These guidelines are for staff, volunteers, and Girl Scouts who may interact with the media or want to share stories with local press.
If you’re contacted by local media or if a story you submitted is published, notify Rebekah Kapfer, VP of Marketing & Communications (rkapfer@gsnorcal.org), right away. Our MarComm team can help amplify the story, ensure the coverage is accurate and aligned with our messaging, and support you throughout the process.
IMPORTANT: Any contact from national media outlets (e.g., The New York Times, CNN, NPR) must be escalated to GSUSA. Forward all national inquiries to Rebekah for coordination.
These are guidelines for interacting with media. Whether you are approached at an event or camp or want the local paper to know more about what we do as Girl Scouts, this document will guide your interactions with the press.
How to Pitch to Local Media
It is up to all of us to spread the word about the incredible work Girl Scouts does. If you are participating in something cool or impactful you think the community would be interested in, you are empowered to reach out to your local radio stations and newspapers.
Tip: Focus on telling the story of the event. While most people don’t know what the term “highest award” means, they will understand the power of installing a new food pantry in their community. Leave Girl Scout lingo to a minimum when starting your initial communications.
Steps for reaching out:
- Keep your focus local: Find the newspaper or radio station closest to you and reach out to them through contact information on their website.
- Send an introduction email: Include the basics – share who, what, when, where, why, and a contact person.
- Spokesperson: For event coverage, make sure there is someone on site who can be interviewed before approaching the press.
- Privacy Considerations: If Girl Scouts under the age of 18 are interviewed, tell the reporter to only use their first name and last initial.
- If you don’t hear back, send a follow up with photos after the event. Sometimes the story won’t fit into that day’s calendar but the reporter can write a follow up.
Tip: Keep your initial communication brief. Journalists get a lot of emails a day and they need to be able to quickly determine if this is a story they want to follow. Try to keep your email to three sentences.
What to do if You’re Approached by Press
If you are out at an event or camp and are approached by the press but aren’t interested in engaging with them there are a few things you can do.
Note: If there is an active emergency when a reporter comes up to you, ignore the following steps and attend to the matter at hand. Your attention needs to be on the staff, volunteers, and Girl Scouts who need you.
- Politely tell the reporter “no comment” and give them this email: social@gsnorcal.org. MarComm will follow up with them if they reach out.
- Remember you are well within your rights to ask them to move, especially if they are impeding the activity or making people uncomfortable.
- Please let MarComm know that you were approached and which publication they work for. That will allow us to track them down if we want to.
You do not need to talk to anyone you don’t feel comfortable talking to. Even though you are representing GSNorCal, your responsibility is to the youth and volunteers. Safety and comfort should be our top priority at all times.
Last updated on July 29, 2025