Making the Media Part of Your Dialogue:
A How-to Guide for Local Press Coverage
Defining freedom, identifying the essence of American democracy and discussing worldwide perceptions of U.S. culture are at the heart of the "Dialogue on Freedom" initiative, and are among the most important discussions taking place in our society today.
Media coverage enables thousands outside the classroom to join in the dialogue. It encourages more lawyers and schools to host programs. And press coverage gives credit to you, the teachers, administrators and students who make the dialogues happen.
You should first ask if the school you will visit would allow media coverage of your dialogue. If so, you can put together a media plan consisting of five easy steps.
1) Form a team
2) Do some homework
3) Plan the dialogue logistics
4) Prepare your "press kit"
5) Make the contacts
Step-by-Step:
1) Form a team
Even if you're leading the dialogue on your own, identify and enlist a few people willing and able to help you execute the media plan. Team members could include a school or school district public relations representative, your law clerk, a firm colleague or a paralegal or assistant. If applicable and appropriate, also recruit a public relations specialist from your court's staff or firm's marketing department.
Convene your team for a brief meeting in which you discuss key tasks and individual interests. For example, the school district representative might produce a media contact list. Someone else on the team might call reporters or plan the event logistics. Yet another person may want to write and send the sample press advisory.
2) Do some homework
Your homework should answer several key questions:
a) The strengths and weaknesses of your community as a "media market." How many newspapers and TV stations do you have in your city? Are there local radio news reports? What about local-only websites? Do you have a legal newspaper? Ask the teacher or principal for names of reporters who have shown interest in the school in the past and identify legal reporters with whom you've worked.
The size of your community will affect your strategy. For example, if you live in one the nation's top 20 cities, it will likely be much tougher to get local network TV coverage, but easier to get a cable interview, story in the suburban weekly, or write-up in legal and business publications. If you live in a smaller community there may be fewer media outlets, but they likely will be more receptive.
b) A media list, including a name, phone, fax, email or postal address for each contact.
This is where the school/school district or a public relations specialist on your staff can be most helpful. Pull together a simple list of reporters and editors to contact about the event. We highly recommend calling each contact to ensure the list is up-to-date and determine their preference for receiving information (i.e. fax, email, mail). If the list looks very lengthy and daunting, narrow your focus and pick the top 5, 10 or 20 media outlets most likely to be interested in the event. Media coverage is meant to enhance, not hurt, your dialogue experience.
3) Plan the dialogue logistics
Spend a little time on site at the school, looking at the classroom or library in which the event will be held. Consider acoustics, lines of sight for raised hands, seating arrangements, visual appeal and space for both TV cameras and seated print reporters. Talk over in advance needs like chalkboards and microphones. Plan out in advance where any bar association or school banners will go, who will bring them and how they will be mounted. Alert school security to your plans. Arrange to have the students seated in advance of your entry into the room to avoid chaos. (Arranged seating for students done with an eye toward fostering diversity and lively discussion can be very successful. We also recommend each place have a first-name-only name card.)
Finally, ask the teacher to identify a small group of students (we recommend six) whom you can meet half an hour in advance of the class to "warm them up" and encourage them to help their fellow students participate in the discussion. These same students should be prepared and available to stay after to talk with the media about their impressions of the dialogue.
4) Prepare your "press kit"
This part is easy. Click on the links below and you'll find a media advisory template, as well as a press release and a fact sheet that we ask you to print and use verbatim. You'll also find suggestions for additional materials you may want to include in your press kit.
Because reporters get bombarded with paper, only the media advisory should be sent in advance of the event (see "Make the contacts" below). Make multiple copies of the entire kit for distribution to reporters on the day of the event.
Please note that the following are .pdfs; you may need to download Adobe's free Acrobat Reader in order to view them.
5) Make the contacts
A week before your dialogue, call reporters, editors and producers on your list and alert them to the event. Keep the call short and time it well. No one in the daily media likes to be called after 2 in the afternoon because they are close to deadline. Outline the nature and importance of your call in a minute or less and ask if you can send more detail. Follow up by sending the media advisory to them according to their preference (fax, email, mail). Let them know where to reach you if they have more questions or want to do something in advance.
If possible, call back each contact the day before the dialogue and do a 30-second check-in to see if they are attending. Help them with arrangements and background as needed. Again, enlist the expertise and contacts of the school or school district, as well as the time and resources of your media team members, whenever possible and appropriate.
With this plan in hand, you should be prepared to hold an outstanding dialogue event that will capture media attention. Good luck!
Back to Preparing for a Dialogue
Return to Top
Note: The views expressed here have not been
approved by the House of Delegates or the Board of Governors of
the American Bar Association, and accordingly, should not be construed
as representing the policy of the American Bar Association.
