My Gurus

Q Our local media are only interested when we have someone famous in – and that’s not very often. They’re also very ignorant about the arts, and the editor of the local paper seems to think it’s only for posh people. How do I win them over and get them to print stuff we send them?

A Ouch. The problem here isn’t just the attitude of local press towards the work you do, but your attitude towards them. You claim a case of reverse snobbery – the editor thinks the arts are “only for posh people”. What have you done to dispel that myth bar sighing over their ignorance and asking how to ensure they “print the stuff we send them”? (Quick answer: you pay for advertising.) No matter how pitiable you think the quality of your local newspaper is and how narrow-minded its interests, have you considered whether its employees hold a similar contempt for the work you do? Journalists don’t generally ignore good stories. Is what you’re doing interesting and relevant to their audience? Is there a human-interest angle? What’s the headline and the hook? A brief single page press release with the story at the top, facts and figures in the middle and all contact details at the bottom is more than enough info for a story to be decided on. Study how your local paper works with the same consideration you’d like shown to you; assess your pitch from their point of view – where might it fit and what’s the best angle? Be respectful of deadlines. Don’t patronise, but be helpful.