Reusing the news

Media relations toolkit

Engaging the media to elevate sexual violence prevention

Coverage in local, regional, and national media is important — news coverage across 
formats keeps communities and leaders up to date on key issues and informs public 
understanding. When sexual violence prevention practitioners engage the media, it is 
an opportunity to elevate sexual violence prevention, connect with new audiences, and 
increase your organization’s credibility and recognition.

Successful media engagement does not end with getting 
published. When your perspective makes it into the news, be 
proactive to make sure your target audience knows about it. 
Whether your op ed is placed or you are mentioned as a source 
in a news article, your follow-up strategy will be guided by the 
quality of the coverage. If your coverage frames your message in 
a positive way, you’ll wanted to reuse it to increase your visibility 
and media presence. For more information about how the news 
frames sexual violence, please see Chapter 1 of Moving toward 
prevention: A guide for reframing sexual violence.1

You can reuse positive news stories to maximize impact by: 

– Circulating published pieces to allies and key audiences 
you are trying to reach.

– Highlighting news coverage and quotes through your 
organization’s website, newsletter, blog, and other platforms.

– Using social media to share your coverage and start 
conversations about news stories.

– Following up with reporters and editors to encourage them 
to reach out in the future.

– Pitching future story ideas to build on coverage or raise 
perspectives left out of the original coverage.

Even when an op-ed or statement does not get published, keep 
the content on hand and keep an eye out for future opportunities 
to submit a revised version. You could also adapt the content 
into a blog post, which can be shared on your own platforms or 
via partners. 

Responding to negative news coverage

It is also important to take action when news coverage is 
problematic or misrepresents your perspective. Although you 
may not want to draw additional attention to flawed stories and 
troublesome headlines, you can still take action to educate and 
inform the news outlet and your target audiences. 

You can respond to problematic news coverage by: 

– Contacting the reporter or outlet following incomplete 
coverage with additional background information and an 
invitation to be in touch for future stories.

– Using problematic headlines as an opportunity to engage 
your audience in activities such as re-writing headlines or 
requesting that community members respond.
 
– Submitting a letter to the editor or publishing an open 
response on your own platforms. 

References

1. Berkeley Media Studies Group, & National Sexual Violence 
Resource Center. (2018). Moving toward prevention: 
A guide for reframing sexual violence. Retrieved from

https://www.nsvrc.org/moving-toward-prevention-guide-reframing-sexual-violence