At first glance, the work of non-profits and the goals of the mainstream news media seem to be fundamentally opposed. Non-profit groups focus on the most compelling social and environmental issues of our day. Our issues are long-term and complex. They do not easily translate into the mainstream media story model of what news is. Our challenge is to tie the big picture work we do to newsworthy events.

First Call: The BC Child and Youth Advocacy Coalition recently did just that. First Call’s purpose is to create greater understanding of and advocacy for legislation, policy and practice to ensure that all children and youth have the opportunities and resources required to achieve their full potential. While First Call has a small staff and a modest budget, the group is well-connected to experts and allies across the country, and looks for opportunities to promote the cause of children and youth wherever they can.

First Call’s coordinator, Cindy Carson, called IMPACS to tell us that infant brain development expert Dr. Paul Steinhauer was coming to Vancouver to speak at a conference. While he is not officially affiliated to First Call, Dr. Steinhauer is one of the group’s many allies, and Cindy hoped we could interest the media in his research and ideas. Dr. Steinhauer had a very narrow window to meet with the media – three hours on the afternoon he arrived! Our approach to getting the media interested in talking to Dr. Steinhauer was straightforward and very successful.

First, we did a quick pre-interview with Dr. Steinhauer. We asked what he most wanted to achieve from a media interview and what his two key messages were.

Next, we prepared a one page Media Advisory. It detailed who Dr. Steinhauer is, why his work is important, what he could talk about (in two sentences), why he was coming to Vancouver, how he could be reached and his hours of availability.

We then faxed out the Advisory to a list of local print, TV and radio reporters and assignment editors who we knew were interested in parenting and public health issues.

Finally, we called each reporter and assignment editor. The personal follow-up calls were essential. They allowed us to determine whether our “hooks” and “pitches” were working. And, when they weren’t, allowed us to try a different approach.

The results? The media coverage of Dr. Steinhauer’s work exceeded our expectations. CBC Radio’s Early Edition interviewed him by phone from his home in Toronto. CKNW, a Vancouver talk radio station, gave him 3 minutes on their main newshour program. The Vancouver Sun ran an extensive article of his work, and BCTV Newshour, the province’s most-watched television news program, interviewed him live. And, Dr. Steinhauer kindly mentioned First Call, along with its 1-800 number, at every opportunity, helping raise the profile of the local group.

There was also spin-off coverage. Both BCTV and the Parent Report (a syndicated short radio show aired on 70 radio stations across Canada) ran pieces about First Call.

Launching a successful media campaign, even a short blitz like First Call’s, requires non-profits to think creatively all the time, and to recognize the short-term opportunities that we can use to grab some attention for our long-term goals.

For more information about First Call, visit their website at www.firstcallbc.org.

Reprinted from ‘Activate’, the quarterly journal of IMPACS, the Institute for Media, Policy and Civil Society. Winter, 1999. For more information, visit www.impacs.org or call 1-877-232-0122.