Publicity and media
Are you giving up something really unusual? Is there something about your 40 Hour Famine Group that sets you apart? Have you organised a fundraising event that you’d like a lot of people to know about?
If the answer to any of these questions is yes, you might want to try to attract some media attention to your participation in the 40 Hour Famine.
The very best way to do this is to focus on the local, so identify your local newspaper. In the area where you/your Group’s members live, local media might well be interested in doing a story about what you’re up to.
Prepare a media release
The first thing you want to do is prepare a media release. This is a short, one-page document to let the paper know who you are, what you’re doing, when you’re doing it, how you’re doing it, and why. Putting this information together successfully is crucial for attracting the interest of the media.
Download our media release template here, fill in the fields we've left blank for you, and you're on your way!
This is a great starting point for you to organise your information and make it media-ready.
Don't forget: Always ensure your medial release contains your contact details!
Stage a mock event
To further garner media interest, you might want to
stage a "mock event" prior to the 40 Hour Famine, to which you can
invite the local media to gain pre-event publicity. This is a good way to get photos, too, which are a key ingredient in local media.
Keep in mind that if the paper does send a reporter/photographer out to meet you, they will probably want to conduct a short interview: so designate a spokesperson.
When you speak to the media...
When you are preparing to, or are, speaking to the media, please keep in mind these important things:
- You are representing yourself, or your 40 Hour Famine group, not World Vision. You/your spokesperson should talk from your/their own experience about what you are doing, in your local area.
- Local newspapers are sometimes resource poor: they may not have a journalist or photographer available at the exact time you have specified. You may need to be flexible to have them come along.
- Local newspapers are also generally weekly publications, and will likely need at least 1-2 weeks' notice in order to plan the paper and make the news applicable.
Your 40 Hour Famine fundraising efforts can be strongly enhanced through positive media attention - so do your best!