Making Contact – Why Media is Important
For many community groups and organizations, gaining positive and consistent coverage within the media can have an improbable impact on the work they are doing. It can have a multiplier effect on the nice work that groups do. If people know what you have got achieved and what you are doing, they’re more likely to support your group. The more support you get, the more likely you’re to possess an even bigger impact. While it’s important that groups don’t become obsessed about getting media attention as a much bigger priority than actually doing the work they are doing, it can make a difference.
So what are a number of the explanations why the media should be important for your group?
Why is the Media Important?
The various types of media – primarily television, newspapers, and radio – spread and disseminate information. Getting your information into the media will spread your group’s story further than it may well be spread without media coverage. It can facilitate the target of your message to the people you would like to listen to it.
The media is so varied that a community group or organization can closely target almost any sector – and thru them, almost any section of the general public – by looking closely at where it’s directing its media focus.
For example – a tiny low, locally-based community group would probably take a look at concentrating on its efforts in local newspapers, radio, and (if applicable) television. a much bigger event or bigger community organization could look further afield – to major daily newspapers and commercial radio and tv. And so there’s the net, which continues to emerge as a component of the media. It provides free publicity and exposure for not only your news, announcement, event, or request – except for your group or organization yet.
A big benefit when it involves print media coverage is that it’s free – an element of major importance when it involves community groups or organizations with tight budgets! And only does your event or news receive free publicity or news coverage, your group is certain to receive a lift through this coverage also. it’s important to recollect though that while your group won’t obtain this coverage, it’ll work for it in other ways – building relationships with the media, preparing information and releases for them, being willing to talk to them, or be interviewed by them, etc. Without putting in place this sort of labor, your group won’t reap the advantages of “free” media coverage. Gaining coverage within the media could be a good way of providing your group and its activities with greater credibility which features a lot to try and do with the thought processes of the general public which monitor and “consume” the media daily.
Readers, listeners, and viewers who discover about something or read/hear/see something within the media automatically place a greater level of credibility on that than if they saw it in an exceedingly paid ad. The attitude of most media consumers is: if the story is going in the pages of the newspaper, on the air, or on TV, then it’s “important” and price taking notice of. So, if your story is among those who make the grade, then it’s “important” enough to get on the news and so worth taking notice of. It can increase your profile among the final public.
Media coverage can build your profile within the community, which implies could also be able to attract more members, donors, fundraisers, supporters, helpers, etc. Not only this, but a raised profile through media exposure also will sustain and strengthen the support you have already got among existing members, donors, supporters, helpers, etc. It also builds brand definition for you – setting your group aside from other groups operating within the same space.
