Working with the media

Working with your local media is the best way to get free publicity for your activity.

The media won’t campaign for you but they always like to know what’s happening in their area, so give them a news story with a local angle and you could get an article in your community newspaper or an interview with your local radio station.

Why engaging the local media works:

• Local media are always interested in events in their area, especially when it’s for a charity or interesting campaign like Time to Change

• Media coverage = free advertising! Not only will it boost your event footfall, it will also boost the profile of your organisation and help you to build further support from residents in the area

• It’s time to talk, it’s Time to Change - by speaking out about mental health in the media, we can help break down misconceptions surrounding it and show people that it’s common and okay to be open about it

We've created a template press release to help you publicise your 'It's time to talk' events or activity!  Download it here.

Top 10 Tips

1.    Get the right contact: Contact the news desk to find out who the most appropriate news reporter is. Always call first, rather than sending an email

2.    Calendar hooks; Time your launch around a particular special date or other local event to provide a ‘hook’ eg World Mental Health Day

3.    Personal experience; The media are always looking for ways to bring the story to life and people’s experiences are a good way to do this

4.    Spokespeople: The local media are often keen to have a local spokesperson. This could be someone with personal experience of mental illness, a local celebrity or a local health professional

5.     Local newspapers: The local papers are all about news, so find a good news angle on your activity. Call the news desks a least a week before your event, have a ‘headline’ in mind, and mention the most exciting, or unusual aspect of the story first. Follow up your phone call with a press release

6.    Local TV: If you have an interesting launch event, ‘stunt’ or activity planned, you may be able to get a local TV news reporter to come along. A photo stunt or quirky event can be a great way to generate media interest on the day of your event

7.     Local radio: Talk to your local radio station and identify shows or presenters that might cover your story

8.    Use the web: Don’t forget social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter to promote your event as well as local websites and community blogs

9.    Key messages: Time to Change’s key messages like ‘Don’t be afraid to talk about mental health’ should form the backbone of everything you say to the media. Don’t worry about being repetitive – sometimes this can be the key to getting a clear message across

10.    Be organised: Don’t forget the media works to tight deadlines, and journalists are always in a hurry. Make sure you have everything you need before you approach them.

For more tips on engaging the media, download our PDF factsheet.

Time to Change press office – We’re here to help

Our PR team are here to give you support and advice about getting media coverage for any Time to Change activity.   For further information and help with engaging the media, contact Larissa Abl or Hayley Richardson.