Media Tips

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Getting media coverage is surprisingly easy, but it requires being diligent about contacting media every single time you see an article that is related to industrial wind plants in your state.

FIRST

I would go to the local NPR and other radio websites and send an email to every one of the hosts of the local talk shows.

The email should be brief.

All it needs to say is that you have a story that is not being covered in your state media and you’re hoping that someone at the local station will be willing to look into it.

It’s OK to send the same email to all of the hosts.

Tell them where you are writing from, give three main points of your story ,and ask someone to call you. Give your phone number.

Be ready to provide other names of people they can speak to.

SECOND

Every single day you need to go wind-watch.org to look at the day’s news postings.

Any time you see a national news story or a story about your state, go to the source of that story (National Wind Watch always provides the link at the end of the story) and:

1. Leave a comment if they are accepting comments (usually there is an option at the end of the article. It requires that you register but that’s not much trouble) The comments should be 250 words or less.

2. Contact the reporter who wrote the story — their email address is usually listed right under their name.

Thank them for covering the issue.
Ask them if they know about another angle on their story.
Give them that angle (your side of the story).
Tell them you’d be happy to talk to them about it and may know of others they can contact.
Give them your phone number.

The most important thing to know when you contact a reporter is that they are usually overworked people on deadline and they report what they know. The wind industry, developers, and lobbyists are good at contacting the media. You can make up the difference by being dedicated to doing the same.

So if a reporter writes something that makes you angry, you must give them the benefit of the doubt. There is a very good chance they don’t know the other side of the story. If you can present it to them as a “tip” you will have a much better chance of getting some coverage than if you write an angry letter to the editor about their article.

3. Do write letters to the editor! You’ll need to make them 250 words or less. You don’t have to live in the area where the article is printed to write a letter to the editor. Again, you want the newspaper to stay on your side, so when you write your letter, just give the other side of the story. There is no need to condemn a reporter or the newspaper; this is the mistake a lot of people make.

You can comment on articles from all over the country. Leaving comments no matter where they are does a lot.

Every single person has the right to contact the press and to tell you the truth they rely on us to do so.

Lastly, don’t feel downhearted if you don’t hear back from them. It’s like fishing. Mostly you don’t get a bite but sometimes you land some big ones!

The more people who contact the media, the better, so spread the word.

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