Conservation Outreach Manual Campaign Manual FINAL

Media P itching your Story to the Media: • Timing is key. Have your press release drafted ahead of big announcements and events, so you can release them to the media in time for the news to be fresh! If you don’t have an event or announcement, connect your story to something timely, such as Earth Day or current events. • Provide the journalist with a memorable summary, excellent photos/video, contacts for interviews and reasons why your story is exciting. • Do your homework – research journalists and media channels and personalize your pitches only to relevant channels – tell them why your story matters to their audience. • The first paragraph of a press release should provide a summary of the Who, What, When, Where and Why of your story, with the remaining details in the following paragraphs. • If you invite the media to your project site, think about imagery – what would they take footage of? All stories need a visual. Media Workshops A great way to engage the media is to host a media workshop. Keep your content engaging and quick. Bring journalists to your project site and provide opportunities for photography. Organize to have key people at the workshop available for interviews. Be explicit about why your project matters, who is affected and the scope of the impact. All attendees should leave with content for at least one story. WATCH The Saint Lucia National Trust and Department of Fisheries conducted a workshop to sensitize the media about the Point Sables Environmental Protection Area. Watch the news report. The media records a group of students at the Floating Classroom in Antigua's North East Marine Management Area. Conservation Outreach Manual - Page 4 TIPS for Interviewees Provide the media with people they can interview – project managers are great, but they also like to talk to the people impacted. Interviewees should be talkative, knowledgeable about the project and its benefits, and able to speak in clear, simple terms. Before the interview, remind them to mention your organization!

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