Media Contact
29-05-06, 05:06 PM
Being safe with Media Contact:
Be safe, be wise, be sure.
Media requests posted are not endorsed or recommended by NFHiB - readers are encouraged to assess the suitability of any request here on their own merits and personal judgment.
NFHiB receives regular and often extensive media coverage. We ask that all media requests are 'pre-approved' here, in order that we may check their validity and origins as much as possible, before any authorised request is posted here in the Media section at the NFHiB Forum Community, on behalf of a media representative.
From our experience with media requests, we have created some simple guidelines to help protect all members from any potential or possible problems, arising from media contact.
We acknowledge that 99% of media contacts are totally genuine (e.g. BBC, ITV, etc and many other media groups/organisations are totally valid) and wish to publicise and report stories or situations sympathetically and accurately. Unfortunately, there are a small number of media representatives that may 'sensationalise' your story or decide to exaggerate the situation to their own advantage, possibly at your expense.
In case of possible contact with this very small percentage of media representatives, you are advised to follow these guidelines.
You are also advised though to follow these in all cases:
Try to have all contact through e-mail communication wherever possible. In the first instance this is definitely recommended as should you then decide to have no further contact, unwanted e-mails are more manageable than say, unwanted telephone calls.
If it is contact via the telephone, then try and ring a media representative, rather than them ring you. It is advisable that you withhold your telephone number (by dialling '141' on many providers, before ringing your contact number), unless you feel very confident to let them have your telephone number. You could use a mobile telephone or business number as an alternative to giving out your home or personal number.
Do not give out details about your street name/specific location, your NFH names etc. Be careful what information you disclose that is personally identifying about you or others. It is really up to you how much information you finally disclose though and if you are comfortable with that.
You should regularly clarify and re-check with your media representative, what will be published/presented, before that presentation occurs. Ask to 'proof read' any written material before it is published or view any images or television media in advance of airing, etc.
NFHiB will attempt to pre-assess all media requests, before they appear in this section. However, please always try and check out the authenticity of the journalist or media representative first, e.g. do they really work for who they say, etc. If they are freelance, will they sell the article to the magazine/newspaper they told you they would or could your story end up being sold to the 'highest bidder' and be placed into the hands of someone you would not wish it to be?
Use your common sense and be safe. If something doesn't 'feel right', then it probably isn't for you.
All members are welcome to contact any of the NFHiB Support Team (http://www.nfh.org.uk/forums/showgroups.php) to ask for more help. Although we cannot offer an opinion of whether members should or should not contact media representatives in response to requests, we will always do our utmost to ensure member security, confidentiality, safety and privacy.
Be safe, be wise, be sure.
Media requests posted are not endorsed or recommended by NFHiB - readers are encouraged to assess the suitability of any request here on their own merits and personal judgment.
NFHiB receives regular and often extensive media coverage. We ask that all media requests are 'pre-approved' here, in order that we may check their validity and origins as much as possible, before any authorised request is posted here in the Media section at the NFHiB Forum Community, on behalf of a media representative.
From our experience with media requests, we have created some simple guidelines to help protect all members from any potential or possible problems, arising from media contact.
We acknowledge that 99% of media contacts are totally genuine (e.g. BBC, ITV, etc and many other media groups/organisations are totally valid) and wish to publicise and report stories or situations sympathetically and accurately. Unfortunately, there are a small number of media representatives that may 'sensationalise' your story or decide to exaggerate the situation to their own advantage, possibly at your expense.
In case of possible contact with this very small percentage of media representatives, you are advised to follow these guidelines.
You are also advised though to follow these in all cases:
Try to have all contact through e-mail communication wherever possible. In the first instance this is definitely recommended as should you then decide to have no further contact, unwanted e-mails are more manageable than say, unwanted telephone calls.
If it is contact via the telephone, then try and ring a media representative, rather than them ring you. It is advisable that you withhold your telephone number (by dialling '141' on many providers, before ringing your contact number), unless you feel very confident to let them have your telephone number. You could use a mobile telephone or business number as an alternative to giving out your home or personal number.
Do not give out details about your street name/specific location, your NFH names etc. Be careful what information you disclose that is personally identifying about you or others. It is really up to you how much information you finally disclose though and if you are comfortable with that.
You should regularly clarify and re-check with your media representative, what will be published/presented, before that presentation occurs. Ask to 'proof read' any written material before it is published or view any images or television media in advance of airing, etc.
NFHiB will attempt to pre-assess all media requests, before they appear in this section. However, please always try and check out the authenticity of the journalist or media representative first, e.g. do they really work for who they say, etc. If they are freelance, will they sell the article to the magazine/newspaper they told you they would or could your story end up being sold to the 'highest bidder' and be placed into the hands of someone you would not wish it to be?
Use your common sense and be safe. If something doesn't 'feel right', then it probably isn't for you.
All members are welcome to contact any of the NFHiB Support Team (http://www.nfh.org.uk/forums/showgroups.php) to ask for more help. Although we cannot offer an opinion of whether members should or should not contact media representatives in response to requests, we will always do our utmost to ensure member security, confidentiality, safety and privacy.