"I hear complaints from church people all the time about the media," says McAnally.

"Preachers say to me, 'The media don't understand us. All they are interested in is sensationalism.' Then when I'm in newspaper offices or television stations I hear the other side. City editors and program directors tell me the only time they have contact with preachers is when they want to complain about a story they ran or didn't run or when they ask for something for nothing."

Churches can profit tremendously from having a good relationship with the public media because that relationship can influence the way the media portrays the church, which in turn influences the public's perception and reception of the church.

How can pastors and lay people help build a better relationship with people in the media? I asked that question of Perry White, who has owned a small town weekly newspaper, has been religious editor for a metropolitan daily, and has taught journalism in a university.

White offered a dozen suggestions. Here they are:

In small churches that person may be the pastor, says White. In medium or large churches, it can be another member of the staff or a knowledgeable volunteer.

"The better you know them and the better they know you, the better the chances are that you will develop a pleasant and mutually profitable relationship.

"Keep in mind that media people are usually busy. Even though they might like to shoot the breeze, they usually don't have time for extended conversation that doesn't relate directly to the business at hand."

"What is news to one editor or news director may not be news to another. And what's news to one editor or news director today may not be news to him/her tomorrow," says White.

To determine what the editor/news director of your local paper or station wants, become familiar with what is now being used. Then visit with the editor/news director, and ask him/her what kinds of stories he/she prefers.

Keep in mind that what they have been using is not necessarily all they would consider using. If you have an idea for a different kind of story, share it.

Traditionally, journalists have used seven factors to determine news value: audience, impact, proximity, timeliness, prominence, unusualness, and conflict. However, these standards for evaluating the value of news are not followed as closely as they were a few years ago. "Hard-news" is having to compete with lifestyle stories, often described as "soft-news" or "non-news. One of the most popular lifestyle story types is the how-to-cope story. They are often inspiring and informative articles that help people deal with everyday problems. Such stories may be right under your nose, White says.

A news release is the format used most frequently to present stories to the print and broadcast media.

To write a news release, White says, write an interesting and informative lead. "Don't try to get details pertaining to who, what, when, where, why and how in the first sentence. Present what is most important or attention getting. Then present pertinent details in logical order. Use quotes to add interest, but make sure they are accurate and attributed clearly. Type the release on your church letterhead or plain white paper with margins one-and-a-half inches on all sides. If you use plain white paper, place an information block in the upper left hand corner giving the name of your church on the first line, the church address on line two, name of contact person on line three, and the phone number on line four. Type a release date on the right, a line or so below the information block."

Daily newspapers of most any size turn away more news stories and feature ideas than they use. There simply is not enough space or staff to handle everything that comes to their attention. Radio and television stations have an even greater problem because of their limited amount of airtime. Keep in mind that they must be selective, and run the news and features that appeal to the most listeners and viewers.

"For the newspaper to be delivered on time, and for the newscast to begin on time, requires a deadline that cannot be ignored. Deadlines for timeless feature material may not be as rigid, but it is usually set days or weeks earlier. If your church has a story promised to the local media at 3 p.m. on Fri-day, the story's publication or airing runs the risk of being postponed or canceled if it is turned in at 3:30 p.m. on Friday. Whoever handles the church's news releases must be prompt. Don't wait until the last minute."

"If your church has scheduled an elaborate Christmas musical, complete with special lighting, choreography and professional orchestra, and it is called the first of its kind in the town, the local reporter and editor are going to be underwhelmed when they remind you that another church across town did the same thing last year," advises White. "If you want the media to take you and your church seriously, don't submit news releases when you don't have news. And when you do have news to report, stick to facts, unembellished with unbridled adjectives and unproved claims."

"News media people need to know what they are wanting to know. Give them the straight facts quickly. Get to the point.

"If reporters ask you a question you cannot answer without doing some checking, politely tell them you will have to look it up. Then ask what kind of deadline they are up against, and do your best to get back to them before the deadline."

"Never give a reporter inaccurate or misleading information," White cautions. "There will be times when the media will ask questions you would rather not answer. If that happens, simply say, 'I know the answer to that question, but I can't answer it at this time.' They will know you have been honest with them, and they will appreciate your candor."

"Reporters and editors are human, according to the latest reports. Some will knucle under to a free dinner or, heaven forbid, under4he-table cash. They are few. Those who follow the ethical standards of the media will be forever turned off to the church if someone puts the screws to them," says White. "Reminding the reporter or editor that your third cousin, twice removed, is a relative of the publisher or station manager is likely to create an embarrassing situation. So is threatening to cancel your advertising in their medium in an effort to control or kill their news coverage. If you are not pleased by how the article was written, little is accomplished by scolding a reporter or reporting him/her to the editor.

When you prepare a news release, when a newspaper reporter interviews you, when a radio talk show host asks you a few questions on a live broadcast, or when a television crew shoots footage of you and your church, you have little, if any, control over what will be used and how it will be used.

Like it or not, that's the way it is.

But if you don't like it, you have an alternative, White points out. "Buy space in the paper and time on the station. Then you can have control. You can do with that time or space just about anything you want to do, how you want to do it, and when you want to do it. Rarely will the news media turn down paid space or time."

An occasional thank you note goes long way. If you are grateful, say a so.

White also suggests that you watch for a good article on some other congregation, then let the publisher or program director know that you appreciate good religious news reporting.