- Know what media are available to you, the needs and opportunities each medium presents. Focus on those that reach your target audiences. See Media Strategies.
- Assign one person to serve as media coordinator.
- Get to know who covers library, education and related issues for key media. Find out what their interests are and feed them story ideas, fact sheets and articles.
- Keep track of deadlines. For radio news, that can be several times a day. Provide information well in ad advance and don’t call reporters when they are working on deadline.
- Know what’s news—and what’s not. News means there is new information. There is generally a time element involved.
- Have articulate, "mediagenic" spokespeople.
- Be available. Respond to all media calls promptly, even if it’s to say "I can’t talk right now."
- Always give factual information.
- For television, be sure to describe photo/visual opportunities for newspapers and television.
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