How to use local media to promote your planning campaign

You're campaigning to protect nature in your local area and you're well underway with your action plan, but can you do more? This guide will explain how you can use the local media to build support for your cause.  
 
If you’re looking for advice on getting a planning campaign started, head to our How to set up your own campaign to protect nature from a development threat guide.

If you choose to highlight an issue through local media, make sure you can talk confidently about the campaign. Planning a series of media activities and gaining regular coverage across different types of media will give your campaign prominence, but only if you can convince people to take up the story in the first place.

Where possible, it’s best to emphasise positive messages, such as what will be saved, rather than focusing on the negatives, such as what will be lost, as knowing that they can make a positive difference appeals much more to people. 

Local radio can be an easy way to reach large numbers of people in your area. A direct approach is usually best, with a phone call or email to whoever controls the radio station’s news desk, supported by a concise statement of the facts or a press release. 

TV requires good visual images or some activity element to your story, so the more you have to offer the programme, the more likely it is to feature you. It also requires more time and people to compile a report compared with radio or newspapers, so ensure you dedicate enough time to meet producers’ requirements. 

• Make sure you are well prepared 
• Check beforehand if the interview is going to be live or pre-recorded 
• Enquire about the questions you are likely to be asked 
• Think about who will be the best person for the interview 
• Rehearse in advance, including preparing your response to any potentially difficult questions 
• Plan your key messages (two or three maximum) and don’t allow the interviewer to deflect you from what you want to get across 
• Always assume the microphone is on! 
• Keep your hands and papers still during the interview and make sure mobile phones are switched off 

It’s likely that your campaign will take various twists and turns. The more angles or interesting developments to a story, the more likely a journalist will give you ongoing publicity. 

Try to break down your story into bite‐size chunks, rather than giving everything in one go. For instance, you could report on: 

• The threat to the site – what will the local community lose and what could be saved 
• The formation of a group of like‐minded people with a catchy name 
• A site visit by a local councillor, MP or local celebrity – remember to take photos 
• A demonstration walk or fundraising activities 
• A petition being handed in to the town hall 
• The various official stages of your campaign, eg putting in your objection within the consultation deadline 
• Anniversaries and numbers. These always go down well with the media, eg ‘58% of villagers use this site once a week’, or ‘next Thursday is the 25th anniversary of X and instead of celebrating we’re having to fight to save it’ 

• The local media are there to cover local news – be creative and you will be generating the news they will want to cover   
• Keep a record of your press releases to show decision‐makers that the local people they represent are interested in your campaign 
• Ensure you are easy to contact and available to meet journalists’ deadlines 

How to set up your own campaign to protect nature from a development threat

How to get the best results from campaigning to protect nature in planning

How to work together as a campaign group to protect nature in planning

How to use power mapping in your community to influence planning