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PO Box 14245, Olympia, WA 98511-4245 - 360-456-1334 - HuntersHeritageCouncil@attbi.com

Guidelines for Effective Media Relations

The HHC conducts daily media searches for news stories related to hunting and the activities of hunting organizations in their local communities.  All of the daily newspapers in Washington State are researched every day.  On average, for the period December 2000 through May 2002, there were 3.7 hunting-related news stories per month with more than 70% of these stories published by just two newspapers.  About half of the published news stories in Washington State over this 18 month period dealt with negative images related to hunters and hunting (poachers arrested, fined or sent to jail, hunting-related firearms accidents, etc.) and these stories were the type receiving the widest media distribution.

Interviews conducted by the HHC with newspaper reporters who are hunters resulted in three important observations.  Those attacking the heritage and culture of hunting are highly successful at gaining what amounts to free advertising and they do so through aggressive media relations.  The hunting community is considerably less effective in creating positive public relations images regards hunters and the heritage and culture of hunting.  And, as a consequence, the image of hunting is generally viewed less favorably by the public-at-large compared to 10 or 20 years ago.

These guidelines for effective media relations have been developed with the assistance of two news reporters who are hunters who agree with the concept that the hunting community in Washington State needs to do a better job of “telling its side of the story.”  

WWC member groups can obtain a copy of this publication by emailing: Information@w4wc.org