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How to Create a Nonprofit Media Relations Policy (with Template!)

Maria Satira • July 2, 2022

Establishing partnership and coverage expectations for members of the media

It takes time to develop quality and valuable relationships with members of the media. If your nonprofit organization is looking for earned media opportunities, one of the most effective ways to get that type of coverage is to network with local journalists. While some of these partnerships are easy to form, others can be a bit trickier. Once you have these types of relationships created, they reporters and journalists may reach out to your organization for interview requests or event coverage. It’s a great opportunity, but sometimes these requests and deadlines aren’t always convenient for your staff members or volunteers. Creating a media relations policy can help with this.


As a former local news reporter and anchor, I always appreciated when a nonprofit had a media policy in place. While it set guidelines and boundaries for coverage, it helped me know I can expect from the organization and what the organization can expect from me. If a nonprofit was only staffed a couple days during the week, this type of policy let me know ahead of time so I could plan my story accordingly. It was also super helpful to know exactly who I should contact and their preferred means of communications. 


This is especially true for nonprofits with a small team, those that don’t have regular office hours, or groups without a physical office location. When a member of the media reaches out to you for a story, sometimes it’s difficult to say yes, even though you want to for the good of your organization.


Here are some tips for establishing a media relations policy along with what you can include on your website. 


Determine your primary media contact

This person will be the main contact for the media. You’ll want to have this person’s name, email, and direct line or cell phone number available on your website. This person will also be your media contact on all press releases and story pitches. They may or may not serve as your spokesperson. They can certainly be the face of your organization you wish, or they can be the one who coordinates behind the scenes. 


Determine your secondary media contact

If your primary contact is unavailable, on vacation, or out of the office, you’ll want to have a secondary person on standby. Typically, your primary media contact will list this person’s information on their out of office email reply. This is a quick and easy way to let a reporter know that if they’re emailing about a media request, they should direct it to someone else on the team. Be sure to include name, title, email, and phone number in the out of office reply.


Write a formal media relations policy

With the below template, you can create your own media relations policy that will serve as a resource for any reporters looking to contact your organization. You can post this on your website under your newsroom page, or create a new page dedicated to media relations. Once you create this, it’s also a good idea to email it out to your media contact list to let them know about your policy. You can also send it out again as a reminder once a year, or if you make any major updates.


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Media Relations Policy

INSERT ORGANIZATION NAME HERE

(Date last updated: XX-XX-XXXX)


INSERT ORGANIZATION NAME HERE values our partnership with media outlets, journalists, and the public. To best assist you, we have created the following media relations policy. Please refer to this policy prior to contacting our organization.


Should you wish to reach out to our organization with a media request, please contact FULL NAME, TITLE who serves as our primary media contact. You can reach them directly via phone (PHONE NUMBER) or email (INSERT EMAIL). If they are not available, you can then contact our secondary media contact. FULL NAME, TITLE is available via phone (PHONE NUMBER) or email (INSERT EMAIL), but only if the primary contact is not available or out of office.


When requesting interviews or additional information, please keep the following in mind:

  • Make your request directly through our primary media contact
  • Allow lead time for your request.
  • As a busy nonprofit, we ask that you give us as much notice as possible. While we understand this can’t always be the case, we appreciate your cooperation.
  • After-hours requests will be handled during the next business day.
  • Let us know your story topic so we can best prepare supplemental information
  • Let us know your deadline so we can best assist you in your request


Thank you for helping us in our efforts to create meaningful and positive relationships with your media outlet. We appreciate your work in helping to spread the word about INSERT ORGANIZATION NAME HERE.


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Media relations policies are meant to improve relationships between nonprofits and journalists. I detail more about these types of policies and offer more suggestions in my book, An Introduction to Media Relations for Nonprofit Organizations. If you purchase a copy of my book, I'm also offering a complimentary copy of the Bonus Workbook. Please reach out to me directly (maria@mariasatira.com) if you'd like this 20+ page resource. It includes tons of great information, exercises, and templates for nonprofits looking to enhance their media relations strategies.


With more than a decade of experience as a member of the media and a media relations expert, it is my goal to help you get the coverage you deserve. Reach out to my team and we can schedule a consultation to discuss how our media relations services can help your organization. Click here to learn more or send us an email at hello@mariasatira.com



Cheers,

Maria

5 Reasons Why Your Nonprofit Needs to Have a Blog

By Maria Satira • February 11, 2024
There are endless ways to share your nonprofit’s message to its target audience, community, and donors. One of the best tools an organization can utilize is a blog on its website. Blogs and articles are great for highlighting programs, organizational needs, and industry expertise.

The Best Lesson I Learned as a Reporter and How it Can Help Nonprofits

By Maria Satira • September 6, 2023
“Report on issues, not events.” That was the advice of one of my very first news managers. I was a young, eager multi-media reporter straight out of college and I was just beginning to navigate the world of television news. I was sitting in our morning story pitch meeting and sharing a few ideas that I wanted to cover that day. All of them were events.

Generate Awareness for Your Nonprofit in Big Ways

By Maria Satira • January 20, 2023
Some of the best ways to generate awareness are opportunities to partner with other entities. Here are some of my favorite awareness campaigns that won’t cost your organization a penny but could get you featured on national news circuits, statewide agency announcements, and/or in your local media.

Can a Former Journalist Fill Your Organization’s Next Marketing Role?

By Maria Satira • November 5, 2022
I’ve recently discovered that many journalists are more interested in working for nonprofit organizations and finding reward and satisfaction in the work they do. That said, I want to share five reasons why your organization might find value in hiring a former journalist for a marketing and communications role:

The Best Free Digital Marketing Resources for Nonprofits

By Maria Satira • January 30, 2022
Navigating the digital marketing world as a nonprofit can be challenging. Here are my three favorite free digital marketing resources to make the process easier.

How to Write an Effective Media Story Pitch (with Template!)

By Maria Satira • January 29, 2022
A typical reporter can look at a pitch in just five seconds and know if it’s worth their time. There is an art to story pitching, and I’m here to share it with you.

Why you can't have a first annual event

By Maria Satira • October 30, 2021
My team here at Maria Satira Media works with many nonprofits of all difference sizes. This includes national advocacy organizations, statewide associations, and local nonprofits. Over the years, we’ve helped publicize various fundraisers as these groups look to raise money. However, there is one type of fundraiser we won’t work with... at least, until it gets a name change. Events with the phrase “first annual” are big no-nos. Why, you may ask? Well, it's because you can’t have a first annual anything. As a former local news anchor, I’d see this mistake several times a week through press releases, social media advertisements, and website content. If something is in its first year, it can’t logically be referred to as the first annual. Here's why: The word annual implies the event is yearly. If the event is in its first year, it can’t be yearly because it hasn’t happened prior to this year. For something to become annual, it needs to happen more than once. Alternatives to first annual: Try using the word inaugural if it is the first time your event is happening. Example: Maria Satira’s Inaugural Writing Seminar Or, you could always use the word first, since it is the first. Example: Maria Satira’s First Writing Seminar When to use annual: Once the second year of the event rolls around, then you can start to use annual in the title. Example: Maria Satira’s Second Annual Writing Seminar PS. If you were wondering... there isn't an actual Maria Satira writing seminar event... at least not yet ;) If you need help publicizing an upcoming event or fundraiser, my team here at Maria Satira Media would be honored to help. We can help create messaging that resonates with the general public to make your event a success. Reach out and we can schedule a consultation to discuss our public relations services. Just send us an email at hello@mariasatira.com and we’ll chat with you soon! Cheers, Maria

How to write a powerful press release

By Maria Satira • October 30, 2021
With nearly a decade of experience in print, television, and digital journalism… and I have no shame in admitting my belief in press releases. I think a well-written release is the most effective way to communicate specific details of a topic, issue, event, etc. to the community, newsroom, or publication. Maria Satira Media, LLC is here to help with 9 tips for sending an attention-grabbing press release: 1. Understand the basics of journalism This is the most important point of this post. I could go on and on about this topic, but I’ll keep it simple. The writer should explain the “who, what, where, when, why, and how” of the announcement/event/whatever in the press release. Too often, I’ll receive a release which is missing pertinent information. Cover your bases and answer the “who, what, where, when, why, and how.” 2. Keep it brief Your press release shouldn’t be any longer than a page. You can ensure this by following what I like to call the 3Cs of news writing. Keep your press release clear, concise, and crisp. A reporter can look at a release and know within the first sentence if it is worth their time. 3. Use proper grammar and proofread Nothing will annoy a media outlet more than receiving a press release with poor grammar, spelling, and sentence structure. If you want someone to take your release seriously, you need to take it seriously and present it professionally. 4. Include quotes Interview someone knowledgeable about the topic and include their quotes throughout the release. Using real quotes from real people will allow your release a feeling of authenticity. Adding this type of element will increase your chance of being published because it has more content aside from just paragraphs of text. 5. Add a call to action Decide what action you want followed by the receiver of the release. Do you want a journalist to interview someone from your organization/company about a new and exciting achievement? Do you want people to know about and attend your event? Do you want community members to donate money toward your cause? Tell them. 6. Offer interview opportunities Nothing is worse for a reporter than having someone pitch them a great story idea via press release, yet refuse to do an interview. In your press release, include the contact information of someone who is readily available and prepared to do an interview. Make sure this person is flexible and respectful of a reporter who is likely working on a deadline. 7. Send the release via email The best way (really, the only acceptable way) to deliver a press release is through email. Attach the release in PDF form and also put the text of the release in the body of the email. Locate the newsroom or publication’s preferred email and send it. If you happen to know individual reporters or anchors at a news station or newspaper, send it to them too. 8. Follow up If you don’t hear back from the news outlet about your release, you can follow up. Just make sure you do so professionally and respectfully. Call a newsroom (after 10am), request to speak with the assignment desk manager, and ask if they got the release. If they did, offer to answer any questions they have about the topic and if you can schedule an interview. If they didn’t, ask for their email again, along with the assignment desk manager, and resend it. 9. Be considerate Understand that your release may not get the attention that you believe it deserves. News outlets do not guarantee coverage. For various reasons, assignment desks are particular in what they choose to cover. If the topic of your release doesn’t fit their scope, that’s okay. Don’t take it personally and don’t get discouraged. Try again in the future with another release and topic. --- Here at Maria Satira Media, we know that press release creation and distribution can be overwhelming. As professionals in the industry, we can help you alleviate the pain points of working with journalists in your community. Reach out to my team and we can schedule a consultation to discuss our media relations services. Click here to learn more or send us an email at hello@mariasatira.com Cheers, Maria
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