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Guest Column
TV
Reporter Shares the Secrets to Getting Covered on the News
By
Jeff Crilley, Reporter and Author, Free Publicity
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 five steps to increase
your chances of getting covered that even some PR pros donât know: 1) BE UNUSUAL The old adage about "Man bites
dog" still holds true. The news doesnât cover whatâs 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 Hopeâs old golf clubs to Roger
Staubachâs long-neglected neckties were for sale. By making an ordinary garage
sale extraordinary, the media was instantly sold on the story. 2) BE VISUAL Reporters tell stories with pictures.
If the pictures arenât there, chances are the reporters wonât be either. Even the most non-visual story can be
made visual if youâre creative. A dog biscuit business? Boring. A dog birthday
party complete with doggie guests and party hats? Now youâre barking up the
right tree. Thatâs what Michelle Lamont did to
boost her dog biscuit bakery. She began baking huge dog biscuit birthday cakes
and inviting the media to cover the parties. Sheâs had reporters hounding her
for stories ever since. 3) 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
reporterâs work. Donât try and sell an investigative story to a reporter who
covers entertainment. 4) WRITE LIKE A REPORTER If I were going to send a press
release to a reporter, Iâd write the kind of headline that a newspaper would
run. And Iâd 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. 5) 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. If the government isnât making news, 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 youâre much more likely to
get coverage. There you go. Now youâre armed with
knowledge that even some well-paid public relations professions donât
practice. If your idea is unique, visual, and pitched to the right person when
the supply of news is running thin, youâre 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. Jeff Crilley is a
reporter for KDFW-Fox 4 in Dallas. Submit your "Guest Column" today directly to our staff at Tjfr@NewsBios.com. February 5, 2003 |
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Do you have a great idea for a story,
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