Your Audience

• Educated

• Curious

• Cynical

• Busy!

100

6-10

200

How many pitches does Portland Business Journal editorRob Smith receive each day?

How many pitches does KEZI journalist Joe Giansantereceive each day?

How many stories are reporters at the Business Journalresponsible for each week?

450How many email pitches does a reporter covering the softwarebeat for San Jose Mercury News gets a day?

What percentage of pitches are received via email by JoeGiansante each day?

70%

How many stories is Joe Giansante responsible for each day? 20

Complicated Story?

The Media Guide: What It’s Not

• An attempt to persuade anyone

• An effort to craft a positive or particularly-”angled” story for a journalist

• A Resource

• Credible Source Material

• Accurate Information

The Media Guide: What It Is

Example: Womenspace

• Media Audit: 127 stories from 2000 - 2006

• 52,672 domestic violence related arrest.

• Largely inaccurate coverage:

• lack of accurate information

• failure to identify as domestic violence and provide context

• failure to connect with experts and domestic violence service organizations

Domestic Violence Myths

• Causes:

• Drugs & alcohol

• Anger

• Stress

• Batterers “lose control”

• Women Provoke

• Battering is rare

• If a woman really wanted to leave, she could just pack up and go

• Violence is usually an isolated incident

Noah, age 4. In foster care in Lane County

Best Issues for a Media Guide?

• Terrorism & Public Health

• Domestic Violence

• Local Food Movement

• GLBT Issues

• Major Transportation Accident

• Weight-Loss Claims

http://del.icio.us/kellimatthews/media_guide