How to Build Media Relationships as an African NGO

Most African NGOs approach media relations backwards. They write a press release when something happens and hope a journalist picks it up. Then they are surprised and frustrated when coverage does not materialise. Getting your organisation into the press requires a fundamentally different approach — one based on relationships, not transactions.

Understand What Makes Something Newsworthy

A journalist is looking for a story, not a press release. A story has a specific angle, a timely hook, a human element, and a reason why their audience should care today. "We delivered a community health programme" is not a story. "Maternal mortality in this district dropped by 40% in two years — here is what changed" is a story.

Before you pitch anything to media, ask yourself: why does this matter to this journalist's audience right now? The more precisely you can answer that question, the more likely you are to get coverage.

Build Relationships Before You Need Them

The organisations that consistently get media coverage are not the ones with the biggest budgets for PR. They are the ones whose leaders are known to journalists before a story breaks. They comment on sector news. They respond quickly when journalists reach out. They share data and expertise generously, asking nothing in return.

Identify three to five journalists who cover development, civil society, or the specific sectors your organisation works in. Follow their work. Engage with it thoughtfully. Send a brief note when you have something genuinely relevant to their beat. Over time, you become a trusted source, not a supplicant.

The Media Kit Every NGO Should Have

When a journalist does want to cover your work, be ready. A basic media kit should include: a one-page organisation overview, your three or four most recent and significant data points on impact, two or three high-resolution photographs cleared for media use, a brief biography of your executive director with a professional headshot, and a direct contact number for media enquiries.

Make this available on your website. Journalists working on deadline will not wait for you to pull information together. If it is not immediately accessible, they move on to an organisation that is.

When to Issue a Press Release

Press releases are appropriate for genuinely newsworthy announcements: the launch of a significant new programme, a major research finding with clear policy implications, a partnership with a high-profile institution. They are not appropriate for staff appointments, internal milestones, or routine programme updates. Flooding journalists with low-newsworthy releases trains them to ignore everything you send.