This document provides guidance on how community groups can get local media coverage to promote their projects. It outlines what makes a compelling story, how to write and distribute a press release, tips for interacting with journalists, using photos effectively, and leveraging social media. The key steps are to write a short, snappy press release focused on the five W's, distribute it to local press contacts one week before an event, and be prepared to discuss your project's key messages in any interviews.

1. My Community
Press Kit
How do I get local coverage?

2. Whether you’re taking over a community asset, drawing up your neighbourhood plan or helping to
reshape public services, drawing attention to your project through your local newspaper, radio station
or television network can help you gain support from your community and influence decision-makers.
This guide will help you engage local journalists so they
cover your story, giving your project a publicity boost.
How the media can help you

3. Be selective about what you send:
it will stand out more
What makes a good story?
• ‘A first’ – for example the first time a building is owned or
service is run by the community
• An ambitious project transforming the area and with wide
benefits
• A David and Goliath story - overcoming the odds.
• Milestones as plans take shape including the launch of a
project
• An opportunity for local people to comment on a project.

4. Examples of local press

5. How do I let the press know?
Step 1: Write a press release - send it to your local newspaper, radio, TV
station and local networks.
Step 2: Make it lively - a story you’d want to read about yourself, test it
out on a colleague/friend.
Step 3: Get press contacts from local newspapers’ websites, and of
Community & Voluntary Services and the council for their newsletters.
Step 4: Timing is crucial - send out close to the event (not past it) – one
week before at least for online press.

6. How do I let the press know?
Step 5: Email subject line - journalists receive lots of emails, give them
a reason to open it - include the story headline and ‘press release’.
Step 6: Attachments may not be accessible - include the press release
text in the main body of the email and as a low res attachment.
Step 7: Photos bring the story to life - include one or two low res photos
in the email (also see ‘what makes a good photo?’).
Step 8: Get to know your local press - if you have a project launch invite
them along.

7. How do I write a press release?
• Keep it short - no more than one side of A4
• Make it snappy containing all the key facts about the story
• Get the most important points in the first paragraph; the five Ws – What, Where, Who, When, Why
• Include a quote to bring the story to life, from someone in your organisation or a local figure – and
remember to get permission
• Don’t forget to include your contact details at the end of the release
• And help us build the My Community movement, include a paragraph about My Community &
Locality in the editors’ notes

8. Press release template
Use our My Community press release template as a guide when writing your release.
It gives you step-by-step guidance on how to best present your story.

9. Speaking to the media
A journalist may want to interview someone from your group so you need to be
prepared to talk to the press:
• Have someone available who is happy speaking to a reporter
• Prepare a short phrase that sums up your work
• Have 3 key messages ready to get across
• Test your key messages and phrases on colleague or friends
• If you don’t know the answer to a question don’t answer it, return to your key
messages (listen to politicians being interviewed)
• Think of potential criticisms and how you would respond

10. What makes a good photo?
The press love photos - it can increase your chance of getting coverage
Make sure they illustrate your story.
Include people in your photos. Try and make sure people
are looking at the camera. A newspaper will not print
pictures of the backs of people’s heads.
Think about composition – make sure the subject fills the frame.
Make sure you have the full names of people in the photo
(unless it’s a large group shot).
Make photos available in high and low resolution for both
websites and print.
Only send one or two low res photos with your press release, otherwise it may be too large a file size to be sent (aim for
between 1MB and 5MB).

11. Building support with social media
Having a presence on social media in today’s digital world is essential, and can go a
long way to developing support from interested people, government, community
groups and funders for your projects.
Start building your network on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and
Instagram as soon as you can.
The key to building a successful social media reputation involves dedicating time on a
daily basis, building networks and creating engaging content.
If you want to get started - read our short social media toolkit.

12. Social media & the press
Many journalists and bloggers are active on Twitter and Facebook.
Add your press release to a website and post a link to it on social media.
You can post extra content for journalists e.g. a film on YouTube.
If you’re tweeting include us in your tweets @MyCommunityHelp so that we can pick
it up and tweet to reach a wider audience.

13. Please mention My Community Rights & Locality
If we’ve helped you and this made a difference, it builds awareness of the
movement, making our voice and influence stronger!
This could be in the editors’ notes of the press release or when you’re talking to a
journalist:
Advice, support and grants on the Community Rights, Neighbourhood Planning and
Our Place are being provided by Locality and partners. Get in touch with the My
Community Rights advice service online at www.mycommunity.org.uk, on the phone
on 0300 020 1864 or follow @MyCommunityHelp on Twitter.
Our press release template also contains detailed editors’ notes on Locality for you to
use.

14. Evaluate – focus on what’s working
• Keep a record of when you’ve appeared in local papers, websites and newsletters
• Which stories were picked up? Send out other similar stories as well as updates on
their progress
• If a local paper isn’t featuring you, have a conversation with the editor and find out
what they’re looking for
• Sign up to Google Alerts (email updates of the latest relevant Google results (web,
news, etc.), based on your queries) to find out when you’ve been mentioned
online

15. Contact us – we can tell people too
If you think that your story is unique and could be something that would be
interesting for a national newspaper, get in touch with the Communications team at
Locality and we can help you through the media jungle and promote through our
online channels.
Please contact:
Victoria Huntley, Media & PR Officer victoria.huntley@locality.org.uk
Rebecca Speidel, Communications Officer rebecca.speidel@locality.org.uk

16. Resources
• Our My Community template press release which you can tailor to your needs
• Media Trust’s free distribution service
• The Media Trust also offers free expert volunteer support to help your organisation
communicate more effectively though its Media Matching service
• And you’re off!

17. mycommunity.org.uk
@mycommunityhelp
#mycommunityhelp
My Community Rights