from The Renaissance Transgender Association,
Inc.
Conducting an effective and efficient media relations program is
simple if you first understand how reporters and editors think, and
if you comply with several rules and conventions generally followed
by the media. The use of fancy news releases and expensive word
processing equipment won't improve a campaign that starts off on the
wrong foot or follows a poor plan.
Some reporters and editors, like some people, are lazy. They
prefer to have their work done for them. The spokesperson who
understands this has a greater chance of getting a story on the air
or in print than one who doesn't. Reporters and editors sometimes
also suffer from a lack of imagination. While they will all recognize
that a man biting a dog makes news, they may not see that when a
certain type of dog bites a man, that is also news. To have greater
success, it will be necessary for you to tell them why your story is
important, unique, and interesting to their viewers and readers (the
"hook"). Reporters and editors also share many of the misconceptions
and stereotypes held by the general public. This can be a problem,
but it can also be a plus, depending on how you deal with them.
Journalists write stories rather than articles. The content of a
newspaper or a broadcast (television and radio) news program consists
of two types of stories. These are [1] hard or breaking news and [2]
features. Hard news stories concern events that are happening now,
while feature stories provide a glimpse of things that would
otherwise by missed in the crush of the day's events. The distinction
is often fuzzy, and is made more so by a third type of story, the
news feature. Generally, you will be dealing with feature type
stories. But your contacts with the media should be as hard hitting
and immediate as they would be for breaking news.
Organizations or individuals seeking publicity frequently do it in
one of two ways; they invite reporters to events and hope they attend
and cover it, or they hold events that are designed to be covered.
Obviously, the latter strategy can be carried too far. A mud
wrestling contest in drag would certainly get publicity, but it would
not be the sort of publicity you would want. In designing an event
for publicity, keep in mind that reporters and editors are often
unimaginative and many times fall back on obvious story hooks. While
this can be an annoyance because you often must deal with the same
stereotypes you are attempting to combat, it makes your work somewhat
easier because you know how reporters will play the story. For
example, a story about the contrast between a crossdresser's
"respectable" public life and their "secret" interest is bound to
attract attention. Of course, you don't need to create an event to
get coverage. You can invite the media to an event that has already
been set up in hopes that they may find it worth covering.
There are two ways to invite reporters to an event or to request
coverage: call them on the phone or send them a news release. In both
cases you should be as specific as possible, providing them with what
reporters call The 5 Ws: Who, What, Where, When and Why. You should
also sound upbeat and self-confident. Your confidence in the
newsworthy nature of the event can rub off and help you get covered.
Don't hesitate to tell the reporter (or assignment editor at a
television or radio station) why the story will be of interest to
their readers or listeners. You could say, for example, "Our
transvestite and transsexual support group has over 100 members in
the local area, so the service we provide is of interest to a large
number of people." It is important that you sell the story; a little
"puffery" is acceptable, but don't lie. For a nuts and bolts
explanation of writing a news release, please see the following
section.
It is best to have one person designated to at least make initial
contact with the media for all events. This builds trust and
familiarity. The designated spokesperson can, when appropriate,
direct the reporter to other members or sources.
If reporters do appear at your event, be a good hostess. Have a copy
of the news release for them, tell them what is going to happen, be
accessible and helpful, but don't be pushy. Each reporter has his or
her own way to cover a story. As you gain more experience, you will
begin to know the strengths and weaknesses of the reporters in your
area. Then you can "suggest" possible angles for them. But at first
you have to let them alone after you have provided routine
assistance. You still have some degree of control, however. Just
because you invite a reporter to cover an event doesn't mean that you
have to bare your entire life to him or her. At the beginning you can
establish "ground rules". For example, you can specify that you or
any member not be identified by your real name. Or you can ask that
an event not be publicized beforehand to reduce the possibility of
troublemakers attending. Ground rules must be established before you
begin an interview.
What about photos? If your members have no problem with having their
pictures appear in the newspaper or on television; great! But if they
do, explain this to the photographer or reporter (television camera
operators generally take direction from the reporter).
You need not invite reporters to actually be present at an event. You
can send newspapers a release immediately after the event has
occurred This practice generally does not work for television and
radio. They will need video or audio tape of the actual event.
These are the important ellements in a press release:
If you send an after-the-fact release and you have access to a
darkroom, you may want to include a glossy black and white photo of
the event. Make sure it is at least 5 by 7 inches. Don't send color
prints, and don't ask that the photo be returned. Depending on how
well you know (and trust) the people who are pictured in the
photo(s), you may want to have them sign a simple photo release to
protect you and your group from possible future legal action. But
editors don't care about such releases. They assume that if the photo
is sent to them openly, it is okay to publish it. Each photo must
have a cutline or caption attached. The most acceptable way is to
type it on a separate sheet and tape it to the back of the photo. The
cutline should have most of the same information that is at the top
of the news release that accompanies it. Do not write on the back of
the photo. To keep the photo from being bent in the mail, put a sheet
of cardboard in the envelope.
A non-profit association to educate the professional and general
communities about transgendered people.
For more information write:
Renaissance
987 Old Eagle School Rd., Suite 719
Wayne, PA 19087
Phone: 610-975-9119
Email: renaissance@ren.org