The Power of Media

Media has its own culture. As a constantly changing industry, those who are working in the field must be willing to simultaneously evolve their strategies. The reading from Strategic Communications for Nonprofits this week is very applicable to what we as a class hope to accomplish in working with Safe Harbor.  First of all, in shaping a plan for outreach it is necessary to look at the media trends followed by the target audience. Also important to remember is the power of adding personal touch to communication. Fresh local stories are more likely to sustain attention than national statistics that have been shown numerous times.

Amazingly, the Internet has made it possible for a single person to reach a global audience with just a few strokes of a touch pad. The web is a powerful tool that should be both embraced and used with caution. One of our projects for Safe Harbor is to develop a branding guide and social media for the Relationship Education Project (REP). The information in Chapter 5 will be very helpful in furthering the success of this endeavor. The reading pointed out that the Internet is crucial to the success of any communications strategy, and that the low cost of Internet communications makes it valuable to nonprofit groups with limited resources, such as Safe Harbor. Promoting REP on its official website, Facebook, Twitter, and our own blogs will potentially reach a wide spectrum of people. Having a strong focus on social media in particular will be crucial in reaching the target audience of high school students. In addition, promotion of REP on local news web sites will hopefully gain the attention of their teachers and parents. I agree with the reading that the Internet has great interactive ability, and we should consistently update our public and invite responses from third parties to raise awareness about this issue.

Chapter 7 continued the theme with investigation of how to earn good media coverage. It made a good point in stressing the importance of building strong professional relationships with reporters. When representing a nonprofit, it will be essential that we as students do our homework, be flexible, and pay close attention to the details we are putting out for the public. While some of the media strategies in the chapter went beyond the scope of what we plan to accomplish with Safe Harbor, it was helpful to learn the specifics of organization and preparation necessary when dealing with media. If the opportunity came up to work with a local TV or radio station we would have a foundation of information. Although we will be concentrating on social media, a potential opportunity is to write a short op-ed or letter to the editor for the Anderson and Greenville newspapers. Anything to shine a positive spotlight on our message will be useful. The focus from the reading that I think should be taken most to heart, however, is that the best communicators are always thinking outside the box and looking for fresh approaches that will put their organization in the front of the pack. This should definitely be our goal with Safe Harbor as well as in our future careers as communications professionals.