Sharing news about your organisation and its latest initiatives is a great way to raise awareness, build support, recruit volunteers, and solicit donations.

And getting a news article placed in a media outlet can be a game-changer for community groups.

But getting the attention of a journalist isn’t simple. You need to clearly and concisely get your message across in a way that cuts through and hopefully piques their interest enough to write a story.

A media release is the most common and effective way of doing this. Think of it as a mini news story that introduces a journalist to your story and gives them everything they need to pursue it further if they wish to.

How do you start? Imagine you’re in an elevator with someone for two to three minutes and you’re telling them about your story. How would you do it in a way that gets the whole message across? How would you make it interesting, exciting and relevant to them?

That’s essentially a media release.

A really good media release should have:

1. A strong and engaging headline
2. A summary of the key facts of the story
3. Necessary detail and colour
4. A summary of your organisation or initiative
5. Contact information

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Example media release

Let’s say you run an animal welfare group and you’re launching a project to socialise shelter dogs and reach potential new volunteers and foster families. This might be the media release you send.

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(Strong engaging headline)

Friends of Fido launches a mobile Dog Library in CityVille Park

(A summary of the key facts of the story)

• Beginning June 1, CityVille residents can ‘loan’ a canine companion for the day from Friends of Fido’s new mobile Dog Library.
• The Dog Library connects lonely shelter dogs with new human friends for socialisation and play.
• Research shows regular dog contact provides mental health benefits to help combat loneliness and depression

(Necessary detail and colour)

Love dogs but don’t or can’t have one of your own? Why not borrow one from CityVille’s first mobile Dog Library, launching next month.

Award-winning animal welfare charity Friends of Fido is launching a new initiative to connect lonely shelter canines with loving humans on an ultra-temporary basis.

The Dog Library, a weekly pop-up in CityVille Park, allows volunteers to loan a pup for a day of play, walkies and cuddles, providing a mutual benefit.

Research shows* regular contact with dogs can have a positive impact on mental health and wellbeing, helping to reduce feelings of loneliness and depression.

But owning a dog isn’t always easy, especially for those living in city apartments that don’t allow pets.

Friends of Fido founder Ralph Puppington said the mobile Dog Library is the next best thing and fulfils a critical but complex requirement for the shelter.

“We have 30 unhomed dogs in the shelter at the moment and while our staff and volunteers are caring and compassionate, there’s nothing quite like getting out for a run and a play with a friendly human being,” Mr Puppington said.

(A summary of your organisation)

“The mobile Dog Library gives our canine residents a fun day out while allowing CityVille locals the chance to spend some time with a new furry friend.

“People interested in loaning from our mobile Dog Library can pre-register their details on our website. All we ask is for a small donation to help continue the important work of the Friends of Fido shelter.

“We’ll operate every Saturday from CityVille park beginning on June 1. We have big dogs and small dogs, adventurous dogs and cuddly dogs, shy dogs and boisterous dogs. No matter who you are, if you have a kind heart and a love of canines, we have a pup perfect for you to loan.”

Information on adoption, fostering, volunteering and regular giving will also be available, with Friends of Fido staff on hand to assist.

For more information, visit the Friends of Fido website at www.friendsoffido.org/doglibrary or call 1800 FIDO CHAT.

Friends of Fido is a not-for-profit animal welfare group founded in CityVille in 2000, providing refuge and rehabilitation for unhomed dogs. It operates three shelters housing up to 30 canines at any one time, cared for by a small staff and an army of volunteers. The organisation is entirely donation-run.

* Research article on the benefits of dog companionship: www.psychologytoday.com/dogsrules

(Contact information)

For interviews, images and more information, contact Friends of Fido founder Ralph Puppington on 0400 000 000 or email ralph@friendsoffido.org

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So, that’s a very quick and basic example of a media release that’s interesting, tells a short but compelling story and has enough information for a journalist to seize.

It includes a newsworthy hook, being the imminent launch of a unique new project. It has all of the crucial details – Who, What, When, Where and Why. There are some quotes from a voice of authority. There’s even a reference to some independent context in the form of a research report.

It’s brief and to the point. A good media release should be one page. You only have a few minutes to make an impression.

You could also supply a photograph of Ralph Puppington and some of the shelter residents to make it even easier for the journalist to be interested. But, some outlets may want to take their own pictures so be prepared for that. They may also want to interview Ralph Puppington or find an extra voice for their story, such as a volunteer.

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Some final tips

1. Proofread your media release before sending. Watch for any typos or factual errors.
2. Send it to a journalist and media outlet relevant to your audience. A serious financial newspaper won’t care about Friends of Fido’s mobile dog library
3. Don’t send it to anyone and everyone. Identify your top outlet and go to them first. They may not want the story if everyone else already has it.
4. Send the media release with a brief email to the journalist or the outlet’s news desk introducing yourself, the organisation and explaining in one or two lines the story you’re offering.

When should you send a media release? When you have something new, newsworthy, interesting and shareable to say.

When should you not send a media release? On all other occasions.

Some organisations fall into the trap of issuing media releases on all occasions. This is a sure-fire way of eroding the trust and attention of those journalists you’re speaking to. Don’t be the boy who cried news. Ask yourself: Will anyone really care about this information?

If not, consider sharing it via alternative channels, such as your website or on social media.Sharing news about your organisation and its latest initiatives is a great way to raise awareness, build support, recruit volunteers and solicit donations. And getting a news article placed in a media outlet can be a game-changer for community groups. But getting the attention of a journalist isn’t simple. You need to clearly and concisely get your message across in a way that cuts through and hopefully piques their interest enough to write a story.

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