Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Why doesn't cohousing get more national news coverage?

[Strawnet (Strawnet]

Re: getting more media attention for cohousing

In many respects the issues of publicizing something "new" (though it doesn't
need to be new - just little know or something old being revived, which is
the case with straw bale construction) are the same.  If you don't have
something startlingly "newsworthy" like a major event, it takes a concerted
effort to get higher profile media exposure.

We've found with straw bale construction that if you want it done any time
soon, or perhaps at all, and especially, if you want it done well, you need
to take the initiative.  The "media" is a vehicle, and you can get to take it
out for a short spin if you know how.  The print media - magazines in
particular - can be a good way to get your message out to the mainstream
population.  TV is trickier, because you rarely have much opportunity to
write or control the product (and we've seen a strong tendency to drop all
the qualifying remarks you might carefully make, and in an effort to squeeze
the story into 2 minutes, things almost always get distorted and taken out of
context, although unintentionally).

Find your best, most articulate spokespeople, your most interesting and
successful cohousing projects and write about them.  Get a copy of Writer's
Market, do a little research and write query letters to the magazines you
want to be in.  Good photos help also.  Explain, as you do locally, what,
why, where, who, when and how.  Speaking of locally, we've begun doing nice
tight introductory slideshow/talks to monthly meetings of such groups as
energy engineers, appraisors, bankers, insurance brokers, real estate agents
and brokers, civic and service groups, etc. on straw bale construction.  It
really opens their eyes, when they see good slides of 60, 70, 90 year old
buildings, big beautiful new houses and the techniques and principles of
construction.  The same thing could be done to increase local interest and
knowledge of cohousing.  Maybe you already do this.  But sometimes this
generates a good local newspaper article, which you can use to enhance the
opportunities for national articles.

Be creative, and take the lead.  The media doesn't find the best stories by
themselves.  They often need to be led to them - and shepherded through to
make sure they get it right.  That's a good place to start once they're
interested - tell them what your worst fears are - in terms of how your real
story might be distorted, inadvertently in their coverage.  It at least will
make them aware of your concerns and help avoid the common pitfalls.

Hope that is of some help.  David Eisenberg (strawnet [at] aol.com)