PR Hint of the Week - March 17, 2004 - Getting Covered in the News

TV Reporter Shares the Secrets to Getting Covered in the News
By Jeff Crilley, Author, Free Publicity

Do you have a great idea for a story, but no clue how to get it in the news?
Are you tired of pitching press releases the news media simply ignores?
After twenty years of beating the street as a TV reporter, I have a scoop for you: the media needs good stories. But most stories are pitched so poorly, they are lost in the blizzard of faxes that blanket every newsroom.

So, here are some insider secrets to getting covered on the news that even some PR pros don't know:

BE UNUSUAL
The old adage about "Man bites dog" still holds true. The news doesn't cover what's normal. We cover the abnormal. PR whiz Carolyn Alvey knew this when she was trying to raise money for a charity several years ago. Instead of holding a garage sale, she sent out a press release announcing a "Celebrity Garage Sale." Everything from Bob Hope's old golf clubs to Roger Staubach's long-neglected neckties were for sale. By making an ordinary garage sale extraordinary, the media was instantly sold on the story.

TIE INTO A FEEDING FRENZY
Sometimes it's just a matter of asking yourself, "What will the media be buying?" Harry Potter is a great example. For the last few J.K. Rowling releases, I've found myself reporting live from local bookstores interviewing children dressed in costume about how they can't wait until the stroke of midnight so they can get their hands on the next installment. Hold a Harry Potter party, complete with a costume contest on the weekend of the next release and you'll have a parking lot full of news trucks.

CHOOSE THE RIGHT REPORTER
Perhaps the most common mistake even some PR pros make is trying to sell a good story to the wrong person. Most reporters have a specialty, like "crime" or "business." So, seek out the reporter who will have the most to benefit from your story. Start studying the news. Before you call a TV station or try and pitch the paper, become familiar with a reporter's work. Most of your stories will probably be feature stories. You'll want to pitch it to the reporter who enjoys warm, fuzzy pieces.

WRITE LIKE A REPORTER
If I were going to send a press release to a reporter, I'd write the kind of headline that a newspaper would run. And I'd make the rest of the release so conversational that a TV anchor could read it right on the air. Why is this so important? A major market newsroom gets hundreds of press releases every day. Often the decision on whether to cover your story is made in a matter of seconds. Many times that well-crafted sentence in the third paragraph of your press release is never read.

WAIT FOR A SLOW NEWS DAY
The holidays are the slowest "news times" of the year. When government offices are closed, so are most of our sources. Take advantage of it. In fact, take out your calendar and begin circling government holidays and the days surrounding government holidays. If the government is coasting into a long holiday weekend, so is the rest of the country. That's when we reporters are scrambling to find something to cover. Pitch even an average story on a day when the media is starving for news, and you're much more likely to get coverage.

FLATTERY WILL GET YOU EVERYWHERE
When you call a journalist on the phone, the best opening line there is goes like this: "Can I tell you how much I love your work?" All reporters have egos. We like to believe you faithfully watch our reports or clip our articles from the paper and hang them on your refrigerator. When you call us and give us sincere and specific complements, we think we have a fan on the phone. Our guard is down. We don't know we're about to be pitched. But more importantly, you are communicating something very important to the journalist. You're saying, "I know who you are, what you do, and why you're the best person for this story." You'd be surprised at how many people will call a TV reporter and ask, "Now, are you the person who is on camera or are you behind the scenes?" That's a very bad pitch.

THANK YOU NOTES
After the story airs or is printed in the paper, send a thank you note for the coverage. That simple gesture goes a long way. But it amazes me how few people take the time to do it. I'd say only one out of every hundred people I put on the news ever bothers to call or write and thank me. And it shouldn't stop there. Take an interest in the reporters and the stories they cover. Later you might want to drop them a note for no reason other than to complement them on a good report. Tell them you're always keeping your eye out for other good stories to give them. It keeps your name in front of them and continues to build good will.

There you go. Now you're armed with knowledge that even some well-paid public relations professions don't practice. If your idea is unique, visual, and pitched to the right person when the supply of news is running thin, you're in!

Jeff Crilley is an Emmy Award Winning Reporter and author of Free Publicity-A TV Reporter Shares the Secrets for Getting Covered on the News (ISBN 0-9726474-0-6)

Happy reporting from your friendly MLA PR & Marketing Committee!
Lisa