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How to get media attention for your student initiative
Receiving media attention is a key factor that differentiates you from a local to a national/global initiative.
Porte Global
October 24, 2024
Getting media attention is a powerful way to boost your initiative’s visibility and credibility. While students often turn to social media first, traditional media—like press coverage, radio, and news outlets—can take your project to the next level.
Here’s how to stand out, attract media attention, and grow your impact beyond Instagram and TikTok.
Table of Contents
Step 1: Proper Prep
Before you dive into media outreach, make sure your initiative is ready for the spotlight.
You’ll need to show that your project has tangible results that media would be willing to cover. In a previous article, we explain how important it is to have a specific target audience & impact that is physical/can be quantified. We recommend you use this article to assess your organization first.
a) The most important document to prepare is a press release.
A good press release is a concise and compelling document that summarizes what your organization is, why it’s significant to the community and your most impressive achievements.
(Here is a resource outlining the elements of a press release.)
Focus on your project’s story. This stems directly from your ‘why’ (which we’ve also explained how to create in this article.) Nine times out of ten, a compelling story will make your project sound much more unique.
b) Prepare photo and video assets.
The more media you have of your initiative in action, the better. Collect high-quality photos and videos of your team in action and think of events that symbolize the core of your organization’s goals.
One of our previous students’ projects helped distribute sustainable menstrual products to indigenous communities. Some of the media assets we recommended her to think about:
Photos of her team pinning up posters at her school
In-progress shots of her team designing the packaging for the products
Shot of the founder standing beside Members of Parliament after she presented the project
Shots of the team giving out menstrual products at the community centres they partnered with.
Your media assets should easily align with the regular activities of your organization.
Step 2: Find the Right Media Outlets
Now, it’s time to connect with the right people. We always encourage students to start small by first looking at local news outlets.
They are more likely to give your initiative a larger feature.
Start by looking for recent stories that are related to your initiative’s topic area or mission. Most news articles will have the specific author/journalist listed underneath the title. These journalists will be key to your outreach strategy.
Journalists who cover similar topics are more likely to support your cause; they know the correct people to contact to get your initiative media attention.
Add all these journalists/recent articles in a table like below. This will help you organize your outreach.
Journalist Name | Article They Posted | Topic Area/How it’s connected to your initiative |
|---|---|---|
John Smith | “The housing crisis is rapidly deteriorating” | - article talks about the housing crisis and increasing houseless population lacking food & resources. - our organization provides food & resources to this same demographic |
… | ||
… |
Step 3: Make Your Move with Outreach
Once your materials are ready and you’ve identified the right outlets, it’s time to take action! Designate someone on your team to lead outreach efforts and follow up with journalists.
- Cold Emails: Don’t hesitate to send out cold emails to journalists. Personalize each one and explain why your initiative is relevant to their recent stories. (Check out our previous Networking & Outreach resource here.)
- Start with Warm Leads: Focus on sending messages to the journalists who have already covered similar topics to your initiative. They are most likely to respond.
- Drop By: Don’t be afraid to go visit a local newspaper office and introduce yourself. Newsrooms are often open to community stories, and meeting face-to-face can make a lasting impression.
- Radio: Radio stations are great platforms that many overlook. Once your story gets picked up, you never know who might hear it and help you get more coverage.
Getting media coverage can open doors you never expected. Instead of chasing after stakeholders, they’ll come to you. It’s a time-saver and a game-changer, transforming your initiative from a local project to one with national—or even global—reach.
Media attention isn’t just about getting noticed; it’s about building momentum and expanding your impact.
Student Resources
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Learn about your post-secondary goals & school list
Assess the strength of your portfolio in relation to your major
Share additional & personalized resources you can use.
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On Nov 6 from 6:00-7:00 pm, our team is hosting an informative webinar where we show you exactly how to create impactful extracurriculars. We tell you:
- Outdated strategies about college
- Exactly what an impactful project looks like
- Provide case studies of our successful students attending institutions like Cornell, USC, Berkeley, etc., to help you reassess your profile.