Reach the Media

To help ensure press coverage of your event, read the advice in the Key Steps below. Then, find out a step-by-step plan for putting that advice into action by clicking on the Media Timeline at right.

Download this Guide to Working with the Media (MS Word)

Key Steps for a Successful Media Campaign

  1. Review suggested angles for your country/region press release
  2. Draft a press release or amend GINA's regional or global template for use in your country, including a quote from the GINA Assembly member or other asthma leaders in your country. (To ensure access to the template press release in time for you to adapt it, sign up for the GINA eNewsletter.)
  3. World Asthma Day Event? If you are holding a press event for World Asthma Day, or are conducting any public activity, be sure to mention this in your diary date (see Step 8) and in your release.
  4. Utilize Third Parties Working with your National Asthma Association or Patient Group, incorporate additional quotes or statistics into your press release or media background information to provide context and examples of how these statistics affect day-to-day practice.
  5. Case Study Consider including a case study (sourced via Primary Care Practitioner or Patient Group) to provide media with the real-life impact of asthma and a story of a real person achieving control of his or her disease. Is there a famous local personality with asthma (or with a relative who has asthma) whom you can approach to comment on the campaign?
  6. Spokespeople Brief key spokespeople (GINA Assembly member, patient group representative, etc.) with the key messages you wish to communicate around World Asthma Day. Ensure that they have availability both on World Asthma Day and the day before to help meet the needs of your target media.
  7. Media Selection Decide on your target media distribution list for the press release. If your press release particularly focuses on childhood asthma, for example, remember to include media outlets that target families (such as women's interest media)
  8. Diary Date A number of your national media outlets will have a diary date marker system. Get in touch two weeks prior to World Asthma Day to make them aware of the story. This is particularly important if you are planning to target broadcast media.
  9. Timing for Press Release Distribution Distribute your press materials (under embargo for World Asthma Day) 48 hours prior. Remember to include clear contact details (including an out of hours telephone contact) for those journalists wishing to set up an interview. If you have visuals (e.g., World Asthma Day logo, images of lungs, etc.) your print media contacts may wish to use these. Please remember to indicate on your press release that you have visuals available.
  10. Monitor Coverage If you have a media monitoring system in place please alert them to the fact that you are undertaking significant activity. If you do not have a monitoring system speak to your sponsors who may be able to help.
Continue to the Media Planning Timeline Top of page

Media planning timeline