How to reach out to the media and get coverage for your cause
How to reach out to the media and get coverage for your cause
Want to get your petition in the news? This ultimate guide shows you how to pitch to media, build press relationships, and turn your campaign into a headline-grabbing movement.In this article you will learn:
Securing media coverage for your petition helps amplify your message, engage more supporters, and influence key decision-makers.
Use this comprehensive guide to help you navigate the media landscape and take the steps you need to secure news coverage to spread the word about your cause.
Best practices for engaging the media
From contacting local media outlets to mobilizing your supporters to help you take action in the community, there are many ways to get media coverage for your campaign.
Keep these best practices in mind when pitching to news outlets and developing media relationships.
Research the news outlet and its audience
Understanding the media outlets you aim to engage with is crucial.
Familiarize yourself with the content, tone, and audience of each newspaper, magazine, blog, email newsletter, or podcast you plan to target. This knowledge enables you to tailor your pitch to align with each outlet’s interests, increasing the likelihood of coverage.
For instance, if your petition addresses a local issue, prioritize local newspapers, radio stations, and TV channels that focus on community news. You can also find different angles. For example, local TV stations could be interested in a petition about an animal sanctuary shutting down due to a lack of funding. Additionally, this issue would also appeal to national animal rights publications.
Emphasize personal stories
Personal narratives resonate deeply with audiences and journalists alike. Highlighting individual experiences related to your cause can humanize the issue and make it more relatable.
Incorporate compelling stories from your petition or comments from supporters to illustrate the real-world impact.
For example, a petition asking Spotify to remove Andrew Tate's courses from the platform included the petition starter's professional experience with high school students who had been exposed to this harmful content.
Including a petition comment, like the one below, would add strength to a successful news pitch.
Relevance and timing are key
Connect your petition to current events, upcoming legislation, or local issues to demonstrate why it’s important to cover your story now.
If your cause aligns with a trending topic or addresses a pressing community concern, highlight this connection in your outreach. Timing your pitch to coincide with related news can enhance its appeal.
Highlighting the number of signatures your petition has can add weight to your pitch, especially if it’s gaining momentum. For example, you could add something like: "My petition has received [insert number] of signatures in the past week. It's really gaining traction.”
Provide a fresh perspective
Offer a unique angle that distinguishes your story from others.
Whether it's an underreported aspect of a broader issue or a novel solution your petition proposes, presenting a fresh perspective can capture a journalist's interest.
Emphasize what sets your petition apart and why it matters to the community.
Follow up strategically
After sending your initial pitch, follow up with journalists, editors, or producers to keep your story on their radar. Be polite and concise in your communications, providing any additional information they might need.
Unless the petition is time sensitive, the general advice would be to wait roughly a week before sending any follow-up emails or calls.
Maintaining a spreadsheet to track your outreach efforts, including contacts made and responses received, can help you stay organized and persistent without being overbearing.
Tactics for securing media coverage
Following a few simple steps can increase the chances of obtaining media coverage for your petition's cause.
Identify target publications and contacts
Determine which media outlets are most appropriate for your cause. For local issues, focus on local news outlets such as community newspapers, radio stations, podcasts, and TV channels.
For specialized topics, seek out niche or trade magazines or podcasts.
Research the journalists who cover stories similar to yours and find their contact information through the outlet's website or their social media profiles.
If addressing a large media organization, it can be useful to contact the editor for the relevant section. For example, if your petition has to do with mental health, find out if they have a mental health editor or a health editor.
Craft a compelling pitch
Your pitch should be clear, concise, and tailored to the journalist's interests. Begin with a strong subject line that summarizes the essence of your story. Include "PITCH", "NEWS PITCH", or "FEATURE PITCH" at the start of the subject line.
In the body of the email, briefly introduce yourself, explain the purpose of your petition, and highlight its significance and why now is the time to cover it in the news.
Include key details such as the number of signatures gathered and any notable endorsements.
Personalize each pitch to demonstrate genuine engagement with the journalist's work, such as mentioning other stories they've covered around a similar topic.
→ Use our complete guide to creating a successful media pitch for step by step instructions and examples.
Write and distribute a strong press release
A well-structured press release can be a valuable tool for communicating your message to multiple press contacts if it has mass appeal. Keep it brief, but without missing any key details.
Ensure it includes the five Ws: who, what, when, where, and why.
Start with a compelling headline, followed by a lead paragraph that captures the main points. Provide supporting details in the next paragraphs, and end with contact information and a call to action.
Avoid attachments. Instead, paste the press release directly into the body of your email.
Build relationships with media professionals
Establishing a rapport with journalists and media staff can facilitate ongoing coverage.
Engage with them on social media platforms like LinkedIn, Instagram, or Bluesky, comment on their articles, and share relevant information that aligns with their beat. Demonstrating a genuine interest in their work can lead to more receptive responses when you pitch your story.
If they recognize your name from having engaged with their content on social media, they are more likely to open your email.
Ensure credibility and accessibility
Provide accurate, well-researched information to establish your credibility. Include links to your petition, relevant studies, and additional resources.
Depending on the nature of your petition, journalists might want to fact-check it. Make sure to have proof to back your claims, if you haven't already included it in your petition.
Offer to answer questions and make it easy for journalists to contact you or other key stakeholders for interviews.
Highlight social media engagement
Utilize social media to amplify your message and attract media attention. Share updates about your petition, engage with supporters, and use relevant hashtags to increase visibility.
Journalists often monitor social media for story ideas, so maintaining an active and informative presence can work in your favor.
Getting exposure from activists on social media can also help get media attention. Include any notable mentions or endorsements in your outreach.
Include multimedia like photos, videos, and audio
Photos, video, recorded audio, or podcast appearances help bring your story to life. Include any visuals or audio created related to your petition. Make sure to mention any events that might be opportunities for journalists to capture great content like hearings, stunts, or speeches. Just don’t clog up reporters’ inboxes with large files.
Be prepared for interviews
If a journalist expresses interest, be ready to articulate your message clearly and confidently in media interviews. Anticipate potential questions and practice your responses. Have about three main points you want to get across. Be sure to mention your Change.org petition and how much support it has to add credibility and drive more people to sign.
Example:
Point 1: The Green Bay School District cut the budget for special education, and that’s not fair for children like my son, who has Asperger’s Syndrome.
Point 2: The school district needs to give all children the chance to succeed by reinstating the special education budget.
Point 3: My Change.org petition to reinstate the special education budget has 350 signatures and there is still time to sign before the school board meeting on Thursday.
Familiarize yourself with your petition's key statistics and personal stories to provide compelling answers. Preparation ensures that you convey your points effectively during interviews. Practicing with a friend or other activists can be helpful.
Organize community actions
Taking your activism from the screen to real-life events can help maximize the outreach of your petition and also get the attention of the media, potentially becoming a news story on its own.
You can easily organize community actions, such as peaceful protests using petition updates.
Community actions can also be a great source for taking photos and videos to provide to journalists in your future pitches.
In-person events, such as community actions, are attractive to the media. Photo by Matt C on Unsplash
Examples of successful petitions that got media attention
Checking out petitions that have successfully earned media attention can provide valuable insights into effective strategies.
Petition: Stop the abolishment of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
A petition was started to stop Representative Pat Curry from introducing House Bill 4938 that proposed the abolishment of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD).
With almost 6,000 signatures, the petition achieved its goal. Before hitting that ultimate milestone, it also caught the attention of local media outlets.
MIX94.1 and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported on the bill and the Change.org petition. The the Fort Worth Star-Telegram later published a second news story to cover the win, as well as Click2Houston.com.
Petition: Set Romeo the manatee free
Miami Seaquarium caught media attention after it was revealed they were keeping Romeo, a 66-year-old manatee, in harmful conditions.
The movement to find a better home for him, including a Change.org petition with over 46,000 signatures, was reported on by major outlets including Yahoo News and USA Today.
Thanks to this pressure, Romeo was eventually moved to a better facility at Tampa Zoo.
Petition: It's time for a woman moderator: Equality in the 2012 presidential debates
After discovering that it had been 20 years since a woman had moderated a presidential debate, three high school students started a petition on Change.org asking for a woman moderator in the 2012 debates.
The story was featured on ABC News, and The Guardian mentioned the petition when it was announced that a woman (Candy Crowley of CNN) would be moderating one of three Obama-Romney debates.
Maximize your petition's reach: Get on the news
Just like the petitions above, you can use the media to amplify your cause and get more signatures.
Start by creating a petition and getting supporters. You might end up creating meaningful change in the world.
