Thanks to Lizzy

I appreciate you taking the time to list these very good guidelines for media coverage of the Death Cafe event.

Ann Bolyard

Posted by Death cafe in ONTARIO, OR

Journalist tips

Don't be afraid of journalists... the whole Death Cafe movement as we know it happened as a result of me reading a blog post by someone who attended one of Jon Underwood's cafes in England!!!
I should write a whole article about this but I will try to summarize the highlights of best practices based on previous experiences.
1. The journalist needs to participate in the event as a person. Many journalists have personal experiences and reflections that they work into their stories.
2. They should not direct conversation or interview attendees during the event. The journalist should not change the flow of the conversation for the sake of their article. Tell the journalist and the attendees that they can do follow up at the end of the event. (Maybe end a few minutes early for that purpose)
3. You should announce at the event that the journalist is there and tell them ahead of time that you will be announcing that.
4. When you make the announcement you will say that they will only use stories that they have permission to tell.
5. I would strongly recommend (and always do) small groups and perhaps ensure that the people sitting at the table with the journalist are comfortable with that.
Hope this helps!
lizzy

Posted by Lizzy Miles