The UK news landscape is relentlessly negative on migration – headlines obsessed with numbers, small boat crossings and protests outside hotel accommodation. There’s next to no space for the voices of people seeking sanctuary who are living here and taking part in community life.
Many charities work with communities that are misrepresented or ignored by mainstream media. Hostile headlines stirring up division also drive traffic to websites and engagement on posts – and so the pattern continues.
But we can disrupt this cycle. There is an appetite for hopeful, human stories – people will always want to know about other people, that’s human nature. The crucial question is knowing how to pitch the positive stories that go against the pattern the news agencies chase.
Here are five things we’ve learned at IMIX – a charity that works to change the public narrative on migration by training and amplifying the voices of refugees, asylum seekers and the charities that support them.
1. Start with the person, not the issue
Journalists want characters, not case studies. Frame your pitch around a specific person and moment – not a policy position or a statistic.
IMIX met an incredible group of young women in Cumbria while delivering regional media training to people with lived experience of the asylum system, and immediately realised they had a remarkable story to tell. They weren’t just four strong, determined young Afghan women; they were football players, coaches, survivors, and change makers.
Their story was layered with resilience. After fleeing Afghanistan as children, they grew up in Iran, where girls playing football in the street was met with hostility. Football wasn’t just a pastime for them; it was a form of resistance, of identity, of hope and love.
We invested time in building trust with them which led to powerful coverage of the issues they faced as female footballers, and the positive outcomes that became possible for them in the UK.
After Real Britain highlighted the plight of the sisters forced to flee their homes because of their love of football, Manchester City invited them to the Etihad to watch a Women’s Super League match and meet the players.
You can read their story in the Daily Mirror.
Whatever your cause, the principle holds: find the individual. A compelling person opens doors for coverage that a briefing paper never will.
2. Find the local or unexpected angle
National desks are swamped. So you can think of local outlets, specialist press and features editors. Ask yourself: what is the “why now” or “why here” angle? And make this obvious in your pitch.
When far-right protesters were gathering outside barracks housing asylum seekers, we worked with local groups to tell a different story: the kind-hearted neighbours who quietly showed up. That story of everyday compassion cut through the noise in a way that a rebuttal press release never could.
Not everything needs to be a breaking news story with national appeal – and that’s fine. You can often have more impact by pitching to other sections of media. By approaching the What’s On team at the Liverpool Echo with a story about a Syrian restaurant, IMIX secured a good review that brought the owner more customers and added subtly, but meaningfully, to the positive narrative around refugees living in the UK.
Think: features, travel, food, lifestyle, faith. Your story may be a better fit for one of those desks than for news.
3. Know your outlet – and their audience
Match the story to the publication. A pitch to The Guardian needs a different frame than one to a regional paper, a faith publication or a BBC local radio station.
When you write your pitch, imagine how the story would be packaged for that specific outlet and present it that way. A Guardian reader might want an in-depth interview and lively opinion; a local radio listener wants a voice from their community and a fascinating backstory about someone on their doorstep. Show the journalist you’ve thought about their audience, not just fired off the same email to a long BCC list.
This applies across sectors. Whether you’re working in housing, disability, environment or migration, the organisations doing this well are the ones that tailor their pitch rather than broadcast it.
4. Do the journalist’s job for them
Come with a draft headline, a suggested image and a spokesperson who is media-ready. Journalists are extremely busy and working to tight deadlines, so the less friction there is, the better your chances of landing that story.
Make the headline the subject line of your email – that’s the first thing a journalist sees in their crowded inbox. You don’t need to paste your full press release into the body. Lead with a tailored pitch and let the press release sit as an attachment to open if you’ve piqued their interest.
IMIX has a free guide to putting a press release together if you need a starting point.
5. Follow up – but make it easy to say yes
When you follow up, bring something new to the table like a fresh angle, a development, a quote so you’re adding value rather than just chasing. Has the story moved forward? Do you now have footage, quotes or a new detail that makes it even more timely? If so, say so briefly.
Pick up the phone if you can, you will stand out when most people fire off emails. LinkedIn is also surprisingly effective for reaching journalists now and leapfrogging their email inboxes. And, above all, have confidence in your story: keep trying different outlets until you find the right match. Most pitches are not successful on the first go.
When you do land coverage, use it to nurture the relationship for ongoing opportunities. Promote it on your social media, tag the journalist, connect on LinkedIn. They will remember you when they need a similar story or a new voice in the future.
Keep telling the stories that matter
At IMIX, we believe the stories we tell about who belongs here shape the kind of society we become. That’s true whether your cause is migration, homelessness, disability or anything else –ethical, human storytelling builds public understanding and shifts culture over time.
Our free Speaking Out, Staying Safe toolkit covers ethical storytelling and working with people with lived experience based on our experiences and expertise in this area. It’s designed for organisations working with communities whose voices are often marginalised – and the advice travels beyond migration.
IMIX is currently running a crowdfunder to keep our work going. If you’ve found this useful or want to support migrant storytellers, please consider supporting us – every contribution helps us continue building the capacity of the sector to tell human-centred stories with lasting impact. Closing the gap between the stories told about migrants and refugees and the reality of their lives is one of the most important things communications professionals can do right now.
Image credit: Canva
