Be Patient with the Media, Speak Slowly, a Little Louder Perhaps

August 4, 2013

Serendipity is not a strategy, and hoping for positive media coverage is the easiest way to lose control of the agenda.

Good news is never good enough; selling the “controversy” is too easy. Moving forward productively means accepting the fact that it may not be possible to get media entirely on-side, and that just a handful of opponents may continually garner more sensational attention than the most unbiased and dedicated broadcast/press campaign.  

Quite often, the most well researched article will lie waiting for publication when there is a project opponent sowing baseless stories of fear.  Circulating background information in the form of simple, honest, unbiased documentation is key.

Editorial board meetings are a highly effective means of modifying media perspectives and attitudes. Negative coverage should be addressed promptly in the form of letters to the editor, opinion pieces and freelance articles.  Persistence is critical.