Getting to know your media

It is important to know who your target media are before beginning any sort of media relations campaign.

Most people will be aware of the daily and weekly newspapers in their region and the main TV, radio and local online news sites. Pull together a list of those that you know and ask colleagues and other contacts to identify gaps. Speak to young people, parents and teachers about what they read and listen to and which websites they use. To find contact details for your local media try the Media UK Internet Directory on www.mediauk.com.

Once you have a list of media you will want to identify the key contacts at each. Where education correspondents exist they will be a key contact but you may also want to gather contacts for the news, business and healthcare contacts, as who you speak to will depend on the individual story. Set up a table of all key journalists where you can record their contact details, how they like to receive information, and notes of past contact and stories they have covered.

You may want to call and introduce yourself to education correspondents at your local media. Ask if there is a convenient time when you could brief them by phone or in person on Aimhigher and find out more about what types of stories they are interested in. Encourage them to use you as a first point of call when they require information or comment on widening participation issues.