Mass media can be an organization's most powerful and influential ally. For community-based efforts, local media hold the key to generating public awareness, spurring civic action, and influencing community policy. The media can be effective partners in your efforts to prevent, control, and reduce violent crime, drug abuse, and gang activity.
The media environment is highly competitive, however, and hundreds of worthy causes are constantly jockeying for a piece of the media pie. Organizations that are proactive, creative, accessible, and reliable—and that understand how media work—will be the most successful. For this reason, it is important to secure a media representative on your committee.
Schedule a briefing meeting with local radio and television stations and newspapers to introduce the Weed and Seed initiative, and ask media representatives to join your Steering Committee or communications subcommittee. Media partners are increasingly looking for a tangible return on their public service investment. Think about pitching ideas to them as you would when presenting your program to a foundation for financial support. See the section on reaching funding organizations for more detail.
