Tips for Earned Media During Times of Crisis
By Lara Bergthold, Kaitlin Funaro, Lena Kazer, Hillary Moglen, Manny Rivera, and Felix Schein
Right now, you can’t turn on the TV, open an app, or scroll through the news without seeing content almost exclusively related to COVID-19. Newsroom staffs are stretched thin and stories not related to the crisis aren’t getting picked up — and pitching them might not earn you any favors.
For many of our clients, media coverage is a way to tell their story, shape their narrative and relay critical information to the public. But what happens when that media environment drastically changes? What are some ways we can still meaningfully engage with the media while we’re in this 24-hour cycle of COVID-19 news?
To answer those questions, we turned to the experts — our colleagues. This is an edited version of that online conversation, hope it helps you think about how to approach earned media in these challenging times.
The question is: During the Covid-19 Pandemic, how can we either continue to engage with media and pitch stories in a sensitive and meaningful way AND/OR what are some other ways we can tell stories outside of earned media?”
Lara B: There is likely still news being made but the question is what is being covered? If you can adjust your pitch so it has a COVID-19 angle, that makes it easier. Unless it’s truly breaking news (court decisions, etc) — don’t pitch stories that would normally be a stretch for reporters. Maybe instead use this opportunity to reach out to them, ask them what they are covering and how you can bring them content that might be useful.
Kaitlin F: Yeah, definitely. Asking reporters what would be helpful or if there’s anything they’re looking for is a good start, especially if it’s someone you have an existing relationship with. It’s always critical to check that the person you’re pitching actually writes the type of story you want covered but that’s especially important now that people are shifting to beats they don’t normally cover and it’s an all hands on deck situation. We can’t forget that reporters are people too and many of them are dealing with the same challenges we are and are stressed and understaffed. A little patience and kindness goes a long way.
Manny R: There’s still a lot of opportunity to work within the confines of the story we have. The stimulus, for example, is an opportunity for stories about how those funds should be allocated. Many of the funds that are a part of the stimulus are not divvied up by line-item and will be made available with vague direction on exactly what they will fund.
Over the next several weeks, for our clients in the advocacy space, this is an opportunity to proactively start seeding how some of these funds should be used. I can assure you reporters will start asking these questions as they parse through the final stimulus.
Also, reporters are going to tire of reporting on straight-up COVID news. Some are already starting to look at COVID-adjacent stories that are relevant, interesting, and creative. It’s up to us to meet this challenge for creativity. This is an opportunity to put on some of those old pitches back in front of them. That old AV club story that you pitched months ago — what are they doing to help teachers turn their lessons into eLearning modules? While the media landscape is consumed by COVID-19, it’s important to remember that reporters are also going to tire of the same story, and in the coming days and weeks will be looking for ways to highlight stories of creativity and ingenuity in the time of corona.
Hillary M: Silver lining angle — some things previously deemed impossible are now happening because of COVID-19. So should they change back? Examples may include using technology to facilitate individualized learning for all students, no longer detaining large numbers of people pre-trial in the criminal justice system, broader acceptance for work from home.
It’s also a time to get creative and tell stories outside of earned media. A great example is NBA All-Star Steph Curry + Dr. Fauci holding a COVID discussion. It got 72,729 views in one day with no press required. (Granted, few have the reach like Steph Curry, but credibility and unexpected messengers can help breakthrough).
Lena K: To Manny and Hillary’s point — I think pitching stories that drive thinking and reflection post-COVID-19 are extremely important right now, even if we don’t have all of the answers. Our role is to push the public to consider how the pandemic can affect their choices in the future — personally and politically. We don’t want everything to go back to life as usual because it’s put a spotlight on so many broken systems and thinking.
For example, some cities took the opportunity to build bike lanes during COVID-19 to allow safer travel options — how could other cities use this opportunity to promote green transportation?
It’s also interesting to see how many people take in and remember information exclusively visually. Like the graph that demonstrates our healthcare capacity and that infamous “flatten the curve” graphic. It may be useful to use visual assets whenever we can, depicting numbers and complex information in a visual aid that is more likely to be shared on social media and picked up by other publications. If our clients can offer that insight, and we can create a visual through our design team, it’s a huge asset for it to be circulated with their branding and link as a resource.
Felix S: I’ll add three final points here:
1. The fall-out story will be the one folks write about the longest… the impact on gig workers, on the medical field, on kids, etc. This is a potentially years long narrative, especially if unemployment is on the rise. Think about how your work fits into one of these narratives and pitch that.
2. Heros are being made every day right now, and many of those folks have been out of the spotlight and shunned for a long time: scientists, researchers, public health workers, mathematicians, professors, etc. Reporters love hero stories and we have the ability to lift up these people and their work. Identify the heroes in your own work and find reporters interested in telling those stories.
3. The togetherness narrative will be back in the news. Are we still divided, are we one nation again, who is voting, etc. Find stories that fit this narrative and pitch those.
We hope this “RALLY Chat” has been useful and interesting to you. Stay tuned for further chats to help you make the most of our “RALLY Brain” during this difficult time.
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