For help and advice to Do Your Thing, or for general information about cancer or Cancer Council, please contact your local Cancer Council office.

Contacting the media

The first step is to find the contact details of your local media outlet(s), including the e-mail, phone and fax numbers. Your local Cancer Council office can assist you with this information, and here's a list of their contact details:

The best contact at the local paper is usually the Editor or a Journalist, and at the radio station it is a Producer.

Timing your approach

Time your contact so as not to be too early or late or the media may not be interested. Think about how far out from your fundraising event you need to start telling people about it. Generally 1-2 months is a good guide.

The media release

The most effective way to get local media attention is by sending them a media release. This is a written document with the key messages you want to communicate.

Sending a media release to your local newspaper or radio station is no guarantee the story will run - you need to make your story as enticing and appealing as possible. You need to differentiate yourself from all the other fundraisers out there. In media-speak, we call this giving the journalist an ‘angle’.

Angles that media are interested in when covering a fundraising story include:

1. the ‘human’ element to what you’re doing - the best stories are about people, not events.
2. the reason why you are fundraising for Cancer Council. This may be because you have been personally affected by cancer, or know someone who has.
3. anything exciting or different about your fundraising event. The media love quirky or original ideas. You might be the first person to do this particular activity, or be attempting to break a World Record. Your fundraising event might be something that other locals can get involved in. For example, you might be holding a fun run that you are encouraging others to sign up for.

Media also like to report on the success of fundraising events, so approach them after your event with details on how much you raised, how much fun you had and any quirky or interesting stories from the actual event.

• Download media release template

Photo and Interview Opportunities

It's also a good idea to offer the media photo or interview opportunities. For newspapers, if an appealing picture accompanies the story it is more likely to be published and put in a prominent position in the paper.

Think about how you can capture the essence of your fundraising event, or symbolise it in one picture. For example, if you are holding a head shave, the photo could be of someone preparing to shave your head. Or if you are preparing for a long distance walk, the photo might be of you getting in training, or being surrounded by one pair of shoes for each km you will walk. These make more enticing photos for the paper than a headshot, or group of people standing together. If the local newspaper is unable to send a photographer to your event, it’s a good idea to take your own digital photos that you can send to the paper as soon as possible after.

If a Radio program is interested in promoting your fundraiser, they will most likely want to interview you. They might be able to do this over the phone, or may ask you to come into the studios. Radio interviews can either be pre-recorded, or they can be done live-to-air.

Think of topics that you can talk to the radio presenter about to make the interview more interesting – these will be similar to the ‘angles’ mentioned above. Other important things to remember when being interviewed include:

1. Be confident and be yourself! Personality is important.
2. Keep your voice at a fairly consistent volume. Speak up and out.
3. Try to minimise your “ums” and “arrghs”.
4. For phone interviews ensure you are somewhere quiet where you won’t be disturbed.
5. Try and be relaxed! Keep in mind that you’re communicating with the audience, not the radio microphone or your phone. You are sharing information with your local community so talk as you would talk to them.
6. On radio greet the host and use their name throughout the interview. For newspaper interviews, engage with the journalist to build the relationship.
7. Finish the interview with your main message – what you want people to remember e.g. how they can support you or how they can get involved.

Distribute then follow up

Once you have sent your story, photo and interview ideas to the newspaper or radio station through their preferred method, it is always a good idea to call them to ensure they have received your information.

Journalists can receive hundreds of media releases, emails and faxes every week, so sometimes things can go astray! This is also a good opportunity to explain to them why the story is relevant to their audience. Alternatively, you can call the journalist before you send the information – this gives you an opportunity to discuss the story idea with them, giving them a ‘heads-up’, so they may be more receptive when they receive your email or fax.

Using statistics

The media like to use statistics in stories. It gives stories more credibility, makes them factual and can help to illustrate a point. For example, a statistic on the number of people in your area who have been diagnosed with cancer in the past year can help demonstrate the importance of your fundraising efforts.

When using statistics it is important that they are current and localised. Cancer Council always uses statistics and information that is relevant to Australia. Do not use information from the internet, as it may be incorrect.

Below are some general stats on cancer. If a journalist asks you specific questions about cancer or Cancer Council, please refer them to your contact at Cancer Council.

General statistics on cancer you may can include in your promotional messages.

Cancer In Australia

1. 1 in 2 men and 1 in 3 women will develop cancer before the age of 85.
2. An estimated 111,000 new cases of cancer will be diagnosed in Australia in 2009.
3. About 434,000 cases of non-melanoma skin cancer (the most frequently occurring cancer in Australia, but the least life-threatening) are also diagnosed each year.
4. Cancer is the leading cause of death in Australia – more than 42,000 people are expected to die from cancer this year.
5. The survival rate for many common cancers has increased by more than 30 per cent in the past two decades.
6. Cancer costs $2.7 billion in direct health system costs (5.7% of total healthcare expenditure).

Letters to the Editor and photos

Because newspapers have limited resources and can’t be everywhere to cover every event, sometimes a letter to the Editor is a good way to let the community know about your upcoming fundraising efforts. It’s also a good way to thank the community for supporting you and to receive post-event coverage.

Still not sure how to do the Media thing?

If you still have questions about how to approach your local media, please call Cancer Council. They will be able to give you more guidance and answer any questions.

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