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Removing roadblocks for reporters News editor for Canada’s biggest daily gives tips for better coverage By Owen Roberts, Canada The agri-food sector routinely blames the non-farm media for ignoring it. But if that’s true, what are the reasons? News editor Ed Cassavoy, who makes some of the top editorial decisions at Canada’s largest circulation (400,000) daily newspaper, The Toronto Star, wonders if the sector is being as helpful as it should to reporters and editors – especially those working online, on deadline, trying to find sources, contacts and other information. Speaking to the annual meeting of the Advanced Foods and Materials Network (www.afmnet.ca) -- the only one of Canada’s 21 networks of centres of excellence that deals with food – Cassavoy noted the public’s appetite for food, bio-science and research stories is high. For example, he cited a high awareness of personal health, in all generations, based on concerns about diets, transfats, vitamins, organic food, genetically altered food, BSE and toxins. However, he’s not sure balanced messages about food are getting across, because media’s needs aren’t being met. The fast access, sources and information – email address, bios, photos, camera-ready art, lists of expertise – just aren’t there. Nor are round-the-clock sources trained to give interviews, quick clips and quotes, particularly after normal business hours. “The media needs to be fed 24/7,” he says. “Does your media contact give out their cell phone number?” Cassavoy suggests organizations look in the mirror and ask if they’re making it easy, or hard, for the media. He advocates that organizations promote a media culture from within, one in which media contacts welcome questions from reporters, there’s no antagonism and each side understands the other. For example, he knows news sources feel that journalists sometimes trivialize issues, search for sensationalism and controversy, and simply don’t get it right. On the other hand, he knows reporters who are scared by beats they don’t understand (such as agriculture), are suspicious of anything that hints of profit, and tends to go with comments from whoever’s accessible, sometimes leading to imbalanced stories. Cassavoy offers what he calls “can’t-lose strategies” for a more harmonious industry-media relationship: ------------------------------------------------ 1. Have the raw materials assembled and ready when the media needs it Make your website concise, comprehensive and targeted at the general public. Offer a searchable website and archives Provide a media page Give people a map to find you Publish your organizational chart Display your snappy logo so it can be downloaded Pre-empt news and invite TV to shoot stock shots Have still images ready digitally and on the website Offer photos of head honchos and buildings Visuals buy you more media real estate 2. Cultivate the media --- constantly Target the expert journalists Pitch directly to the journalist, the assignment editor, the chase producer Remember there’s constant demand for stories., so make them good and easy to understand Think invites, personal tours, exclusives Do you have a media advisory committee? 3. Concentrate on basics Improve your website Get your own house in order: Designate the key media contacts, review with them what the game plan is, give them media training. Pare down the essential messages you want to communicate. TOP