Skip to main content

Getting good news about your HOA

It's challenging, getting the media to run good news about an HOA, but it can be done...carefully.

You need to identify something good going on -- something newsworthy -- because capturing the imagination of editors and reporters can be extremely challenging. There's a lot of news and publicity competing for coverage. Recently, we've seen some examples of positive news where HOAs honored emergency responders and other public service workers for addressing community needs.

Sending a press release to your local newspaper or other media may get attention, or there may be an opportunity to contact a reporter by phone or email -- maybe someone you already know -- to discuss what's happening at your HOA.

But before you make contact, you need to think through a number of things:
  • Just about any time you're in touch with a reporter, generally everything's on the record. What you say or write can be used in a story. Even something mentioned casually, off-the-cuff. You'll need to think carefully about what you're planning to say...or email.
  • It's a good idea to try to anticipate questions the reporter might ask.
  • After you've anticipated questions, ask yourself if you have at hand solid information about the event or activity you'd like to publicize? So you can respond to any questions that might be asked. But if you've missed something and can't immediately respond to a particular question, you might explain to the reporter...I'll need to get back to you with further information.
  • You're trying to publicize good news about a positive event, but is anything happening at your HOA -- anything controversial -- that could somehow be brought to a reporter's attention? Especially if the reporter visits your HOA to cover the story? What if a resident who's disgruntled about something or other happens to stop by as you're being interviewed. This can happen. An unhappy homeowner gets the reporter's attention. Try to be prepared for almost anything that might occur.
(For more information, contact us at: hoastrategic@gmail.com)

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Houston!! We have an issue!

Two dinosaur sculptures in the front yard of a home located in an HOA in the Houston area just made ABC 13 Eyewitness News. The homeowner said "she's been contacted (by the HOA) and asked what her plans were" for the dinosaurs, a T-Rex and a Velociraptor. The homeowner's "plans are directly tied to their plans," according to the TV-news story. "She says she is prepared to contest any request that they be removed. It's about creativity, not conformity." Here's the thing about media coverage of just about anything...of organizations like HOAs, business firms and all the rest. It's the question of whether or not -- to what extent -- media coverage might influence situations and outcomes. When organizations -- and their policies -- are in the news, will media coverage influence policy decisions? Keeping in mind, of course, the key role of governing documents in policies and procedures.
2 comments
Read more

Better than blurting??

In several posts, we've been talking about prepared statements...how they might sometimes help HOA boards deal with tough questions from homeowners and even -- heaven forbid! -- tough questions from the news media. We're often asked if prepared statements are nothing but PR spin. People sometimes cringe at the mention of spin. Actually, a prepared statement is measured words in a measured response. What's preferable? Measured words or words blurted out in the heat of the moment?
1 comment
Read more

Heaven or Hell?

( Editor's note: There's an article in a North Carolina newspaper, "My descent into HOA hell in North Carolina." And there's this article with a distinctly different message about HOAs.) Here's Why HOAs Are a Big Deal by Harvey Radin Would you believe that homeowner associations outnumber U.S. cities by a huge margin? There are more than 300,000 homeowner associations and only 35,000 U.S. cities and towns. HOAs also outnumber the giant retail store locations, fast food restaurants, megabank branches and coffee chain locations. The biggest fast food chains have 7,000-14,000 restaurant locations. Megabanks have 4,000-6,000 branches. The biggest coffee chains have up to 24,000 locations in the U.S. and other countries. Homeowner associations are a big deal. Not only because of the surprisingly large number of them, but also because many of them are multimillion-dollar properties. And many are managed and governed by volunteers, by homeowners who are e...
2 comments
Read more