Building visibility: Getting press coverage

Getting your local press to cover your event is a powerful way to spread the word in your community.

Your local paper is read by: 

• Your neighbours, who might learn about your event and decide to get involved

• Your MP, who will understand that this is an issue important to constituents 

• Refugees in your area, who will feel the welcome of the community and potentially learn about helpful pro-refugee organisations 

While working with the media might feel challenging at first if you haven't done it before, it's usually just a matter of persistence, the right tools and finding the right people to contact.

Use the tips on this page to get started. 

Contents:

• How to pitch

• Materials to send

• Finding the best journalist contacts

• Template press release

• Tips for taking photos

WE WILL BE HOLDING A WEBINAR FOR NETWORK MEMBERS AND CAMPAIGNERS ON HOW TO SECURE LOCAL PRESS ON WEDNESDAY 26TH NOVEMBER 1-2PM.  TO SIGN UP FOR THE WEBINAR PLEASE DO JOIN THE NETWORK.  

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There are several different ways to get coverage, depending on the outlet, type of media and time you're able to spend. Below is an overview of some different types you can consider. 

Media invite: If you want to invite a journalist and/or photographer to come along to the event send an invitation up to a week in advance. Make sure they only interview and photograph people who are happy to be included.

News: As soon as the event has happened send a pre-prepared press release with photos of the event (and video if you have it) to the contacts you have found. Do this as quickly as possible. You can draft quotes in advance and ask anyone there to agree them or re-write on the day.

Radio: Follow the same approach with radio – but make sure you can offer somebody interesting for interview. This could be an organiser or perhaps somebody with lived experience who is happy to take part. Make sure you talk about why you had the event – and the importance of welcome.

Letter to editor: You can write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper or online news site about the event and why you had it. Have a look on the website to see if they publish these.

Comment piece: You can write a first person piece about the event and why you had it. Before you take the time to write it, email the best contact you can find to ask if they would like it, including a line or two about what you plan to write about.

Media invite: Use the press release template below to create the invitation with bullets at the top setting out the below, in one line each: 

• When (date and time).

• Where (specific location and meeting point). 

• What (what will be happening, what they can photograph, who they can interview).

• Why (why you’re doing the event and why it is important). 

• Who to contact to arrange to meet someone when they get there.

Press release: Use the template press release and send it as soon as the event is finished, with quotes from key attendees and photos of the event.

Letter to the editor: You can use the template press release to create a letter to send to the editor of your local paper/online news site.  They should be between 150-200 words and make a clear point – this could be related to a current news story highlighting why the welcome event is important or simply celebrating local people and the coming together of the community to welcome local refugees.

Comment piece: You can offer to write a comment or opinion piece for your local newspaper or online news site – lots of these outlets have a ‘voices’, ‘opinion’ or ‘comment’ section. They are usually 600-700 words and make a clear point or set out an opinion. You can use the press release as a starting point and focus on why you held the Communities Together With Refugees event in your area.  

Most media outlets have contacts and email addresses on their website. They are often in the ‘contact us’ section at the footer of the website.

If you can't find a suitable contact you can try searching on the website for other stories about similar issues to find the names of any journalists who have written positive or supportive stories before.

If you are sending a press release you will want news contacts such as ‘news desk’, ‘news editor’, ‘head of news’, 'reporter' or ‘home affairs correspondent’. If you plan to pitch a comment piece they sometimes have a comment, opinion or voices editor. If you are sending a letter to the editor, occasionally they will have an address for letters to editors otherwise you can try one of the news contacts.

You can phone an outlet and ask for the best person to send your story, letter or comment piece to and their email address. 

If you have a specific person you would like to contact but can’t find their email some journalists include their email address on their Twitter, BlueSky or LinkedIn, or you could message them there.

If you get stuck, please get in touch with hannah@brightfoxcommunications.com who has access to a media database.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: [DATE]

[LOCATION] RESIDENTS STAND WITH REFUGEES 

Photos and videos can be downloaded HERE [YOU CAN USE A GOOGLE FOLDER WITH SHARING PERMISSIONS SET TO ‘VIEW’]

People across [LOCATION] have been standing together with refugees in the area this weekend (5-7 December) with a heartfelt display of love and hope.  

[ADD A PARAGRAPH ANYTHING INTERESTING YOU DID HERE – WITH DETAILS OF SPECIFIC ACTIVITIES, SUCH AS A WELCOME PARTY WITH DECORATIONS IN THE MARKET SQUARE, ANYONE INTERESTING WHO ATTENDED INCLUDING THOSE WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE OF BEING A REFUGEE, ANY PERFORMANCES, SPEECHES, FOOD ETC].

In addition, posters stating that ‘We Stand Together with Refugees’ have flooded the [BOROUGH/TOWN/CITY/AREA], from [PLACE NAME] to [PLACE NAME] and [PLACE NAME] to [PLACE NAME]. Anyone wanting to join the action and show compassion for refugees this weekend can print out their own posters to display.

With far-right rallies against refugees taking place over the summer and overnight displays of flags in the area, local people are uniting to show that most people in [LOCATION] believe in being welcoming and tolerant. 

Coordinated by local refugee charity [NAME], as part of a national ‘Community Together For Refugees’ action from campaign coalition Together With Refugees, the activity comes just weeks after the government’s latest announcement on changes to the asylum system.  These changes would see a significant erosion of refugee rights and the chance  for them to integrate and contribute to the UK.

[NAME, [ROLE] of [ORGANISATION], said: “We know from our work that people in [LOCATION] are deeply empathetic towards those who have been forced to flee their homes and find safety here. Many have opened their homes to refugees, donate, volunteer or take action.    

“Given a chance, refugees do so much to enrich our community. From our high streets to our hospitals, from our schools to our community spaces, many of those we have supported contribute in important ways.  We are stronger because of those who’ve come here seeking safety. 

“The far-right marches, the flags that appeared overnight, the relentless drumbeat of fear and division from politicians and the media is loud. But they do not represent who we are in [LOCATION].  That’s why this weekend we have come together with refugees – to show that in our community we believe in love, tolerance and hope.”

[ADD ANY QUOTES ABOUT THE SPECIFIC ACTIVITIES OR FROM INTERESTING PEOPLE WHO ATTENDED, SUCH AS A LOCAL DIGNITARY, VOLUNTEER AND REFUGEE.]

With 80% of the British public wanting an approach to the asylum system that is well managed, fair and compassionate, the ‘Community Together For Refugees' weekend of action was an opportunity for communities to celebrate their commitment to kindness, cohesion and safety.   

ENDS

Notes to editors

For more information, interviews, photos or video please contact [name] on [email] or [mobile].

About [ORGANISATION]

[YOU CAN ADD A PARAGRAPH ABOUT YOUR ORGANISATION HERE]

About Together With Refugees
Together With Refugees is the largest pro-refugee coalition in British history with more than 600 member organisations, from grassroots and refugee-led groups to international development charities and trade unions. With 80% of the British public wanting an approach to the asylum system that is well managed, fair and compassionate, the coalition also has a growing network of committed people getting organised and taking action to influence their MPs in constituencies across the country. The coalition is calling for a fair new plan for refugees that upholds the UK’s commitment under international law to the right to claim asylum, provides a proper strategy for welcoming refugees, and forges stronger global cooperation to tackle the root causes that force people to flee their homes and provides positive solutions when they do, including through safe routes to refugee protection.  Find out more at togetherwithrefugees.org.uk and @RefugeeTogether on X and @RefugeesTogether on Instagram and BlueSky.

Take photos that tell the story of the event – and communicate what was happening. Photos are vital to make a good story for print and online media, as well as your own social media posts.

Permissions: It's important to make sure you have all the appropriate permissions to include people’s images and quotes in the material you supply to the media or post online. You might find this document helpful when involving people with lived experience.

People: Media love interesting people for photos, quotes and interviews – this could be dignitaries such as an MP, faith leader or business leader. They are also likely to be particularly interested in people who have lived experience of being a refugee.  Groups of local children work well for media photos too. 

Visually engaging: Get creative and make the activity visually interesting and colourful. Giant orange hearts with ‘welcome’ or other messages work well for photographs. Try to recreate the feeling of positivity and celebration.

Composition: Ideally the photo would be a set up arrangement of people looking at the camera whilst involved in an activity such as crafting, sharing a meal or playing a game.  People standing together holding hearts, plates of food, musical instruments or sporting equipment (whatever is relevant to your activity) also make engaging pictures. Make sure you include anyone of note, such as your MP, and they are in a key position.

People looking at the camera and smiling works best.  Photos are all about the people - make sure they are really clear and easy to see and have as little space around them as possible

Light: Get the best light you can (behind the camera and facing the people in the photo) - ideally take the photo outside. 

Information: If possible, say who is in the picture (e.g. from left to right) and ask them to credit your organisation (or the photographer if they request it).

Video: If you can also make a very short video clip (no more than 60 seconds), that works well for social media and media outlets too (but it’s not as important as photos!).

Emailing: You can email your photos or video to the local media - but only send two or three of the best.  Also bear in mind the size of the files - to avoid your email getting blocked because it's too big you can upload the files to a google drive and send as links in the email, with an explanation of what they are.