I. Understanding the Media

Media relations, also referred to as public relations, is one of the most effective ways to reach your target audience. It involves using the news and public affairs programming in your area to present HIV/AIDS information to your target audience. Before coordinating your media relations efforts, review what your organization is trying to accomplish with its communications program. Doing this will help you develop appropriate media activities and messages that are consistent with your HIV/AIDS program goals.

As you review your HIV/AIDS communications ask yourself:

• What goal(s) do you want to accomplish in your World AIDS Day event?

• Who is your target population?

• What messages must be developed and conveyed to influence your target audience make the desired changes?

• What role do you want the community at large to have?

• What types of media outreach would be efficient and cost effective for accomplishing the above?

Remember that members of the media are also members of the community. They will be interested, both as private citizens and as professionals, in what you are doing. Only two keys are needed to open the door of interest for the media. They are (1) understanding what the media want in a story and (2) making sure that the information is provided to them in a clear and timely manner. Having effective media relations is simple as long as you have those two keys in hand.

Reporters and producers all seek similar story elements: audience appeal; issues that stimulate debate, controversy and even conflict; stories that generate high ratings and increased readership; and fresh perspectives on an issue that will sustain public interest. They try to avoid "old hat" stories that have been duplicated by a competitor or are inaccurate or incomplete, as well as people who are overly persistent when a story has been rejected.

II. Types of News Media

III. Tips for Success

Sustaining Media Interest

• Look for ways to tie in with national HIV/AIDS campaigns, such as AAWH's World AIDS Day ceremony.

  Program in Action: "TRAVIS" On World AIDS Day, December 1, 1998, TRAVIS will premiere on public television stations across the United States. Check your local PBS listing. TRAVIS is a powerful one-hour documentary on the complex life of an African- American boy with full-blown AIDS. TRAVIS is presented by the Independent Television Service. For more information, contact ITVS at 51 Federal St, Ste 401, San Francisco, CA 94107; e-mail itvs@itvs.org; or visit www.itvs.org on the Internet.

• Take the event "on the road," cosponsoring a series of similar events in different communities.

• Consider having a radio or TV station cosponsor the event, which would highlight the station's commitment to the community as well as generate the potential for free publicity for your event.

• Use the World AIDS Day theme to attract both media and public attention. Use it on all publicity-related materials, from invitations to media kits, buttons and banners.

• Allow plenty of planning time when selecting your date and time. Select a time when your most important audiences will be available and, when possible, conflicting events are not taking place.

Utilizing Media -- A Collaborative Effort

In a community, there often are several groups working to promote their particular event. If open communication does not exist, then competition for media coverage may occur, thus causing tension between groups and confusion among the media.

The best way to avoid this media confusion is to encourage a collaborative effort between the local organizations. If possible, form an intermediary group that will coordinate the names, places, dates, etc. of each organization's events to be covered.

Another way to foster a collaborative effort is to involve the community's private and public institutions. They have a stake in HIV/AIDS prevention -- even those that do not yet know it. Businesses will directly benefit from HIV prevention by having a healthy workforce, cutting health care costs, and contributing to the community's overall health and well-being. Make them aware of these benefits as you convince them to join your efforts.

Think Action!

Although you may sometimes call a reporter to put a local angle on a national story, much of the time you will need to create newsworthy material on your own. The three most important elements in a good story from the media's point of view are action, people and substance. Match the media's need with your message. There are numerous opportunities throughout the year to further the momentum you set in motion on World AIDS Day for HIV/AIDS prevention, education and service. Building activities and programs that are important to the community into a year-long calendar can sustain your relationship with the media.

IV. Event Calendar

BEFORE THE EVENT

Track Your Media Relations

Track your media contacts (i.e., phone conversations) by getting all staff to record information (name of the media person and organization, time, date and topics discussed) on a simple form. Examining the media contact forms can provide answers to questions such as how many media inquiries do we receive in a week, month, year? Are they increasing or decreasing?

What to Include in News Releases

News releases should include, in 1-2 pages, the five "W's": WHO is involved; WHAT happened; WHEN did it happen; WHERE did it happen; WHY or how did it happen? The lead paragraph should answer these questions, in one or two sentences, especially since most reporters decide whether or not to read the rest of the release based on the first paragraph, and print editors tend to cut the article from the bottom up. The second or third paragraph should include a "colorful" quote reporters can use in their article. (See Sample News Release.)

Feature news releases can be 3-4 pages in length and should capture a story you want to pitch. An attention-getting headline is important.

Your news release may target specific groups, such as people of different age groups, ethnicities or genders.

Some suggestions for releases include:

Prepare Media Kits

The "media kit" is a collection of information prepared especially for the media to be released on the day of the event. Often, organizations have a standard media kit filled with informational materials that serve as an introduction to an organization. For major news events, the standard kit should be supplemented with information relating to the current event.

Examples of materials that might be included in a media kit are:

• statistics on prevalence of HIV/AIDS in your state;

• information on your organization and its HIV/AIDS prevention programs;

• information on national, state or local HIV/AIDS hotlines;

• business card for the media to contact your agency about HIV/AIDS issues;

• brief, one-page biographies of key agency officials and/or spokespersons;

• photographs (most newspapers prefer black and white) and camera-ready graphics, such as charts and logos;

• 10 Things You Need to Know About HIV/AIDS (refer to Fact Sheet).

Supplements for the basic kit for a special event may include the following:

• news release(s) on the event;

• biographies of people (speakers, panel members, etc.) relevant to the event in which you are trying to interest the reporter; and

• copies of relevant written materials, such as the report being released, statements to be given at a news conference, speeches, etc.

Other Planning Tips

• Write an Op-Ed piece or a Letter to the Editor for your local newspaper to influence public opinion regarding issues pertaining to your World AIDS Day event or activities.

• Pick a central location for the event that is easily accessible (by public transportation, walking and/or with plenty of parking for those driving).

• Contact the reporters who cover community events and pitch the event as a future story.

• Call community calendar reporters at area newspapers and TV, cable and radio stations, asking them to place a calendar notice.

• Hand-deliver or mail invitations to the event two weeks in advance.

• No more than 2-3 days in advance, call editors and reporters and ask if they plan to attend.

• The day before the event, call the media again to politely remind them about the event.

DAY OF THE EVENT

• Set up a media sign-in table with media kits to distribute.

• When the reporters arrive, set up interviews with the right people and escort media to the appropriate spokesperson.

• Issue everyone name badges to promote better communication between media and individuals.

• Have someone from your agency take black-and-white photos to accompany articles in newsletters and other publications and for your own files.

AFTER THE EVENT

• Send an immediate news release to any reporters who were unable to attend.

• Send follow-up letters to the editors of local newspapers. Thank the community and inform them of your success.

• Write a follow-up article for inclusion in appropriate community publications. Illustrate with photos from the event.

Coverage of your World AIDS Day event can be extended by planning in advance a system for measuring successes of the event, such as

(1) how many people attended,
(2) how much media coverage you received, and
(3) how many volunteers were recruited.

Not only is this information useful for internal evaluation, but it can provide focus points for post-event news releases.