April is OT Month
Tips on Reaching the Media to Promote "Living
Life To Its Fullest"
Media coverage can vastly increase a community's
knowledge of and participation in any event. The
suggestions offered here are intended to help you
organize your media efforts. They are geared to
showcasing occupational therapy events that reflect the
profession's stake in the health and well-being of
individuals and the community.
Identify a News Story
Reporters are always looking for timely, local news stories.
Chances are, you have a story to tell that will help illustrate
the new brand, and you didn't even know it! Here are a few
examples to get you thinking:
- Research: Do you know of OT-related
research coming out that will have an impact on the
profession and its clients? Or, does some research impact
your practice or your community? If it's been accepted by
a peer-reviewed journal-even if it has not yet gone to
publication-it's news!
- Trends: Have you noticed a new trend
that indicates a change in the direction of the profession?
Or an emerging issues in your community? If you can clearly
outline a trend, reporters will want to hear about
it.
- Human interest stories: Client success
stories, coupled with compelling photos/videos, make
excellent "human interest" stories. Be mindful of
confidentiality restrictions if you choose this option, and
be sure to get the client's permission before releasing
any personal information or visual materials to the media.
- Events/conferences/speaking engagements:
If the topic is new, an event or speaking engagement might
interest the media. Just keep in mind that reporters like to
know about this type of news well in advance.
Develop a Media List
Make a list or database of the following:
- Daily and weekly newspapers, newspaper supplements, and
special sections or columns that typically cover your type of
story
- Radio stations
- Television stations, including local cable channels
- Web-based community news sites
The media list should include contact names, phone numbers,
and e-mail addresses of the reporters, columnists, and editors
(newspaper); news directors (radio); and producers (TV) of the
media outlets you have targeted.
If you're promoting an event, you can also place
information in community calendar listings. Calendars have
strict deadlines and limitations on the number of words you can
include.
Identify an Occupational Therapy
Spokesperson
Choose someone who can speak authoritatively on your news
story and is comfortable speaking publicly. (If you are
promoting an event, this spokesperson should be attending the
event and be available for possible telephone interviews before
and after.) It also is good to have a back-up spokesperson.
Delivering on the interview is important to developing good
media relationships for future issues and activities.
Draft a Press Release
Click here for a
sample press release. Be sure to tailor the release to your
community and your specific news story. Including a local angle
will increase your likelihood of getting coverage. Remember to
write a catchy headline that will grab the reporter's
attention, and include Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How in
your lead paragraph, if possible. Also, be sure to include at
least one quote from your spokesperson.
Contact the Media
E-mail the editors and reporters on your list. (If this is a
long list, it's a good idea to prioritize the contacts,
creating an "A list" and a "B list." Give
priority to reporters with whom you already have a relationship
and those who you think will be most interested in the subject
matter.) Never send your press release as an attachment-always
include it in the body of your e-mail below your signature. In
your e-mail, as succinctly as possible, touch on the major
points of your story, including why the issue is important to
the reporter's readers or audience. Offer the reporter a
chance to interview your spokesperson. And of course, use the
brand message, "Live Life To Its Fullest," as a key
element!
Follow Up E-Mails with Phone Calls
Reiterate major points of your story, ask if you can provide
any additional information that would get your story covered
and again offer an interview with your spokesperson.
When speaking about occupational therapy, be sure to say
"occupational therapy" rather than "OT,"
and include the fact that April is national Occupational
Therapy Month. Don't forget to mention any good visuals if
you're speaking with a newspaper or television
reporter!
Evaluate Your Effectiveness
Which reporters covered your story and which did not?
Sometimes it's just a matter of timing. If other news pulls
media attention away from your story, follow up later with
reporters who seemed interested when you first pitched to them.
Offer additional story angles, if possible. After OT Month,
analyze the reasons information was or wasn't utilized so
that you can adapt your approach the next time you pitch
occupational therapy issues to the media.
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