Media Tips

Does the thought of writing a press release throw you into disarray? Does the thought of speaking to a journalist fill you with dread? Would you rather decline the opportunity of a radio interview for fear of making a fool of yourself?

Fear no more! This section of my website is aimed at helping you to get good press coverage and find the most effective ways of promoting your business, sharing your vision or telling your story. Having worked for over twenty five years in TV and radio journalism and a further ten years in public relations, I've put together some tips that will generate positive media attention for your project.

Firstly, get to know one or two local journalists with whom you can build up a good working relationship. You will find the media can be a helpful ally. Local press and broadcasters have a good reputation for local accuracy: they know the area. They rely on local contacts and must keep a good reputation.

I shall be adding more pages with publishing tips to help you get your message across and make the news.

In the meantime, you can get some useful information fro�m the following links:

Before you approach a journalist, or even begin to write, remind yourself what is newsworthy?
The crucial points to consider when you begin writing a press release
What are news values? How do journalists decide which stories to publish?
Mind your language - a plea for using plain English so that everyone can understand you
Essential advice for handling radio and television interviews in studio or on location
Designing a leaflet that will ensure get you noticed and market your project
Enhance your story by taking photographs - the right picture is worth a thousand words - attach a well chosen picture when you send a news story to your local newspaper
My page on spelling out names and weird words explains how the NATO phonetic alphabet is the best way to spell out difficult words or names
Local media - a list of Cambridgeshire newspapers, radio and television stations

People will understand straight away what you write and say when you use appropriate, simple, everyday words. Use plain English and natural expressions � and avoid jargon.

Owen Spencer-Thomas

14 March 2012

I hope you've found this article useful. You can mention it to your friends by going back to the top of the page and clicking on the Facebook Recommend button. If you'd like to discuss this further, please email me.

Journalism

Search

Media Tips