The Pitch

Editor's Notes

• #2: Good afternoon Thank you for coming. My name is _____ and I’m part of Rotary’s media relations team. My colleagues and I are going to give a series of talks this week to give you some basic tips on how to get your club stories covered in your local news to help expand the reach of Rotary.
• #3: With media relations your aim is to reach external, non-Rotarian audiences through what is referred to as “earned media” – or editorial coverage. Earned media, is any material written about your club that you haven’t paid for or created. With earned media, it’s key to cultivate mutually beneficial relationships with news media and influencers so that they tell your story.
• #4: Step 1: Clarify your objectives. What are we trying to achieve? What messages are we trying to convey and to whom? And what action do we want our audience to take? Are we trying to change attitudes and behaviors, get younger people interested in Rotary, gain support for a cause or drive attendance to an event?
• #5: Step 2: Frame your story in compelling way so that it is timely, relevant and unique. The People of Action story framework is a great way to start. PROBLEM: Describe the problem or challenge in your community that your club wants to help solve. Include relevant statistics and research that support the story. What were you or your club trying to accomplish? ROTARY: How did the club or identify the issue.? What made them commit to addressing it? Why does this resonate with them? Does someone have a personal connection to the issue? Human interest angle. ACTION: How did the club gather the resources, expertise and partners and to take action? What obstacles did your club face as you worked on this project? Where possible, add elements that elicit sympathy or emotional response, or provokes tension and suspense. IMPACT: What was the result? How many people were helped? Great opportunity to include a quote or interview from a beneficiary or third party. How did it touch the lives of people in your community? How did this project transform you? If available, included data points.
• #6: Step 3: Ensure that your story is newsworthy and impactful. Does it story relate to current events, trends, or observances? Is the news about upcoming, ongoing, or recently completed club events or projects? Is your story relevant to issues, people, or events in the community that the media coverage would reach. Does your story involve local public figures, including elected officials, business leaders, and media personalities. Is there a compelling human interest angle? Are there dramatic, action-oriented images that visually tell your story? Are there statistics and research that support your story and demonstrate your project’s impact on the community?
• #7: Step 4: Approach journalists and time your outreach strategically. Offer stories that align with a reporter’s publication and the topics it covers. Reporters are more likely to read and respond to your email when you send them stories that resonate with their readers. Understand their constraints and publication schedules. Reporters often have tight schedules and need story details and accompanying materials right away. Have photos, videos, statistics, project and background data, and any other helpful material available. Respond promptly to inquiries. An opportunity you’ve offered could disappear if you fail to reply in time. Successful media outreach is all about relationships. Stay connected and always look for opportunities to continue to engage with the reporter after the story has been published. Doing so will solidify your relationship, making it easier and more likely for you get future stories covered. Invite journalists to club meetings that feature speakers who address topics that they cover. Or invite them to participate in a project, event, or other Rotary activity. Follow them on Twitter – read and share relevant coverage
• #8: If a reporter isn’t interested in your story, accept the journalist’s decision, but make sure to keep their information for future opportunities. This story may not be a good fit, but that doesn’t mean the next story will be rejected. Arguing with reporters only alienates them and will hurt your chances of having future stories published.
• #9: In addition to contacting a journalist directly, you can create interest in your club’s activities and events by using news releases, letters to the editor, and opinion pieces. Learn more about each of these types of editorial content in Rotary’s Public Relations Guide available on the Brand Center.
• #10: There are a number resources to help you secure local coverage of your club’s impact: ‘Public Relations and Your Club’ is a new interactive course available in languages on the Learning Center Guides and templates are available on the Brand Center including the Public Relations Guide, Media Crisis Guidelines and template news releases and materials We have regular Trainings and Breakout Sessions that we develop in coordination with RPICs at PETS, GETS, I.A. and conventions: Don’t miss the Convention Breakout Session “How to get your story in the news” on Wednesday, June 8 at 9-10am. This is an hour-long session. Moderated and led by a PR professional based in Houston. The team in the International Offices have tailored trainings for specific markets and languages, and have pre-recorded trainings that can be viewed upon request. And the RI Media Relations Team is always available to guide your approach and provide counsel on media interview prep, messaging, crisis communications, and trainings.