Fundraiser editor Jenny Ramage secured global press coverage for her rare cancer. Here’s how she did it.

I recently launched a campaign to raise awareness of the rare, one-in-a-million cancer I was treated for two years ago - pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP). My intention when I set out was to secure local press coverage; however, my story ended up going global. I was astounded; this was way beyond my expectations.  

Looking back, I had the benefit of having a very striking, ‘juicy’ story to tell: I underwent what’s been dubbed the ‘Mother of all Surgeries’ in order to rid me of the cancerous jelly that had invaded my abdominal cavity. However, the way I approached the media with my story helped hugely in securing the coverage.  

While I was raising awareness of the disease, rather than any individual charity, the principles are the same. So here are my top tips for piquing the media’s interest:

Find your story’s USP

I’ve spoken with people who say they have great difficulty in getting cancer stories covered by the press. Cancer is a tragedy, but sadly very common, and so rarely it is considered ‘newsworthy’. That said, even the most common cancers can become newsworthy stories when someone is diagnosed on their wedding day, for example. It lends the extra human element that journalists are looking for.  

So, whatever cause you want to promote, think about what makes your story stand out from all the others out there. It might not be the most immediately obvious thing. 

Make it personal

The media love stories with a strong human interest angle. Simply plugging your service or a fundraising event won’t be enough. If you can, highlight your charity’s work through the story of one individual - preferably a beneficiary. For example, if you’re raising funds for a homelessness shelter, can you find a beneficiary with a harrowing story to tell, and ask them if they will agree to share their story with, and be interviewed by, a journalist?  

If the beneficiary can include a sentence in their interview as to why your service, event or project is so important to them, even better.

Find an interesting angle

If you really struggle to find a personal story, think about what other elements might pique the interest of a journalist. If, for example, you are raising funds to renovate a heritage property, can you exploit its history and/or the local angle? Perhaps the London museum you’re extending narrowly avoided a First World War bomb? Or maybe the Somerset church hall you’re repairing provided refuge to local people who homes were devastated by the floods of 1947?

Use awesome adjectives

Think about what your story’s headline will be, and come up with some killer adjectives. What words or phrases might make a journalist prick their ears up and take notice? For me, phrases such as ‘one in a million’ and ‘Mother of all Surgeries’ lent weight to my story. Make sure you communicate these adjectives in your story’s opening sentence, so it’s captivating from the off.

Start local

When making your approach to the media, in most situations the best place to start is with the local papers, radio station or TV channel. Occasionally, the nationals will pick up on stories that are first published in the local papers (as was the case with my story; it was picked up by a ‘news service’ journalist who read it in the local paper). In any case, you can’t really go wrong by thinking local to start with.  

If you’re a national charity, with beneficiaries dotted across the country, can they approach their local papers too with their own story? This way, you may be able to secure coverage around the country, in a series of local stories, rather than trying to secure one big national story. 

Phone in the first instance

Phone your target media outlet with your story, rather than write to them, and have your ‘elevator pitch’ ready. With letters and email, even the most interesting story can be overlooked, lost in the mass of correspondence media outlets receive. Speaking to an individual in the first instance is the best way to go. 

Even if they say they’re too busy to listen to your full story right now and ask you to email it, at least you’ll already be on their radar - just make sure you get those memorable adjectives in before hanging up!

Be as open as you can

My final tip is: be prepared to share intimate/gory details, particularly photographs or video. It sounds crass, but the feedback I received from the journalists who covered my story was that my willingness to share photographs of my 14-inch scar was a big factor - particularly in the case of the tabloid media.  

This can be a careful balancing act, because you don’t want the subject of your story to feel exposed and/or exploited. Just make sure everyone is clear on what’s being shared, and that all parties agree the limits of the information that’s made public.

Jenny Ramage is editor of The Fundraiser.

Read more about Jenny's campaign for PMP here.