How to Work with the Media

By TINA L. PUGLIESE, APR, Pugliese Public Relations

Working with the Print Media

More than likely, much of the publicity you gain will be in the form of print coverage.  This is simply a matter of numbers. There are a greater number of print outlets—local newspapers, weekly magazines, trade publications, association newsletters—than there are broadcast outlets.  Furthermore, the varied lengths and formats of the print media provide a better opportunity for coverage than short one- to-three minute broadcast stories.  Also, most media outlets have an online version that can include news items fairly quickly.

Your first step in working with print media is to gain a better understanding of specific deadlines and special needs.  Be sure to check with each publication with which you work to make sure that you coordinate with their work schedules.

To be aware of these schedules is to be aware of the problems of media deadlines.  Morning newspaper reporters working on a feature will generally work a normal day and, should they decide to attend an event, would prefer to do so before the middle of the day.  Once they are into the afternoon, they generally work toward a deadline of somewhere between 5 and 7 p.m.

Working with television

Television is America's primary source of news and information.  At most local stations, the decisions of the assignment editor or the news editor are decisive.  Unlike in the print media where beat reporters can pitch stories to their editors, most TV reporters are general assignment.

Network TV news often follows the print media, especially with a feature-style story.  If you have a good clip file (related stories clipped from the print media) on your story, and the story is visual enough to make good television, you have a better chance of getting the attention of a producer or assignment editor.

Personalize the story as much as possible.  Show how the issue or special event affects the life of people in your community.  Emphasize the impact of the issue on jobs or the economy of the region.

Call the assignment editor about two weeks before your event, and follow your call with a faxed, mailed or e-mailed news release.  Call again two days before the event, and fax or e-mail a media alert, and then call again on the morning of the event to see if a camera crew has been assigned.  Make your calls brief and to the point and do not call in the afternoon since that is deadline time for most editors.

Working with radio

A majority of local radio stations have regular news segments throughout the day.  Some rely on news syndicates to cover community events while some have a handful of reporters to cover the news.  Larger stations in big markets will have fully staffed news operations. 

Increasingly, talk radio guests are not expected to be in the studio for the interview, but can be interviewed by telephone.  Having local or regional news angles is essential in most talk radio programs.  If your issue is relevant to the listeners, you can expect good radio coverage.

Send advance materials to the producers and hosts two months in advance of your event.  Call about 45 days in advance to pitch your booking.  If the story is breaking news, fax or e-mail a media alert and follow up with a telephone call.

Again, most broadcast media outlets have the ability to post news to their online versions, sometimes before it appears on the air.

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.