How to Involve the Media When a Child is Missing

1 Comments | Rating: 1 | |

When children are missing, involving the media is a powerful tool in drawing attention to the case. Keeping the story in front of the media and the public eye often plays a crucial role in reuniting the missing children with their families.You can't assume the media will know about, or broadcast the situation. There are steps to take to keep these children's stories in front of the media and some advice you need to follow.

Things You Will Need

Pictures of the child/children
Poster containing information
Designated spokesperson
Local and National Media contact information

Create a poster of each child that is missing or has been abducted with all relevant information regarding the missing child and the situation on it. The poster should have recent pictures of the child, circumstances surrounding the disappearance, a physical description, a description of what the child was last seen wearing, where the child was last seen, the contact information and any reward information on it.

Designate a spokesperson to deal with the media in regards to the missing child or children case.

Show the poster to the lead law enforcement agency involved with the case and ask them to approve the information that is on the poster. There are some facts in a case that law enforcement officials do not want to be made public.

Make at least two dozen copies of the poster to hand out to all media agencies.
Contact all of the local television news stations and local radio stations. Fax, e-mail or drop off the posters of the missing child or children to all of the media outlets available to you. Once you have contacted all of the local media, begin to contact the national media agencies.

Set up a time and place for a news conference. The parents of the missing child should be the ones to meet with the media at this point. Stick to the facts and don't let the media introduce speculation during the conference. Hold press conferences as often as possible. Make sure to have a supply of fresh posters featuring the missing child or children on hand for the press conference.

Agree to and attend any interviews about the missing child or children that media personalities request.

Continue to have the designated spokesperson contact the media with updates that are approved by law enforcement regarding the missing child or children.