An editorial board is a group of people, usually at a print publication, who set the tone and direction of the newspaper or magazine. They are chartered with preparing the paper’s editorials and they determine what the publication will say on a range of issues as well as dictate which issues or political candidates the publication will endorse.
At a newspaper, this group usually consists of the editorial page editor, editorial writers, opinion editors and the managing editor. Sometimes, the editorial board also includes the publisher and the owner of the newspaper.
A successful editorial board informs, educates and inspires its readers. Editorial boards meet on a regular basis to discuss current news and trends both locally and nationally. The editorials are often written by individual board members in consultation with their colleagues.
There are great benefits to meeting with an editorial board. It is an excellent way to build or improve your relationship with the editor and publication, as well as tell your side of a story. Consider requesting a meeting with the editorial board when:
- Your company is about to break a sensitive news story and you want to provide background information and present your point of view before the story appears. If done successfully, this can help sway editorial coverage in favor of your company.
- The publication has been printing unfavorable pieces about your company and you want to share your perspective.
- Your company has a new executive team member or an important initiative that you want to introduce to the board.
- There is a pressing issue that you believe deserves broad community support. By providing insight on an issue affecting community members, you can help establish thought leadership and raise awareness of your company.
For instance, we are engaging the editorial boards with the Seattle Times and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer to educate them about the implications of proposed budget cuts. We believe the new two-year state budget proposed by Governor Christine Gregoire deserves further attention as it will have detrimental implications on several non-profit organizations, including the Washington Poison Center (WAPC). Our goal is to help these editorial boards understand how a reduction in WAPC’s non-profit’s funding will impact our local community and to encourage them to write about this topic.
Other experienced PR practitioners shared their point of view about working with editorial boards.
Andy Bowen, president of Clearview Communications + PR Inc., believes in order to be considered for editorial endorsement or criticism, the issue that is being presented must have been previously covered by the media. He explains, “The issue must be of genuine public importance and in debate for an editorial board to consider endorsement or criticism.”
Sabrina Kidwai, media relations manager for the Association for Career and Technical Education, recommends conducting a watchdog project prior to the meeting to “monitor how they are covering your issue and bring that information into the meeting. It is helpful to do your homework and know how they have covered issues in the past.”
For examples of editorials written by the Seattle Times’ board members, check out the following links:
- Joni Balter, “Gregoire-Rossi: Ridiculously Close“
- Bruce Ramsey, “A Map of Delinquent Mortgages“
- Lynne Varner, “Saving Seattle Schools“
We hope this information is helpful as you consider when to engage with editorial boards. For more tips on how to secure the meeting, or best practices when working with these groups, please call us at (206) 282-4923 ext. 112.
We also would love to hear from you if you have experience working with editorial boards that you’d like to share with us.