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What is news?
The news is about what's new. So always keep at the forefront of your mind when planning a media campaign "Why is there a news angle?"
Examples that your group may be able to use are:
- Every year you have a remembrance service but in three weeks time it is your first ever Candlelight service.
- You have installed a bench with a Sands Plaque at the Cemetery and invited the Chief Executive of the Council or The Lord Mayor to open it and unveil the plaque.
- A new service for the bereaved parents - a dedicated local Sands mobile phone helpline (cost 50) is initiated.
- Giant Presentation cheque by a business donor enables you to create small specialist library for bereaved parents.
- Balloon Release that helps parents 'let go'.
- Hospital bereavement suite refurbishment costing 1000's makes a good positive story from a negative situation. Business donors love publicity so always suggest giant cheque presentations which banks normally provide free because it's also good publicity for them.
Important points about your news story from the media's point of view:
The media always want a personal story if possible so find a confident group member who will not be intimidated by questioning and who will feel OK to talk publicly about their own experience.
If you are happy to talk to the media it is also worth bearing the following points in mind:
- make sure that your nearest and dearest is/are comfortable with you talking to the media. Imagine his/her/their response (or that of their friends) if they read about themselves without advance warning: "What do you mean, your husband didn't understand???"
- you need to decide in advance how much of your personal story you want to divulge, so that you don't get drawn into saying more than you want.
- you need to think about whether this is a paper/magazine/programme which you're comfortable with. If not then you might not want to be interviewed, or you might want to talk it through first with someone else.
- think about the interview itself. Would you rather speak face-to-face or over the phone? At their place or yours? Are you happy to have your photograph taken, or to be on camera?
The media like to have a positive story from a negative start point. eg Refurbishing a bereavement suite can be a very positive story in terms of creating an atmosphere that helps calm and comfort totally distraught people facing a dreadful situation.
