Media Kits & ListsPR 305 Dr. Kelly Winfrey

Media Kit

• Collection of communication tactics used to generate news stories

• Provides media practitioners with facts, research, perspectives, and context that would be needed to understand and write about your client/issue

• It’s a reference guide for potential story ideas aimed at media practitioners

Media Kit

• What do they do?• Generate news coverage• Answer potential questions before they are

asked• Provide new perspectives• Frame the issue• Help reach your target audience

What to Include

• Anything and everything that you think a journalist would need to write a story about your client/issue

• The easier it is for the journalist, the more likely he/she will consider your client/issue

• But..• Don’t waste their time with too much • Identify what the journalists will want and have

it ready without making them search

What to Include

Depends on…

• Media channel • (print, broadcast, online)

• Media outlet • (Des Moines Register, New York Times, KCCI,

CNN)

• Individual Journalist • (their focus: business, health, politics)

Media List

• A compilation of data about the news media that cover certain issues and topics

• Used to identify the audience of your media kit and shape the form and content of the kit

• Important because sending your finished media kit to the wrong people is the same as never even making it

Types of Media Kits

• Promotional Media Kits• Brochures, quotes, reviews about the

organization/person

• Special Event Media Kits• Explicit details, logistics and backgrounds about

the vents, but not as much about the organization

• Apple likely has a media kit for announcement events

• Crisis Media Kits• Provides up-to-date info as available. Focus on

key figures, facilities, visuals as it pertains to a specific crisis

Delivery

• Handed out at a news conference• Timely info, such as during an event or crisis• Handed out at special events, trade shows,

conferences

• Mailed/faxed/emailed/posted on sites to and for journalists, consumers and audience• Targeted• Shotgun approach

Contents

• News releases

• Fact sheets

• Backgrounders

• Biographies

• Visuals

(Note: These are our assignments)

Contents

• Shell (folder for hard copy or home page for online)• Holds all of the items• First thing the journalist sees• Presentation is key• Must express style and overall message

Contents

• Cover Letter• Letter to recipient of the media kit• Identifies content of the media kit• States why the issue deserves coverage and

why it fits with their audience• Explains why they specifically were sent the

media kit• Gives names and contacts for more information

Contents

• News release• Content written in the form of a news story• Likely the most important part of the kit• Allows PR practitioners to convey a particular

message• Frames the issue• Aimed to arouse the curiosity of the journalists• One event or announcement per news release

Contents

• Fact Sheet• Information broken down into bulleted form• Purpose is to ease comprehension• Each news release should have a fact sheet• Many different styles of fact sheets• Depends on the strategy and issue• Must be intentional and serve a need

Contents

• Visual Materials• Purpose is to amplify news element• Headshots• Product stills• Consumers• Graphics• All visuals need captions• Should all be publication quality

Contents

• Biographical Information• Develop for officers, founders, celebrities, experts,

or other key players• Straight Bio

• factual info in descending order of importance

• Narrative Bio• Written in descriptive fashion, pay more attention to

personal details

• Micro Bio• Short, highlight only info relevant to the kit

• Keep bios updated, especially when related to crisis communication

Contents

• Backgrounder• Expanded version of history, mission, goals and

purpose of client• Should fully define what the organization does• Provides more depth than fact sheets

Contents

• Position Paper• Describes client’s stance on some issue• Justification of their opinion• Must be based on facts to support position• Include opposing points of view to maintain

credibility

Contents

• Feature Story• Human interest story related to the news of the

media kit

• Organizational Publications• Magazines, brochures or newsletters distributed

by the organization

• Invitation• Personal invitation to the journalist to attend an

event

Contents

• News Briefs• Summarize past 24 hours of breaking news, fact

based, important for crisis communication

• Statement from Spokesperson• Important during crisis• Supplies quotes for reporters to incorporate into

their stories

Challenges

• Anyone can make a media kit, so journalists get a lot of them

• Yours has to cut through the clutter- give them what they want• Newsworthiness • Timely issues• Clear writing• Concise writing• Accurate facts• Unbiased information*

Examples

• http://www.weeklystandard.com/advertising/pdf/TWS-media-kit-2013.pdf

• https://thechive.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/thechive_mediakit-4-16-12.pdf

• http://mediakit.fastcompany.com/resources/FC_MediaKit.pdf

• http://www.ellemediakit.com/r5/home.asp