Wildlife Rescue Series!

Okay, I’m back. Where have I been? Well, I’ll get to that in a future post. But for now, I want to pass along the media tip sheet that Vancouver Sun journalist and animal welfare activist Nicholas Read wrote for the Vancouver Humane Society’s latest newsletter. Click here for the full text; below are his key points for getting animal issues into the news, and keeping them at the forefront of people’s awareness.

Be Media Savvy for Animals

Adapted from an article by Nicholas Read

When it comes to the news business, the good news is that the media take animal issues a lot more seriously than they used to, especially here in BC. The bad news is that they still don’t take them seriously enough.

That means getting someone who works in the media to take your concerns about animals seriously can be a challenge. But it’s not an insurmountable one.* You just have to know what to do.

So here’s a checklist of what to keep in mind the next time you attempt to get someone in the media interested in what matters to you.

1. Be new. Remember, it’s called the newspaper, not the oldspaper. Whatever you pitch, make sure it’s something the reporter won’t have heard before.
2. Be specific. People in the media want concrete examples of whatever it is you’re complaining about.
3. Think in pictures. Think about how best to illustrate your story in photos, and then create the photo opp for the reporter.
4. Think individually. People relate far better to stories of individual animals than to stories about hundreds, thousands or millions of them. When you tell the story of one animal, you tell the story of the rest by extension.
5. Be brief. People in the media have little time and short attention spans. Grab them with your opening pitch, provide comprehensive contact details, and be ready for their call.
6. Be polite. We animal welfare activists have a dodgy reputation in some circles, and in some cases, it’s deserved. Being rude, impatient or unforgiving won’t get you anywhere. Be nice. It works.
7. Be conservative. Avoid stereotypical dress or behaviour. Garbing yourself like in warrior’s camouflage or like a crazy cat lady will only give the media ammunition to take you less seriously.

Click here to go to the Vancouver Humane Society’s web site, the click on Fall 2007 and scroll to page 14 for Nicholas Read’s full text.

*Burnaby citizens, don’t forget I’m a columnist with the Burnaby NOW, so if you have a Burnaby-related animal story you feel deserves coverage, use this blog site to get in touch with me and let me know!