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

Fenton Communications White Paper > 2006

A Room with a Viewpoint: How to Create an Online Press Center That Reporters Return to Again and Again

© 2006 Fenton Communications. All Rights Reserved.

When you have a media interview lined up, you prepare accordingly—from practicing the message to wearing the right outfit.

Yet many public interest organizations don’t take the same level of care with an-other face of their organization that reporters refer to all the time: online press rooms.

Your organization’s Web site is often the first place reporters go before they in-terview you or file a story. Yet Fenton routinely hears grumblings from journal-ists that nonprofit sites are poorly organized, difficult 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.

The EssentialsThe 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 kit—saving 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: Journalists—and other audiences—want 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.oOrder in reverse chronology, with the most recent release first. If there are

many releases on your archives page, make them sortable by topic through a pull-down menu.

oInclude a summary headline about each press release topic (“Fenton Re-leases New Guide to Effective Online Press Rooms”) as well as the release date.

oFor 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 report-ers with their research.

•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

Introduction

What to Include in Your Online Press Room

Your Web site is often the first place reporters go.


Fenton Communications White Paper > 2006 © 2006 Fenton Communications. All Rights Reserved.

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about your organization and its position on relevant issues. When available, link to press releases on your site that further explain your positions.

•Spokespeople: News stories rarely exist without someone to quote, so pro-mote your spokespeople by creating online profiles 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 past—and 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 that on the main page for as long as one year.

Top Ten Smart Additions With the essentials in place, consider these helpful additional components.

1. 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 il-lustrate your story even better. Bonus tips:oTo further help journalists—and your desired messaging—post suggest-

ed captions for each picture.oMake sure there is an easy and intuitive way to search or preview avail-

able photos.

2. Video and audio files: 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).oList each file’s format type (e.g., mpeg, wmv, Real Player), size (e.g., “2MB”)

81 percent of journalists said that access to photos were important.




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and download time so reporters know what to anticipate.

3. Thought pieces: Journalists don’t just want facts and figures. They need to know what different perspectives exist. Link to your op-eds, articles, state-ments or speeches.

4. Research: If your organization conducts or commissions original research, archive them in an accessible format, with a one-line description of the con-tent, and, ideally, a separate download for the executive summary.

5. 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.

6. Events: A calendar of your events—as well as those of your allies—shows 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. Af-ter events, post summaries, speeches or compelling photos. When possible, provide a search module of events by geography, date and type of event.

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. Validate yourself: There is something about a quote that always gets out at-tention. Impress visitors with testimonials from members, peer groups or elected officials. And include case studies about your successes.

10. Awards and honors: Toot your horn if your organization or staff has been recognized for their positive contribution or milestone.

Just because reporters know how to find information, it doesn’t mean we should make them work for it—or assume that they aren’t 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.

Design and navigation recommendations

Impress visitors with testimonials from members, peer groups or elected officials.



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•Nothing too fancy: Engaging design and graphics are important, but don’t let the bells and whistles deter from functionality—and 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 find 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 con-tacts, ask how the media center works for them—and how they would im-prove it.

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 don’t have to rely on a tech person to manage it.

•Assign a point person: Whether a communications staffer or outside con-sultant, make sure you have clear point person who is responsible for think-ing 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.oBig news should have a short blurb on the homepage that links back to

the press section for the press materials and more information. oFor 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 first place 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

Plan Ahead




Requiring your visitors to register to use your Web site is common in the for-profit world, but we don’t recommend required registration for non-profits.

Instead, offer a voluntary sign-up option to receive selective updates and media announcements. If you are multi-issue organization, consider segmenting and customizing email alerts so report-ers only receive what’s relevant to them.

To Register or Not to Register?

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:

oHow much traffic does your press center receive?oWhich pages are most popular? oWhat documents, such as reports and thought pieces, were most frequently

downloaded?

Track email traffic: 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 outlet’s. This is an option with many email providers and most “Content Management Services,” such as GetActive.

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 ear-marked and ready to post publicly at a moment’s notice.



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Here are a number of online press rooms worth emulating.

Heritage Foundation: www.heritage.org/press/

What this conservative think tank is doing right:•By providing multiple press contacts and a hotline, they make it clear that

they are accessible and willing to help media—at any hour.•From contacts to context, they offer many options for 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 commen-

tary.

Center for American Progress: www.americanprogress.org/site/c.biJRJ8OVF/b.6262/

What this progressive think tank is doing right:•“Media” is the second, prominent navigation tab on every page of their site,

so journalists can find relevant press info at any point.•Spokespeople (“Our Experts”) are prominently featured in the upper-right

navigation bar. •Links to their press kit, speeches and statements and news coverage.

Public Policy Institute of California: www.ppic.org/main/pressroom.asp

What this nonpartisan think tank is doing right: •Spokespeople are spotlighted with photographs and excerpted quotes.•Featured teaser headlines about their research and press releases so what

reporters will find within those links.•Advanced search technology allows reporters to search within different

press pages and materials.

Google: www.google.com/intl/en/press/index.html

What this popular search engine is doing right: •Featured testimonials from satisfied customers about Google and teasers

about upcoming ideas and features.•Prominent promotion of their blog—an engaging way to directly communi-

cate their messages.•A simple email field in the top right allows reporters to sign up for alerts.

Online Press Rooms We Like




About Fenton Communications:With more than 24+ years of experience serving the public interest, Fenton’s team harnesses the full-range of multimedia services - from strategic planning and media relations to advertising and online marketing and advocacy - to help our clients protect the environment, improve public health and advance human rights and social justice.

“A Room with a Viewpoint: How to Create an Online Press Center That Reporters Return to Again and Again” is one in a series of Fenton guides on topics including advertising, media campaigns, re-leasing reports, coverage on international issues and more. For free copies of this and other guides, please visit www.fenton.com.

Contact Us:Questions? Comments? We welcome your thoughts and ideas.

NEW YORKLisa Witter, Executive Vice President & General Manager(212) 584-5000; [email protected]

WASHINGTON, D.C.Ira Arlook, Managing Director(202) 822-5200; [email protected]

SAN FRANCISCOParker Blackman, Deputy General Manager and Managing Director(415) 901-0111; [email protected]

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