MEET THE PRESS

• How to establish a media contact network
• Five types of story the media loves
• Effective communications with the media
• Emphasize your event's visual appeal
• Tips on public service announcements
• Media interview how-to's

FIVE TYPES OF STORY THE MEDIA LOVES.

NGL community partnerships have a substantial advantage over most organizations seeking media coverage: You work everyday with the types of efforts, successes and issues that appeal to several media audiences. And the stories that will captivate more people, sell more papers, gain new viewers and listeners are the stories that will get the coverage. The media also has a public service mission, and due to the nature of the work you do, community partnerships are able to draw coverage from that source, too. So the media is predisposed to cover topics on community partnerships—if an editor or a producer knows about them. Here are five great types of great stories to make the media aware of:

1. Improving education. Practically every member of the community has a child, or knows a child, who is impacted by changes made to the education system. Let a decision-maker know that your story has a positive impact on your community's students and they are learning how to compete and qualify for those high skills, high wage jobs.
2. Improving the quality of tomorrow's workforce. The community's very existence relies on its ability to attract and retain industry to the region, and on its ability to prepare its teenagers to become contributing members of the workforce. Any editor or producer will want to hear about your efforts to make that happen.
3. Educators and industry working together to achieve common goals. This is the kind of "reversing stereotype" and "beat the odds" angle that viewers, readers and listeners love, since industry and education are traditionally worlds apart or just not involved in each other's business. Such stories have extra punch since just about anyone has an interest in education and/or the success of business.
4. Good use of government funds. Taxpayers and voters of all stripes are inherently interested in how "their" money is spent and who it benefits. Any story that shows your community partnership effectively leveraging government dollars, or using them to achieve measurable results, makes good content. Another advantage: There isn't that many stories like this making the rounds, so your success will stand out all the more.
5. Good human interest stories, such as success stories or good news. This means stories about high school students and teenagers who are taking responsibility for their futures, for their careers, educators who are working to help mold the next generation, industry executives and companies who take time to mentor students and provide internship opportunities for students, as well as externship opportunities for teachers. There is a great deal of good news in community partnerships, much of it appropriate for the publications and broadcast stations that feature "positive news" segments. Become familiar with your local media, and watch for such segments. These are good places to pitch your stories.

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