Press area
Many of mySociety’s sites can act as resources for journalists. These pages provide some tips on how the press can get the most from our sites, and give some guidelines for acceptable use.
mySociety is a not-for-profit organisation. We build websites to give people simple, tangible benefits in civic and community life. Read more about mySociety.
Register your interest
If you are a member of the press and would like to be emailed when we notice potential stories, please drop a line to press@mysociety.org, stating your topics of interest, and any geographical region you cover. You may also wish to mention which of the sites below are of most relevance.
Additionally, some of our sites allow you to set up automated alerts. Follow the links below for details.
Contact
Contact Myfanwy Nixon, our Marketing and Communications Manager, on myf@mysociety.org or phone 020 3287 9859.
Postal address: mySociety Ltd, 483 Green Lanes, London N13 4BS, UK
Twitter: Follow @MySocMyf for press, or @mySociety for our general updates.
WhatDoTheyKnow – the FOI request site
WhatDoTheyKnow makes it simple to submit Freedom of Information requests to public authorities.
As a member of the press, you may use it to investigate stories, or to browse requests which have been made by members of the public. Stories may be of local or national interest.
Find out more about press use of WhatDoTheyKnow.
TheyWorkForYou – keeping tabs on elected representatives
TheyWorkForYou helps people keep tabs on their elected representatives. As well as providing a fully searchable and annotated online version of Hansard going back to the 1930s, it keeps voting records and shows recent appearances by each MP.
TheyWorkForYou can be useful when checking exact wording of parliamentary debates, researching the history of political issues, or checking up on individual MPs’ activities (but see the caveats). Find out more about press use of TheyWorkForYou.
FixMyStreet – potholes and other hyperlocal street problems
FixMyStreet allows local residents to report street problems to their local council. Typically, these include potholes, broken street lights, uneven pavements, etc.
Occasionally, newsworthy stories emerge. These tend to be of very localised interest, for example, flytipping, or accidents as a result of disrepair. FixMyStreet is also a good source of “quirky” news stories. Find out more about press use of FixMyStreet.
FixMyTransport – public transport complaints
FixMyTransport makes it simple to contact operators when there is a problem with public transport. Users are given the option to create a campaign around their problem, and these campaigns can gain a lot of support and debate.
The site generates a wide range of potential stories. Examples include one-off incidents such as accidents, or first-person accounts of extreme delays; and wider issues such as accessibility for the disabled, or cut-backs in local services. Many are hyperlocal, but the site also provides an excellent opportunity for looking at national transport issues. Find out more about press use of FixMyTransport.
HearFromYourMP – messages from local representatives
HearFromYourMP invites users to sign up for regular updates from their local MP. This can be useful if you wish to keep track of how your MP is engaging with constituents, and what he or she considers to be the most pressing matters for the region.
Find out more about press use of HearFromYourMP
Formatting protocols
mySociety: lower-case m, upper-case S
FixMyStreet, TheyWorkForYou, WriteToThem, etc: no breaks; capitals at beginning of each word
Logos and images
Please contact us if you need an image which does not appear here. The images below are mostly suitable for online use – print images can be supplied on request.
mySociety logo (PNG)
FixMyTransport logo (JPG, square)
TheyWorkForYou logo (PNG, rectangular)
FixMyStreet logo (JPG, square)
FixMyStreet logo (PNG, rectangular)
WhatDoTheyKnow logo (PNG, rectangular)
mySociety team plus volunteers (JPG, 2012, image by Harry Metcalfe, attribution required)
mySociety team (JPG, 2008)
