How to get in the news

By TINA L. PUGLIESE, APR, Pugliese Public Relations

One of the best and most cost-effective ways to educate the public is through the media.  Obtaining positive publicity — news, feature or editorial coverage in newspapers and magazines, on radio and television—is a fundamental activity for a successful public relations program.

An effective public relations program can help get your message to the public.  Editorial statements made by the media influence people because an independent third-party is saying positive things about your business or profession.  Positive publicity is earned, advertising is bought.

You do not need a communications or public relations background to mount a successful media campaign.  What you do need are certain basic tools, persistence, and the time to devote to selling your story to the media.

What is News? Reporters and editors are concerned with informing their public of events and issues that affect their media outlet’s target audiences.  For something to have news value, it must, in the eyes of the news media, have an impact on the general community.  If it is important to the public, it is important to the media.

The essential elements of real news are timeliness, news value, local appeal and interesting subject matter.

There are several kinds of coverage: News—usually noting conflict or change; Features—usually stories of human interest or news that is not time limited; Editorial—usually coverage by the media that takes a stand on an issue of relevance to the general public or to a particular constituency; and op-ed—also opinion oriented, but generated by people not associated with the media.

Getting Started. Get started by reading the publications that you would like to see cover your issues, watching and listening to news broadcasts and becoming familiar with the reporters covering your issues.  After doing this, you will easily be able to develop a list of media targets.

Cut the job down to your size.  If you only have one day a month to work on your public relations program, you need to set your sights for a small-scale result.  If your stories are local, concentrate only on local media.  If your story warrants regional or national coverage, be prepared to give your campaign quite a bit more time.

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Tina L. Pugliese, APR is an executive coach and counselor for Pugliese Public Relations, a communications firm in Boynton Beach, Florida. Pugliese is an accredited member of the Public Relations Society of America, and is the author of the book, Public Relations for Pharmacists, and e-books, Marketing Your Business for Success, How To Work With The Media, and Public Relations Manual—A Guide for Entrepreneurs.  She can be reached at (561) 889-3575 and by email at Tina@PugliesePR.com.  Her web site is www.PugliesePR.com. 

Article excerpted from e-book, How To Work With The Media, by Tina L. Pugliese, APR.