MEDIA ADVICE

	Frequently asked questions about the media If you have a question email us at WoMEDIA and we will endeavor to get you an answer. 1. Why doesn't the information I submit to the media always get published? No media company ever guarantees that when someone contributes news or information to them that it will be aired or published. Relevance, timing and space are factors that will determine published or broadcast information. The only time it is ever guaranteed is if it is paid for, that is as a advertorial or advertisement. 2. Why are some of the media people horrible to work with? Like all industries there are good and bad apples. However the media sector is a high stress industry to work in and sometimes just like everybody else staff do have bad days. 3. Why do the media always seem to run bad news stories? There are numerous media products on the market that don't run bad news stories everyday. Tabloid press are more inclined to sensationalize their stories. Community newspapers focus on the good news. 4. Why don't the media turn up when I invite them to an event ? There could be a number of reasons. They didn't receive your invitation, staff were unavailable at that time, you didn't give them enough notice, staff member you sent it to may have left.  5. Why do the media always change my story? Stories are changed and adapted for readership style, house style and available space in the news product. 6. Why does the editor always chop my letter to pieces? Most letters to the editor are edited for length, usually either 200 to 250 words or for legal reasons. 7. Why are some of the media so pushy and sneaky? Usually this is called a media scrum and will depend on the type of news story and the person who is making the news that will attract a lot of the media's attention. 8. Why aren't the media interested in what I have to say? It may be because it isn't relevant to the people you are dealing with. 9. Why is it that some media print my information and others don't? Depending on the type of information you are submitting some media companies will be interested while others won't be. 10. How did my local story make national headlines? The national and metropolitan media companies, read, watch and listen to other news mediums for story ideas for their news product. 11. Why did the journalist change what I said? Perhaps the journalist didn't change what you said. Sometimes when people are talking to journalists they don't realize what they are saying until they have read it or heard it aired. A good tip when being interviewed by a journalist is to ask them to repeat back to you your quotes so that you can make a correction there and then. 12. Why do journalists write such bad head lines ? Journalists don't write the headlines. Sub editors write the headlines to  attract your attention to read the story. 13. Why do other groups get in the media all the time? There could be two reasons. Firstly they could be paying someone to write their media alerts and media releases and sending them out regularly. Secondly, although they have no money the other group has recognized the value of working with their media and has taken a pro active stance in supplying them with information on a regular basis. 14. Why did the press photographer take my photo when I told them not to? The press photographer may have been instructed by his boss not to return to the office without a photo. In this instance the photographer has little choice. Press photographers are legally allowed to enter private property to ask your permission to take your photo. If they are standing on public property they can take your photo from anywhere.  15. Why is it that some businesses always seem to be in the paper? Next time check to see if the word “Advertorial” is present somewhere on the page, this usually means they have paid for that space.