Getting media coverage for your projects helps you educate the public, urge decision-makers to take action, and build visibility for your student government. You can get your issues covered in student-run media outlets on your campus, as well as off-campus media outlets. Here are the steps to getting media coverage on one of your issues.
  1. Build a list of media contacts for your area. Look up campus, local, and statewide outlets. Include newspapers, radio stations, TV stations, and online news sites. At minimum, find a phone number and email address for the News Desk at each outlet. If possible, also look up the News Editor, Assignment Editor, and individual reporters that have covered your issue in the past.
  2. Write a Press Advisory and send it to your media list a week before your event. A press advisory is like an invitation – it’s the quick Who, What, When, and Where of your media event.
  3. Call through your media contacts to invite them to cover your event. Write a script for what you plan to say. Convey the newsworthiness of your issue, and highlight the best photo opportunities at your event. Reporters are busy, so it will take a few rounds of calls to get through to everyone.
  4. Call through your media contacts again the day before and the morning of the event. Confirm that the reporters can come, and remind them what a great and newsworthy event it will be.
  5. Get ready to talk to reporters at the event. Decide on your main “talking points” in advance, write them down, memorize them, practice them, and stick to them. Designate one person at the event to be the media spokesperson and have all the reporters talk to that person.
  6. Write a Press Release, give it to reporters at the event, and send it to your media list after the event. A press release is basically the new story as you’d like it to be written.
  7. Follow up. Call and thank the media outlets that attended. Call the ones that didn’t attend, and pitch them on still writing a story.