Knowing the media #

• Get to know publications and journalists – read! Create reasons to go and meet them.
• Create press lists and ensure there are bespoke lists suitable for the content being shared.
• Using social media to engage with journalists, but also find out how they like to be contacted – email text, etc.

Writing a press release #

• Is your story newsworthy?
• Who is the target audience and what are the key messages?
• Which publications is the release targeted at?
• Could you have several versions of the release to also target nationals/local press?
• Use more facts and figures as evidence is essential to include.
• Use photography to stand out and infographics if appropriate.
• Coordinate distribution with HM colleagues (to avoid several releases being sent out on same day).
• Ensure you include ‘Notes to editor’ for further background information. 

Pitching a press release #

• Target your key publications – quality over quantity.
• Which contact is best for you story? Do the background research.
• Keep your pitch short – a good scribe will appreciate the effort to boil a pitch down to one or two short paragraphs that spell out what the story is and why the audience would benefit from reading it.
• Make your subject line catchy.
• Ensure all spokespeople are lined-up to do press interviews.
• Follow-up with a call – discuss the story and if they’re not interested find out why.
• Always have the publication in front of you while pitching, reference the relevant section, mention their recent pieces.

Features #

• For any retained PR campaigns pro-active targeting of media features is necessary.  The majority of publications publish forward feature lists and it is therefore key to track on monitor these for opportunities.
• The process of targeting features includes pitching ideas, thinking out-of-the-box, looking at healthcare stories from different perspective, ie business, health tech and the human angle.

Targeting national and broadcast media #

• Is it news the whole country should know about? Can you go further afield?
• Know the nationals: online and offline – which section and contact is best?
• Do your own research.
• Use Roxhill to source journalist names and subject they cover.
• Call the news desk and ask.
• Consider an exclusive.
• Prepare your pitch: around 15 seconds.
• Broadcast: How visual is it? Why will it make good TV? Help the producer visualise a three minute piece. Studio or location based? What spokespeople are there? Staff? Patients? Relatives? Experts? Demo? Props?