GG’s Jeffrey Fishman explains how a strong local media strategy can benefit nonprofits of all sizes.
When you think about news in the United States, big names— like The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal—immediately come to mind. Their prestige, wide reach, and diverse audiences make them top targets for media outreach. But ambitious nonprofits often ignore smaller local news outlets, unable to resist the temptation of chasing top-tier coverage. This is a huge mistake!
Local and hyperlocal news outlets document the stories unfolding every day in communities across the country. Zooming in to the neighborhood level allows them to report on real issues that matter to community members, often before bigger outlets get the scoop. Unfortunately, many cities are at risk of losing these essential resources, but luckily, communities are mobilizing to keep local news alive.
Here’s how PR teams at nonprofits of all sizes can benefit from local and hyperlocal media.
Communication Infrastructure Theory is one model used to evaluate the flow of information in a community. Central to this cycle are three main groups: community members, local media, and nonprofit organizations. When these players all work together, people gain access to the resources they need to thrive in their communities. Regional nonprofits can use a strong local media strategy to make this relationship work effectively.
– Get familiar with beat reporters. Introduce yourself to reporters covering your neighborhood or issue area and invite them to your events; follow their reporting and build a long-term relationship.
– Be a resource for local reporting. Pass on relevant tips to local journalists and serve as a source of commentary when appropriate; offer advances or exclusives on your news when you can.
– Use advertising dollars to support local media. Local and hyperlocal publications are often particularly adept at reaching marginalized populations, and their audiences may overlap with a nonprofit’s service area. Look into outlets focused on specific neighborhoods or affinity groups and, where possible, use your marketing budget to reach your audiences and support publications that benefit your work.
Securing a splashy New York Times story is a great goal. But you should build a PR strategy that taps into every medium and publication tier of relevance to your audiences. Local media can be a critical lever, even for an organization with a national or international focus.
– Seed local stories to show a national trend. Track the impact of your work on the ground across the country and pitch the best examples and human-interest stories as features to local media. Then, leverage the individual local pieces to inform a nationwide trend story pitch that might interest a top-tier outlet.
– Target elected officials for advocacy work. If your nonprofit has an advocacy focus, identify the federal officials who should know more about your work and develop a media strategy in their district. Pitch local stories, host events and invite the press, and place local op-eds to get officials’ attention and educate them on key issues.
– Amplify local content across your channels. Use every tool at your disposal to maximize the audience for each piece: post on social media, include coverage in newsletters, share with donors, incorporate into website content, and more. Think of the story’s publication as just the starting point for maximizing reach.
When building a nonprofit PR strategy, think critically about how each tactic and channel complements the overall effort. And always remember: support local news!
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