Press - friend or foe?
This campaign tip (no. 56) was published on Monday, 25th February 2019
If you're campaigning for something, the press can be your lifeblood - helping to propel your case to public view. But beware - they can also be the 'death' of you looking for a sensational story to help them sell their product.
You get to know the individual outlets ... who's going to be sniffing around in a sea of positive news looking for the one case / story that stinks, and who's going to run with a positive story and let you be the "good guy".
It's the radio and TV interviews where you sometimes feel your playing a fast-moving game. "Can you come o n at 17:50 [local radio] - sorry it will be short - to talk about the debate in parliament" ... followed by a phone call at 17:50 to say "We've rejigged the schedule - is 18:15 OK". Yes ... but I still expected it to be short and not an 8 minute wide ranging slot in which the interviewer challenged rail fares Swindon to Paddington as being extortionate - and here I am as a campaigner to encourage rai use!
Discussion via Coffee Shop forum
You get to know the individual outlets ... who's going to be sniffing around in a sea of positive news looking for the one case / story that stinks, and who's going to run with a positive story and let you be the "good guy".
It's the radio and TV interviews where you sometimes feel your playing a fast-moving game. "Can you come o n at 17:50 [local radio] - sorry it will be short - to talk about the debate in parliament" ... followed by a phone call at 17:50 to say "We've rejigged the schedule - is 18:15 OK". Yes ... but I still expected it to be short and not an 8 minute wide ranging slot in which the interviewer challenged rail fares Swindon to Paddington as being extortionate - and here I am as a campaigner to encourage rai use!
Discussion via Coffee Shop forum