Advice for dealing with the Press/Media
Research your local news outlets – newspapers, local Radio, what’s on web sites etc. and find out the email addresses, names and phone numbers of the relevant people.
It is often helpful to contact the local news outlet by email or telephone to let them know what you will be sending and when.
Any request for an article to be included in a local news outlet is best written out trying to put your own interesting slant on any story and presented as a press release. Papers like to put their own angle on things, and if just based on a phone conversation can result in something which doesn’t resemble anything like you would like to read.
If you need any facts and figures about morris, have a look at our web page For the Press/Media at: https://www.morrisfed.org.uk/for-press/
It is worth following up the sending of a press release with a phone call to make sure it has been received and answer any questions they may have. However, be careful what you say, maybe in jest, as they can often include that in a way you did not intend.
If the article is about a forthcoming event there could be a follow up piece, but you would probably need to ask for that and present it in the same way.
Do send in your own photos rather than the press coming out to get their own. A photo is good to include as it catches the reader’s eye.
After your article has been printed, it is worth sending a quick thank you email to encourage them to be receptive to any future request.
Advice for dealing with requests to appear in films
Chat to the person on the phone and find out more about it and if it is a comedy involving morris, ask the question about where the comedy is coming from. That way you can gauge their tone of voice and see what your gut feeling is.
Be honest, and say that you/the morris world have had your fingers burnt in the past and you are very conscious about the public image of morris.
It’s also good to remember that ‘Morris a life with bells on’ was a comedy but was OK.
If you have already chatted to them then maybe ask for a copy of the script that you would be part of.
If it doesn’t feel right, then don’t do it. People can get blinded by telly/film. On the other hand it might be a great experience.
Last updated: May 2023
