If you want to advocate for historic preservation in your community, you'll need to develop good working relationships with members of the press. Keep track of your interactions with your press contacts by maintaining a press list.

Your preservation group's mission and goals will influence HOW you involve the press and WHO you reach out to. For example:

• If your goal is to raise awareness of your community's historic architecture and historic places, then your press plan should focus on helping the press see your community's best and most interesting historic buildings.
• If your goal is advocacy through public persuasion, your press plan should include more opinion-based tools such as op-eds and letters to the editor.

Adjust to Changes in the News Business

The professional news business is in a period of transition. Many major newspapers around the country have folded and others have reduced their staff, including many professional journalists. The rise of blogging has created a great deal of user-generated-content — that is, information and opinions provided online by citizen journalists and their readers.

As a result of these changes in the news industry, you will have to be more persistent than ever to build relationships with press members who can help you get your message out.

In the past, preservation advocates could develop working relationships with one or a few professional journalists in their community. These journalists might specialize in and become knowledgeable about local preservation issues. Today, many news outlets rely on less expensive freelance writers. A freelance writer who reports on a preservation story for one paper may never write for the same paper again. And that person's next reporting assignment may not support a preservation message.

Follow these Guidelines

The following guidelines will help you build reliable working relationships with members of the press.

Always be available for comment. If you provide consistent, lightning-fast attention to the press, you can become the go-to person for historic preservation issues in your community. To make sure you become that go-to person, keep your cell phone handy and let your group know when you are expecting a call from a reporter. If you are listed as a contact but you are never available, reporters will come to you last — or not at all.

Be accurate. If you don't have your facts straight, you will ruin your chances of developing good press relations. When you are meeting with a press member, be prepared with an answer for every question you can anticipate. If you don't know the answer to a reporter's question, do not make something up. Let the reporter know you want to provide a thorough and accurate answer, but you need to check on some facts. As soon as you hang up the phone, drop what you're doing, find the answer to the question, and reply to the reporter.

Deliver YOUR message. When you are answering a reporter's questions, stay on point and respond with the message you want to deliver. An interview with a reporter is not a conversation, so don't be too candid. A badgering reporter may try to get you to say something controversial or share information that could be used to perpetuate an anti-development stereotype of preservationists. Don't take the bait! Treat the exchange like a job interview, and don't share too much.

Make it simple. Any reporter you talk to will be working on a deadline, so summarize your points quickly. Never go on and on unless you're told to "go on." Prepare your list of prioritized talking points before you send out a press release. You should be comfortable enough with the material to expand on each point if a reporter expresses interest.

Only say what you want printed. When you talk to a member of the press, assume that you are always on the record. If a reporter asks you to comment off the record, he or she wants your personal opinion or needs information that will help him or her better understand the issue. Off the record comments are intended for internal use only. However, there is no guarantee that a reporter will keep your off the record comments out of the story. Never provide information or commentary to a member of the press that you do not want printed.

Stick to the facts. Never say anything critical about someone that is subjective or nasty. This action would be poisonous — and potentially create legal trouble in the form of slander or libel. The facts are generally enough for readers to draw their own conclusions.

When asked, always comment. As a historic preservationist, you have absolutely no reason to avoid commenting about a preservation issue. Even if you're facing a worst-case-scenario — like you just learned a major financial supporter has been indicted for tax fraud and it's all over the news — you'll need to respond to questions. In a situation such as this, not commenting could imply guilt. Your comment should be something general, such as "We are moving ahead with...."

Treat each reporter as if he or she is the most important. When you email any information to members of the press, list all the email addresses as blind carbon copies (bcc's). When you are talking to more than one reporter about an issue, give each press member a different (but not contradictory) angle on the story. If you plan to help a reporter break a story, honor this relationship by waiting to send your press release until the day the reporter's piece is running. Never burn bridges with your press contacts.

Identify your most consistent supporters. When you are figuring out how best to pitch an idea to the press or shape a media campaign, treat your regular press contacts like a loose working committee. Once you have built trust with your press contacts, it is completely professional to engage this network of journalists in brainstorming.

Look for opportunities to send follow-up information via email. Take every opportunity to follow up with your press contacts by sharing additional information. Your follow-up message might contain contact information for individuals who can help your press contact write a good story quickly. Make certain that these individuals know they might be contacted by the press. Your follow-up message might also include information that is not available on your website or in the press release.

Add a press section to your website. When you design or update your website, keep in mind that reporters will use your website to gather information about your group. You can direct reporters to your media resources by adding a press section or media room to your website. Think of this section as an online media kit, with a list of organizational contacts, a collection of relevant digital photos, and links to your previous press and other resources.

Learn More

Historic Preservation Advocacy Guide

Find more how-to articles about historic preservation advocacy.