The fringe programme at the National Road Safety Conference in November will include a practical taster session looking at how road safety officers might engage with the media.
The session, ‘In the Spotlight: a practical taster session on working with the media’, will be delivered by Dan Campsall, communications director with Road Safety Analysis.
At a time when budgets are extremely tight, road safety teams are under increasing pressure to utilise the news media, rather than paid for channels, to draw attention to their activities. Yet some road safety officers have had little or no experience or training in this area.
This taster session is designed to help delegates build an understanding of the news media context and provide some tips to help get important road safety stories into the media.
Dan Campsell is an experienced road safety marketing and communications professional who has carried out broadcast work on every major news channel in the UK, as well as international media work.
He has worked on numerous award winning road safety initiatives and currently oversees the Safer Roads campaign, PR and marketing initiatives which span car seat safety, child pedestrian training, young drivers and motorcyclists.
National Road Safety Conference
The 2014 National Road Safety Conference is being hosted by Road Safety GB South East region at The Grand in Brighton, 25-26 November. The event is co-sponsored by Colas and AA DriveTech.
More than 160 people have already registered to attend and 13 organisations have booked to exhibit alongside the conference.
Click here for more information about the agenda and themes, click here for delegate fees and to register to attend, click here for information about exhibiting at the event – or here for information about sponsorship. For more information about the event contact either Sally Bartrum or Nick Rawlings on 01379 650112.
Over the years I have invariably prepared for contacts with the media – or indeed anyone else – by shaving.
Idris Francis Fight Back With Facts Petersfield
0
I’m a staff reporter and photographer working for a local newspaper. I have an active interest in road safety and in my spare time I help motorcycle riders who hold a full licence develop their riding skills. Here’s a bit of free advice for anyone engaging with the media: always include a telephone contact number on every email you send; always caption a picture and explain what is going on in the photo.
You may be surprised at the number of emails we get with no phone number on them and the number of pics that get sent to us – both email and hard copy – with the a comment like ‘this would make a good news story’ and nothing else! There is often no phone number included.
We have also received emails and paper communications from so called media professionals with no telephone contact number and a completely inadequate explanation of their proposed article or story. Why do we always need a phone number? As press day and deadlines approach things nearly always get very hectic in a newsroom, very often journalists have to ask questions and clarify information close to a press deadline. If the sender of information can’t be easily contacted, their piece may go to the bottom of the pile of paper, either physical or virtual!
One more thing – if you want to get a story in the media and get it adequately covered, give us a bit of notice – don’t leave it until the last minute and expect a reporter or photographer to arrive the same afternoon; just like driving, engaging with the media requires a bit of planning!
Mark – Wiltshire
0