Media Tools and Tips: Publicize your Journey

Why contact the media

You're traveling to a part of the world that is talked about a great deal in the media–and that is often misrepresented or misunderstood. Believe it or not volunteering in the Middle East can be, in itself, a newsworthy event–you may not get coverage in the New York Times, but there is a good chance your local newspaper or school newspaper would be interested in your experiences and perspectives.

We encourage all of our participants to contact newspapers, radio programs, and other forms of local media before departure.

The first step is to collect the names and phone numbers of people to contact. The easiest way to do this is by looking for the information online.

Once you have your contact list, contact them with a phone call—an e-mail or letter won’t be enough. Tell them about the volunteer program and ask them if they’d be interested in receiving a collect phone call from the Middle East in order to conduct an interview with you halfway through your trip.

If they don’t already have staff in the region, you could also offer to call them if any major developments happen in the area so that they can have direct access to the story.

Basic Media Tips

You’re Not Asking for Any Favors. Journalists need contacts. They can’t get very far without them. When you approach a journalist with a story, remember that you are doing them a favor by bringing it, not the other way around. In other words: be confident. Your story deserves to be heard.

Media Outlets are Everywhere. There are more “media outlets” than you could possibly imagine. For example, if you’re a college graduate, chances are your college has a publication with stories about current students and alumni. When looking for media, “think outside the box.”

Take Notes. Keep a journal during your trip. If you have a camera, take pictures. Record your experiences!

What Makes You Unique? Everyone has a unique perspective which will appeal to a unique audience. Your job or organization affiliations may have unique publications attached to it. Or even your religious views (think: church bulletins, religious magazines, etc.)

Don’t Get Discouraged. Some media outlets won’t be interested. But don’t give up!

Make a List of Media Outlets

You have an unique opportunity to share what you learn with others in your community. We encourage you to share your story as widely as possible.

Do you have a local newspaper? A Local radio show? Does your church or religious community have their own publications? Do you belong to a club or professional organization that has a publication? Are you an alumni of a college or university that has a regular publication (most do)? Make a list.

Press Release Tips

Tips for writing press releases:

Make sure the title is both descriptive and compelling. It should sound like a real headline. So "My Trip to the Middle East" doesn't work. "Volunteers Abandon Normal Lives to Live with and Work with Palestinians" might be a better choice.

Get inside the head of whoever you are sending a release to. For example, if you're an Arab-American and you're sending this to an Arab-American publication, make that a focus. If you're sending this to a church publication and you're a member, make sure that's clear.

If you can, address the press release to an actual editor (use their name) and not something more generic.

You're first paragraph needs a "hook"–something compelling that will make them want to read more.

Keep it simple: limit it to one page if at all possible.

The "cut and paste" rule: if a newspaper were to cut and paste your press release and place it in their newspaper, would it work as an article? If not, what's missing?

This is journalism here, so remember to include: who, what, where, and why.

Always follow up with a phone call to make sure your press release was received.

Be sure to include your name and contact information at the top of the press release.

Be sure to include “For Immediate Release” on the top right of the page.

Resources

Living Media CD

"Living Media is a 60-minute audio cassette training tape, now also available on a CD with over 35 pages of resources, designed to give people who travel to the Third World the skills and confidence to communicate with their community through the media. Working with Living Media will help both fundraising prior to your trip and outreach when you come home. "