News

Social workers are often wary of the press but media coverage can be positive for the profession, writes Nathalie Towner. Why not try actively seeking publicity to give your project a boost? Promoting social work in the media needs to be well thought through, to make sure you get the outcomes you want. Securing good coverage is not as simple as just picking up the phone and asking for column inches. Instead, it involves detailed planning. Before you start, you need to be clear about what to say and who your target audience is.


Have a strategy
Media coverage is not an end in itself - it should be used to achieve a longer-term goal. Before you speak to anyone outside the organisation, talk through exactly what you want to achieve. "Create a media strategy: outline the objectives and the key messages you want to get across," advises Richard Bunting, media consultant for NCH, the children's charity. "Once you have a key message the work will be a lot easier, as this will give you the framework for everything you do."

Who to involve
Make sure all the key people in the organisation are involved in, or at least aware of, publicity plans. Social workers are not expected to be savvy media professionals and - depending on the scale of the project - your organisation may choose to bring in PR experts. Flintshire social services employ a full-time marketing and recruitment officer dedicated to promoting teenage fostering. "We wanted to use her expertise, and by employing someone skilled in this area we have made significant progress," says Peter Robson, service manager of resources for children's services at the council. "She works alongside us in the planning process and establishes links with the media."

Have target audiences and clear goals
The choice of media is vast - coverage can range from features in national papers to interviews on local radio. Identify your target audience by working out who you want to communicate with. When you know who they are, you will be able to identify the best media outlets for your project. "We targeted the local media as we wanted to recruit carers, and as a result of our campaign have done so," says Robson. Be focused on what you want to achieve, and then you are more likely to take steps to reach this goal. Having clear goals will also make it easier to judge how successful you've been, and to see what you can do differently next time.


Reaching the media
"Try and think like a journalist about what is news," advises Bunting. "Think of a hook to pull the media in. Give out new information, new findings - as we did when we put out figures on a sharp rise in the number of people using our services." And don't be scared of the media. "Local media won't want to challenge you to a Jeremy Paxman-style fierce debate. They just want a good story." It is worth spending time building up good relationships with local journalists: they will get the story and you will get the publicity you want.

Communicate outcomes
When it's all over, pay attention to internal communications. Share your strategy with colleagues and explain highs and lows. If the strategy is successful, seeing their work receiving positive coverage will give staff a real lift. Colleagues who have given up valuable time to talk to the media should feel their efforts are worthwhile and have achieved something. And if you make sure they realise how valued their contribution has been, they are more likely to agree to an interview next time.