How do you pitch your nonprofit to the media to get coverage?

Denise Moorehead, Communications Director, Third Sector New England

For more info visit: http://www.tsne.org

This video was originally shared on blip.tv by tsne with a No license (All rights reserved) license.

So, It’s “In” to Be Black

So, Larry King and company have proclaimed, “It’s in to be Black.”  He explained, laughingly (and that’s the part that really got me), on one of his recent shows that his eight-year-old son wants to be Black.

When did it become appropriate for people in the news business to joke about race like bad comedians on cable networks?

So, I guess I wasn’t in before?

First, King is suggesting that being Black was out until he decreed otherwise. As a Black American, I’ve always thought that being Black was in. I either felt sorry for or angry at those pathetic people who acted otherwise – the people that unwittingly helped to galvanize the Civil Rights movement and the centuries-long activism (most of it left out of the history books) that came before it.

Third Annual Be the Media Mini-Conference

Challenges and Opportunities in the Age of
New Media for Grassroots Organizations

The annual Be the Media Mini-Conference will help participants understand the link between strategic communications and organizing strategies as well as learn more about essential communications tools and techniques.

Date: Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Time: 9 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. (lunch provided)
Location: NonProfit Center
Cost: $15 – $35 sliding scale, includes lunch
Sponsored by: Progressive Communicators Network and Third Sector New England
Co-sponsored by: Project Think Different, Boston Women’s Fund, Resist and Press Pass TV

Communications and media work are powerful tools for organizers and nonprofits working on community and social issues, but they can also present challenges, particularly for under-resourced groups.

In recent years, the development of new media tools such as social networking sites, blogs with multi-media content, YouTube and cell phones as mass communication devices have both given groups more options and raised questions about where to focus already limited staff and volunteer time. At this year’s conference, we will explore not only how to implement these tools, but identify what are their best and most impactful uses for grassroots organizations.

The conference is designed to serve change makers at levels of communication experience including those who are doing communications work as part of their current positions, such as organizers, executive directors or policy advocates.

Pitching to the Media: Batter Up!

Five Tried and True Ways to Pitch the Media on Your Nonprofit’s Issues

You know that media coverage helps to generate discussion about the critical issues your nonprofit organization is trying raise with your constituents and the public in general. But getting coverage is not always easy, especially for issues that nonprofit organizations are apt to be working on, issues related to ensuring equity, building sustainable communities and respecting diversity.

So what works and what doesn’t when it comes to pitching story ideas to traditional print and electronic media? Take this short (Tried and) True or False quiz, and see if you can add any tips to your media pitching toolkit.