How To Share Your Bailiff Story With The Media

Journalists are keen to investigate and create TV documentaries if bailiffs have wronged you and dismissed your complaint with excuses. If you're an ex-bailiff or former employee with insider knowledge of corrupt practices, revealing these in the media can lead to change.

Key Points to Remember

Timing: Only contact the media if there are no ongoing legal proceedings.

Professional Approach: Present your story straightforwardly and factually; let the journalist add the drama.

Evidence: Support your claims with evidence, such as videos or photos of bailiff misconduct.

Story Appeal: The more sensational your story, the more likely it is to attract media coverage.

Initial Contact: Journalists prefer to be contacted by email or phone.

Media's Role: Journalists aim to serve their audience and maintain professionalism and objectivity.

Storytelling Balance: Be aware that the media will shape your story to fit their agenda, not yours.

Your bailiff experience is crucial, but to the media, it’s one of many stories. Present it compellingly and let the media professionals handle the rest.

Writing your initial approach email:

If you call media people with a story idea, they will ask you to email it. It's easier for them to understand a written account than to piece it together from a phone call. They can also review your material when they have time to focus. Your email serves as your formal introduction to the media person. Describe yourself and your story, and explain why it would interest their audience. You must persuade them that your story is worth covering and of public interest, tailored specifically to their readers, listeners, or viewers.

Target media outlets likely to cover your story and find out who handles such stories. For bailiff and police corruption, approach populist tabloids instead of broadsheets. Ensure you get the correct spelling of names, titles, addresses, and phone numbers. Mistakes in these details can make you seem careless.

Your email should be concise, 500 words or less, and include supporting photos or a video. Send it to the local newspaper's primary editor, the local radio station's news director, and the person in charge of the assignment desk at a local TV news program. You can also contact a newspaper feature editor or the coordinator of an afternoon radio talk show. Attach a print media kit to your emails to provide more information. By providing a concise and compelling email, you respect their time and expertise, making them more likely to consider your story.

Developing a press release:

Press releases are in PDF format and essential to a PR campaign. They are the primary means of getting your story to the media. All press releases are structured the same way.

The press release should be double-spaced.

Your press release must be on a plain white background with clear, legible black print. Editors sift through countless press releases daily; if yours is not easily digestible, it risks being overlooked.

Your letterhead, which should also be at the top of the first page, plays a significant role in establishing your identity. It typically includes your company's logo, name, and contact information. You can create a unique letterhead for this purpose, but ensure it aligns with your brand's visual identity.

Ensure no typos or grammatical errors in your press release! A single error can trigger an adverse reaction, potentially undermining the impact of your PR campaign.

Create the PDF from a fresh copy. Do not send out poor-quality scanned photocopies with dark staple marks or scars.

Your press-release must contain the 6 key elements:

Place the most crucial facts in the lead paragraph, with the importance of the facts gradually decreasing as you move down the page. This approach respects the editor's role in selecting the most relevant information for their readers. If you send a press release to an editor with five inches of space, and your release runs six, the editor will trim your release from the bottom. Therefore, put the less important things there, knowing that the editor's judgment is critical in this process.

Ensure a readily available contact source. In the top right-hand corner of the first page, there should be a line that reads: - For further information, contact [YOUR NAME]; a telephone number and email should follow. This immediate access to a knowledgeable source reassures the editor that their questions can be answered promptly or an interview can be prepared without delay.

Every press release needs a dateline, a simple yet effective way to inform the editor of the timing of your communication. This detail is crucial as nobody wants to cover an old story that has lost meaning. Taking care of this detail ensures the editor feels informed and up-to-date with the latest news.

If your release runs longer than one page, put "more" at the bottom of each page except the last, and put "end" at the tail end of the final page. Be sure to number each page in the top left-hand corner with - Page X of Y.

If you include a picture or a high-quality screen grab of a bailiff document, you can improve your chances of receiving media attention. Newspapers use black-and-white images, while magazines prefer colour slides or prints.

Stories that have a greater chance of publication should include:

If you're ready to share your unique bailiff story with the media and need tailored assistance with your press release, I'm here for you. Through a low-cost phone consultation, I can delve into your case, identify the specific regulations that have been breached, and write a press release that truly reflects your story. Whether it's for a news article or to initiate an investigation, I can help you uncover the identities and locations of the individuals involved in your story.