Gippsland League
Media Guide
Newspapers, radio, television, radio and electronic noticeboards can be important tools to promote your club, its values, objectives and achievements in your community.
Communication via the media should be viewed as part of a more encompassing communication strategy by the club.
Introduction
There are some important things a club needs to have in place to implement a consistent strategy in providing information to the media and opening the doors of the club to the media.
- 1. Appoint a club media person(s), perhaps one for football, another for netball.
- 2. Get to know the media that serves your area.
- 3. Have a clear idea of what you want to achieve.
Media officer
The person doesn’t have to have journalistic skills (although it is a help) but most importantly needs to have a strong knowledge of and commitment to the betterment of the club. Being on the committee is also not a pre-requisite but good access to key people involved is.
Reliability is one of the keys to dealing with the media. If the media officer commits to providing e.g. a weekly match report that commitment must be honoured.
Even if the media officer is away on holidays or ill, ensure somebody else can fill the gap.
Knowing your media
Get to know the key people in the news and sporting areas of your radio and television stations and newspapers.
The media is as keen to build beneficial working relationships as you are.
Meet face to face as regularly as possible. Find out what they need – match reports, human interest stories, player milestones or club initiatives such improvements to facilities (e.g. electronic scoreboard, nets behind goals, upgraded lighting, ground/netball court and building improvements).
Media like advance notice of special events to plan ahead any coverage. Give as much notice and detail as possible.
Find out editorial/photograph deadlines and the format the media likes to receive the information. Chances of getting a story published or aired are much greater if it is easy for the media to “process” it.
Invite the editor/sports editor/sports reporter to principal club events (in writing and hand delivered if possible with follow up phone calls) such as season launch, presentation dinner, sponsors dinner/luncheon and unveiling of upgraded or new facilities. Offer to provide the information and photographs promptly if media can’t attend. You must presume the media is interested even if they don’t attend.
What you want to achieve
Have a clear idea of how your club can benefit by more, better and more informative media coverage.
This should align closely with the club’s vision and objectives.
E.g. family oriented, successful as a club (not just winning premierships), a good place for young people, their parents and friends to be, recognised as an important part of the local community and its culture.
PUTTING IT IN TO PRACTICE
There are many things that are certain to happen around a football/netball club each year and for which advanced planning can be made to maximise media coverage.
List them first in developing a plan.
- Appointment of the coaching panel (all grades football and netball to promote the “family” orientation).
- New recruits.
- Juniors from the club selected in Gippsland Power Under 16 and 18 squads and others in representative sides.
- Annual meeting – new officers, committee etc.
- Player milestones – 50, 100 games etc.
- Involvement with launch of Auskick.
- Special community benefit days e.g. “pink” and “blue” ribbon days.
- Re-unions.
If your local media, especially newspapers, don’t have a sports reporter assigned to your matches offer to provide reports – football and netball including the minor grades. It is essential to consistently provide these, not just when the club is doing well.
Submit them as far in advance as possible of the media’s deadline.
With radio and television offer “talent” for interview, such as coaches, president, milestone player. Also give as much advance notice as possible.
Look for “human interest” angles such as the woman that has worked in the canteen for 30 years, the long serving property steward, trainer, timekeeper. You may have a new arrival to Australia that has joined your club.
Leverage off the Gippsland League’s status as the only major league in Gippsland, comprised of all the major centres and offering the opportunity to compete at the highest standard available in the region.
Websites
All Gippsland League clubs have websites.
Some clubs utilise their sites more than others but overall they have to date been a greatly under-utilised communications resource.
Regular updates – at least weekly during the season and monthly in the “off” season – with items of interest around the club, committee actions, volunteers’ rosters, game day reports etc are a great way to reach an audience, increase interest in your club and communicate your key values, objectives and messages.
Approach others with websites, such as your club sponsors, district schools and the municipal council to have a link to your site.
ALWAYS address the basics of what a listener, viewer, reader needs or wants to know.
