Want to get your campaign in the news? Earned media (coverage you don’t pay for) is one of the most powerful ways to amplify your message—but only if you know how to speak journalists’ language.
Here’s how to create media releases, and stories that actually get picked up.
What Makes Good Earned Media?
Journalists are flooded with pitches daily. To stand out, your story needs:
✅ Exclusives – Offer a journalist first access to a report, protest, or spokesperson
✅ Novel or 🔥 takes – “Young people occupy MP’s office over fossil fuel donations” beats “Group protests climate inaction”
✅ Pairing pitch with something independent – Got data? Pair it with a human story (e.g., “Rent up 30% – here’s how it’s forcing students into couch-surfing”)
✅ 🥄 Feeding – Make their job easy: pre-write quotes, provide high-res photos, suggest angles
✅ Colour and conflict – “Hundreds of students storm Parliament chanting ‘Tax the rich!’” > “Group holds peaceful rally”
What Doesn’t Work
❌ Predictability – “Another climate protest” won’t cut it
❌ Parroting 🗣 – If your pitch sounds like every other NGO’s, it’ll get skipped
❌ Late pitches – Timing matters! Send embargoed releases ahead of big actions
❌ Casting wide nets – For local stories, blanket emails = instant delete
❌ Blandness – No stakes? No coverage
📝 Creating media for print and digital articles
How to nail it:
- Headline that grabs attention
- Inverted Pyramid structure: Most critical info first so that it doesn’t get cut
- Strong quotes: “We’re drowning in climate inaction while politicians take fossil fuel cash”
- Tailored email: “Hi [Name], I saw your piece on youth climate anxiety – here’s a story you’ll want to cover…”
- Impactful photos: Attach high-res shots of actions, faces, conflict
✏️ Inverted Pyramid Example
Lead (Who/What/When/Where/Why/How):
“Fed up with decades of inaction, young activists from the Tomorrow Movement are taking a stand against the federal budget with a bold and creative protest.”
Second Paragraph (Why it matters):
“Labor and Liberal are spending billions on submarines and developer handouts while young people struggle to afford housing, find secure jobs, and face a climate crisis.”
Third Paragraph (Quote):
“We’re sick of being told to wait for change,” said 21-year-old organizer Aisha Patel. “If politicians won’t act, we’ll make them.”
Additional Context:
Event logistics, report links, or campaign background