TABLE OF CONTENTS | ORDER Making the News

• Does your non-profit or religious group need help working with the media?
• Do you know what editors and reporters are looking for in a story?
• Do you need help writing a press release?
• Do you know how to hold a press conference or media event?

Get answers to these questions from Making the News, a media relations guide for non-profit and religious groups.

This book, by media relations expert John Longhurst, can help your group get its message out to the media. Through Making the News you can learn how the media works, what reporters look for in a story, how to write a press release, how to be interviewed, how to hold a press conference, crisis communications, other media opportunities and more. Making the News also contains a special chapter on the unique issues and challenges facing religious groups that want to work with the media.

Longhurst, who lives in Winnipeg, is also available to do workshops on media relations and news writing for your group. Click here for more information.

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Contents

Introduction

• Why work with the media?
• Who are the media?
• Rules the media live by
• A day in the life of a media outlet

Making the News

• What is news?
• The importance of timeliness
• The local angle
• The human interest angle
• The importance of regular contact

The Press Release

• Purpose of the news release
• How to write a news release
• Tips on writing a news release
• Sending a news release
• Examples of news releases

The Interview

• Who will interview you?
• How will you be interviewed?
• What should you say?
• Interview tips

News Conferences and Media Events

• News Conferences
• Media events

Other Media Opportunities

• Op-ed submissions
• Letters to the editor
• Meeting with editors and news directors
• Call-in shows
• Public service announcements
• Paid advertising
• Free advertising
• Special supplements
• Rural media suburban weeklies
• The alternative press
• Sending reporters on overseas trips

Religion and the Media

• Introduction
• Sharing religion stories with the media
• Thoughts from journalists on covering religion
• Conclusion

Crisis Communications

• Crisis communications strategy
• Dealing with a crisis
• Sharing bad news

Miscellaneous

• What to do when the media get it wrong
• When an interview doesn’t result in an article or report
• Should you ask reporters to join your board?
• Famine pornography
• Audience research
• Gimmicks
• The Internet

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