has a
small staff and a crew of volunteers, whose job it is to train
people like you to produce a television show. Equipment
training is provided, and there is usually a small fee involved (or
barter for volunteer time at the TV station). You may then use
their equipment to film your show, or have someone else who
is trained produce the show. In Amherst, the Conservation
Commissioner has filmed several award winning programs.
Most stations have lists of local producers; try collaborating with
them.
Tips for presenting on TV
n Use a lot of graphics
and concrete examples
rather than raw num-
bers.
n Use everyday measures
as a comparison: 40
micrograms per liter of
total phosphorus in our
lake is like dumping ten
bags of lime on your 10
foot by 10 foot garden
plotenough to choke a
chard.
7-6 Reaching Your Audience Through the Media
It takes many hours to produce a TV program. It is best to
recruit a volunteer whose sole responsibility will be to
produce the show; dont ask this extra work of monitors
or analysts. Outdoor footage can be shot by one or more
people, and the show produced by your publicist volun-
teer.
Another public access TV venue is the access soap box.
An organization member films a ten-minute lecture about
an event or issue relating to water quality. To make it more
lively, have two people come and interview each other.
Meetings and group presentations can be broadcast on
public access TV, possibly even live! Additionally, some
public access stations have their own talk shows, with live
interviews and questions called in from viewers.
Public access TV also functions as a community bulletin
board. A text scan of community news and events is
broadcast between programs, and is watched by a large
audience. It is a good place to advertise upcoming events
as well as some data nuggets such as, Did you know
that the Rocky River is clean enough for swimming? The
Rocky River Watershed Associations 1999 monitoring
results point to extremely low bacteria and turbidity
levels.
This medium is an excellent place to provide educational
content to complement your data. These stations will
accept canned, or previously produced videos by other
parties. If you know of a good video that discusses the
history of your watershed, or which explains nonpoint
pollution, send it (or details on how to locate it) to them
and ask them to run it along with your televised data
presentation.
It is not necessary to produce your own show to be on TV.
When you have news to share, bring the media to you
with a press release or a press conference. Press releases
provide the media with what an organization considers
newsworthy. Topics can vary from an announcement of a
local talk or event to a report of findings after years of
sampling. Sometimes press releases are more risky than
getting an article written by a reporter, in that some
newspapers use them as filler, if at all. However, if the
Press releases
Ready, Set, Present! 7-7
Press conferences
truly newsworthy, it may run as a news article rather than just an
announcement.
When space is tight, the easiest way for an editor to fit an
article into a page is to shorten it by truncating the last
paragraph or paragraphs. Place the most important infor-
mation at the front of the article, with background informa-
tion following. Include maps and graphs or chartsthey may be
redone by the newspaper staff, but they are a good way to
showcase data. Example 7-3 shows a sample press release that
includes data.
Consider holding a press conference for a discovery thats
too important for a press release. However, be sure the news
is big newscalling a conference to cover a routine issue or to
generate publicity wastes reporters time and will harm press
relations.
Invite all the media to your conference, and send an infor-
mation release to those who dont attendby fax if possibleso
they can have the option of picking up the story.
Press conferences can be held almost anywhere, but usually
are held indoors. Backdrops, such as a watershed associa-
tion banner, enhance TV potential. The media representa-
tives will bring all of the equipment needed, but they may
require power outlets.
Outdoor press conferences can work well, weather permit-
ting. Consider holding the press conference down by the
river, at a sampling station, but only if the location is conve-
nient.
Ways to Show Data
A press conference is much like a live presentation to a
general audience. Most visual material should be displayed
on an easel, however; the room will be fully lighted, so
overheads and slides arent appropriate.
A map should show the area of concern. It should be clear
and readable from a distance. Handouts can include more
information on the map if desirable. Charts and graphs also
need to be clear and readable from a distance. Plan a run-
through in the room a few days prior to the press conference to
make sure the visual displays are effective.
Tips for press conferences
n Schedule the conference
between 10 a.m. and 3
p.m. in the middle of
the week.
n Send a media advisory
notice at least 3 to 5
days in advance, and
follow up with phone
calls.
n Make sure the room is
large enough for the
number of people you
expect. Provide chairs,
and room at the back for
cameras.
n Have a podium and a
sign or logo to display in
front or behind the
speaker(s).
n Have an easel ready and
prepare professional-
looking graphics for
display.
n Have a reception table
at the entrance with a
sign-in sheet and
background material.
n Have on hand flyers and
backgrounders.
7-8 Reaching Your Audience Through the Media
Little Muddy Creek Watershed Watch
Ourtown, MA 01000
August 28, 1999
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: David Goliath, 413-890-4797 (d), 413-890-4979 (e), [email protected]
CONTAMINATION LINKED TO FAULTY SEWAGE SYSTEMS IN OUR TOWN
Bacterial contamination linked to leaking residential sewage systems is above safe levels
in the Little Muddy Creek, according to a study by the Little Muddy Creek Watershed Watch.
Residents are advised to avoid contact with the creeks water.
Water samples taken throughout the summer have shown the presence of fecal coliform
bacteria, a sewage contaminant, in levels higher than state standards allow. The average values at
30 sampling sites are from 1.5 to 3 times the state standard of 400 colonies/100ml.
Bacterial counts have been rising over the last several years, according to studies done
annually by the Little Muddy Creek Watershed Watch, a local volunteer organization. George
Gomez, volunteer director of the group, said that over 250 samples collected by the group in the
past year have confirmed the contamination. Its clear to us from the pattern of contamination that
residential sewage systems are the cause, said District Health Planner Mary Jones.
Fecal coliform bacteria may cause diarrhea, nausea, and other diseases. Residents are
advised not to drink water, swim, or play in Little Muddy Creek until the problem can be allevi-
ated. We are planning to work with residents in neighborhoods near the creek to clean up the
problem, said Jones.
[Insert accompanying graph here]
Example 7-3: A press release that uses data.
Ready, Set, Present! 7-9
A public service announcement, or PSA, is a free message
that is similar to a commercial. PSAs promote events and
services of non-profit organizations and groups that serve
the community. They run from 10 seconds to 30 seconds in
length and appear on radio or on television.
Although PSAs are rarely a place for data presentation,
consider them when holding a public meeting, calling for
volunteers, or making information known. Data may fit into
PSAs in certain situations.
PSAs can be created by the station at no cost to the organi-
zation. An announcer reads edited copy provided by the
organization. If televised, the copy is read while information
about the organization or event appears on the screen.
Alternatively, PSAs can be produced outside the station by a
professional production company for a fee. This is recom-
mended for television PSAs, since homemade video is
usually unacceptable for broadcast quality production.
PSAs
Data Strategy:
n Emphasize the data that prompted the press confer-
ence. Avoid tangential comparisons; get to the point
quickly and stick to it.
n Photos (8 x 10 prints) that document the problem are
also useful if available.
Tips for PSAs
n Contact stations ahead
of time to find out
their PSA require-
ments.
n Include your organiza-
tion name, address,
phone number, and a
person to contact.
n Include the start and
stop dates to air the
PSA.
n Double-space the text
to allow for easy
reading and editing.
n Time the copy at a
normal reading speed
and include the length
in seconds. Estimate
read time long rather
than short.
n If a name or word is
difficult to pronounce,
include a phonetic
spelling.
7-10 Reaching Your Audience Through the Media
Little Muddy Creek Watershed Watch
Ourtown, Mass. 01000
August 28, 1999
Contact: David Goliath, 413-890-4797 (d), 413-890-4979 (e),
Start: Immediately
Stop: September 15, 1999
PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: 30 seconds
Is it safe to swim in the Little Muddy Creek? Bacteria counts are
up this year, and leaking sewage systems are to blame. Find out
more on Monday, September 15th, at 7 p.m. when the Little
Muddy Creek Watershed Watch presents a free slide show at
the Public Library, Main Street, Ourtown. Little Muddy Creek
Watershed Watch is a volunteer organization dedicated to
preserving water quality. For more information, call 413-890-
3200.
PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: 15 seconds
Is it safe to swim in the Little Muddy Creek? Find out on
Monday, September 15th, at 7 p.m. when the Little Muddy
Creek Watershed Watch presents a free slide show at the Public
Library, Main Street, Ourtown.
For more information, call 413-890-3200.
Example 7-4: Public Service Announcement.
In conclusion
To reach people outside an organization, send results to
your local newspaper, radio, or television station. Devel-
oping a good relationship with a reporter or editor is
crucial for your story to appear in the mediaand so is
packaging your data in an attractive, yet simple format.
Take the time to develop backup information and a press
kit, so that the media are provided with your story in a
timely fashion. Last weeks news wont likely be broadcast
or printed.
