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| Path: Main Street : Resources & Library : Research Articles : Feature Article |
Getting your articles published -- practical techniques
October 21, 1998; Canadian FundRaiser
- Suggest story ideas. Offer to write them. Don't spring it on them unexpectedly.
- Make it newsworthy. Give it a local spin, where possible.
- Think like the editor/reporter. Go for their interests -- not yours! Ask them how you can help them.
- It's not an ad! Don't always have an axe to grind.
- Ask for feedback on your ideas. Listen. Then follow through by giving them what they want.
- Community papers love evergreen stories -- ones that don't have to be published at a specific time.
- Prepare a long version and a short version.
- Have a selection of photos. Black and white, not colour. Professional, not snap-shots. Have captions on the back of all of them. Don't ask for them back.
- Have a lead. Get the salient points in the first paragraph -- that may be all that gets published!
- Include quotations; focus on people.
- Build their background knowledge -- in advance -- by inviting them to all of your events.
- Always have media kits. Never, ever assume they kept the one you gave them last week.
- Set up your own web site. Get all of your background material and information up on it. Reporters are using the internet for research.
- If you build a web site, keep it maintained with your latest news as soon as it is in print, if not sooner!
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