A ROOM WITH A

VIEWPOINT

How to Create an Online Press Center That Reporters Return to Again and Again

NEW YORK 260 Fifth Avenue, 9th Floor, New York, NY 10001

WASHINGTON, D.C. 1000 Vermont Avenue, NW, Suite 200, Washington, DC 20005

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A Room With a Viewpoint: How to Create an Online Press Center

INTRODUCTION
When you have a media interview lined up, you prepare accordinglyfrom practicing the message to wearing the right outt. Yet many public interest organizations dont take the same level of care with another face of their organization that reporters refer to all the time: online press rooms. Your organizations Web site is often the rst place reporters go before they interview you or le a story. However, FENTON routinely hears grumblings from journalists that nonprot sites are poorly organized, difcult to navigate and missing key information. The good news? Making your Web site reporter-friendly is a relatively simple affair. The following are FENTON best practices for effective online press rooms.

2009 FENTON Communications. All Rights Reserved.

A Room With a Viewpoint: How to Create an Online Press Center

The Essentials
The following are must-haves in an online media center. Each should be clearly visible on their own, but you can also combine them into one downloadable press kitsaving you time and money for materials you would otherwise have to mail. Contact info A common complaint we hear from reporters is the absence of a clear contact person for press inquiries. Include a name, phone number and email. Press releases Journalistsand other audienceswant to see your releases, but a long list can be overwhelming. On the main press page, list your most recent 3-5 releases, and link to another page for a full archive. Order in reverse chronology, with the most recent release rst. If there are many releases on your archives page, make them sortable by topic through a pull-down menu. Include a summary headline about each press release topic (FENTON Releases New Guide to Effective Online Press Rooms) as well as the release date. For releases that received media coverage, post links to the articles next to the release or on its full page. This validates your efforts and assists reporters with their research. Spokespeople News stories rarely exist without someone to quote, so promote your spokespeople by creating online proles of spokespeople with biographical credentials and a photo. A sample audio sound bite or colorful quote can also convince them that your spokesperson is the pithiest or most insightful option. About You You most likely have an About Us section, which explains your mission, programs, staff and Board and advisors. Online visitors often click on About Us immediately, so link to this section from your press room. Media coverage You know the saying: Success follows success. Well, it holds true for media coverage as well. Journalists want to see how you or your issues have been covered in the pastand by what media. And previous media coverage helps legitimize your work as newsworthy. List your most recent mentions and link to a full archive. If there are any outstanding pieces of media coverage, keep them on the main page for as long as one year.

FAQ and Fact Sheets Often, reporters are looking for a quick index of the who, what, when and where. Make their jobs easier by creating an intuitive fact sheet or answers to Frequently Asked Questions for vital stats and background about your organization and its position on relevant issues. When available, link to press releases on your site that further explain your positions.

2009 FENTON Communications. All Rights Reserved.

A Room With a Viewpoint: How to Create an Online Press Center

Top 10 Smart Additions

With the essentials in place, consider these helpful additional components. Photographs You see the stories every day: A feature story with a photo, a graph, or an illustration to support the written piece. Newspapers and online outlets occasionally request images for their stories, and 81 percent of journalists in a recent survey by TekGroup International said that access to photos was important. Keep a bank of high-resolution photos of staff, events, logos and other relevant images, and you could help journalists illustrate your story even better. Bonus tips: To further help journalistsand your desired messagingpost suggested captions for each picture. Make sure there is an easy and intuitive way to search or preview available photos. Video and audio les A major factor in broadcast coverage is whether your story lends itself to TV or radio formats. No visuals or audio potential, no story. Provide links to video or audio footage, such as TV broadcast stories, recorded speeches and conferences, PSAs or ads, and b-roll (a reel of visuals TV outlets can use for background footage). List each les format type (e.g., mpeg, wmv, mov), size (e.g., 2MB) and download time so reporters know what to anticipate. Thought pieces Journalists dont just want facts and gures. They need to know what different perspectives exist. Link to your op-eds, articles, statements or speeches. Research If your organization conducts or commissions original research, archive them in an accessible format, with a one-line description of the content, and, ideally, a separate download for the executive summary. Blogs Web logs or blogs are increasingly sources for reporters looking for news tips and trends. If you have one, promote it. Or link to other like-minded issue blogs. Events A calendar of your eventsas well as those of your alliesshows momentum on an issue, and it may encourage media to attend. But most journalists will be too busy and will instead look for updates online. After events, post summaries, speeches or compelling photos. When possible, provide a search module of events by geography, date and type of event. Newsletters Feature a teaser for your latest newsletter on your homepage, and provide a link to archived newsletters or action alerts. Newsletter pages should include a sign-up option for visitors including journalists. Friendly URLs Link to your allies Web sites and ask them to do the same. This will help you gain exposure and improve search engine results. Validate yourself There is something about a quote that always gets attention. Impress visitors with testimonials from members, peer groups or elected ofcials. And include case studies about your successes. Awards and honors Toot your horn if your organization or staff has been recognized for their positive contribution or milestone.

2009 FENTON Communications. All Rights Reserved.

A Room With a Viewpoint: How to Create an Online Press Center

Design navigation recommendations.

Just because reporters know how to nd information, it doesnt mean we should make them work for itor assume that they arent impressed or annoyed by certain designs. All roads lead to it Give the press center its own navigation tab on your homepage and site-wide navigation bar. Nothing too fancy Engaging design and graphics are important, but dont let the bells and whistles deter from functionalityand speed. In general, avoid Flash or other high-tech programs in your press room. More often than not, reporters want to cut to the chase, and their own Web connection may be limited. Search Include search functionality for reporters to nd information by keywords. Journalists often say these search functions are a crucial tool for their use of Web sites and newsrooms. Solicit feedback On the site, and in conversations with your journalist contacts, ask how the media center works for themand how they would improve it.

Plan ahead.
If you build it, they will come. But to keep them coming back requires more thoughtful, strategic planning. Here are some planning factors to consider. Easy updating Program your Web site to make it easy to update, so you dont have to rely on a tech person to manage it. Assign a point person Whether a communications staffer or outside consultant, make sure you have a clear point person who is responsible for thinking strategically about updating content and improving your press room. Update regularly If reporters visit a site that seems out of date or static, why would they come back again? From day one, identify which areas to update regularly, and map out a 6-12 month plan for updates. Showcase campaigns If you have an upcoming campaign, report release or other big announcement, plan ahead for how and when to showcase the news on your press page. Big news should have a short blurb on the homepage that links back to the press section for the press materials and more information. For news that is embargoed (not for public release until a certain time), make sure all the text, graphics, materials and links are ready to go live when the news hits. Anticipate crisis When bad news hits, your Web site will be one of the rst places people go. And you can divert calls to a Web statement or FAQ to avoid verbal miscues. If you are a group that works on controversial issues that could attract vocal critics or negative news attention, create the pages and content that will help you anticipate and manage potential backlash in advance. This can include a formal statement with contact information for a frontline responder to media or public inquiries. The pages should be earmarked and ready to post publicly at a moments notice.

2009 FENTON Communications. All Rights Reserved.

A Room With a Viewpoint: How to Create an Online Press Center

To register or not to register?

Requiring your visitors to register to use your Web site is common in the for-prot world, but we dont recommend required registration for nonprots. Instead, offer a voluntary sign-up option to receive selective updates and media announcements. If you are a multi-issue organization, consider segmenting and customizing email alerts so reporters only receive whats relevant to them.

How do I know if my press room is working?

Here are a few simple ways for you to measure whether your press room is hitting the mark. Monitor site logs Most Web hosting services provide statistics that report activity on your site, such as the number of daily, weekly and monthly visitors, pages viewed, and the length of time visitors spend on the site. Find out what your hosting service provides and identify: How much trafc does your press center receive? Which pages are most popular? What documents, such as reports and thought pieces, were most frequently downloaded? Track email trafc When you send out emails about your news, it is possible to track how many recipients click on the link to read the news article, whether it be one on your site or a news outlets. This is an option with many email providers and most Content Management Services, such as GetActive.

2009 FENTON Communications. All Rights Reserved.

A Room With a Viewpoint: How to Create an Online Press Center

Online press rooms we like.

Here are a number of online press rooms worth emulating.

Heritage Foundation
www.heritage.org/press

Center for American Progress

www.americanprogress.org/pressroom What this progressive think tank is doing right: By providing multiple press contacts, they make it clear that they are accessible and willing to help media. Links to their press kit and statements are prominently featured.

What this conservative think tank is doing right: By providing multiple Spokespeople (Heritage press Experts) contacts are and prominently a hotline, they make it clear that featured in the they left are navigation accessible bar. and willing to help mediaat any hour. Tabs on their left navigation link to their blog and other From contacts to context, they offer many options for commentary. journalists. Note how concise and clearly listed these various resources are laid out. Tabs on their left navigation link to their blog, podcasts and other commentary.

7
What this progressive think tank is doing right:

2009 FENTON Communications. All Rights Reserved.

A Room With a Viewpoint: How to Create an Online Press Center

Public Policy Institute of California

www.ppic.org/main/pressroom.asp

Google
www.google.com/intl/en/press/index.html What this popular search engine is doing right: Featured testimonials from satised customers about Google and teasers about upcoming ideas and features. Prominent promotion of their blogan engaging way to directly communicate their messages. A simple email eld on the right allows reporters to sign up for alerts.

What this nonpartisan think tank is doing right: Spokespeople are spotlighted with photographs and excerpted quotes. Multiple ways to nd an expert - theres a link on both the left and right side of the page.

2009 FENTON Communications. All Rights Reserved.

About FENTON Communications

For more than 25 years, FENTON Communications has partnered with nonprot clients to make social change. We work to protect the environment, improve public health and advance human rights and social justice. This guide is one in a series that weve produced to help build the strategic communications capacity of the nonprot sector. To download a free copy of this and other FENTON guides, visit www.fenton.com.

Contact Us
Questions? Comments? We welcome your thoughts and ideas. New York Lisa Witter, Chief Operating Ofcer (212) 584-5000 Lisa@fenton.com Washington, D.C. Ira Arlook, Managing Director (202) 822-5200 Ira@fenton.com San Francisco Parker Blackman, Managing Director (415) 901-0111 Pblackman@fenton.com