How to Get a Story on the Local News (the Right Way)

Journalism is at stake, and many are looking to blockchain for a solution. The decentralized nature of the technology would enable anyone with an idea to share it with millions while maintaining ownership rights. But what does this mean for journalists? And how do you get your story on the local news without compromising trust in journalism?

The press isn’t only for celebrities. Small companies may also obtain a piece of the local news and get the benefits of local exposure. Your company may get press coverage from any form of media source, from print to television, provided you submit a compelling story to local journalists. This will attract the attention—and interest—of your target audience.

Furthermore, putting your story on the local news might result in thousands of dollars in exposure, making it a good time commitment. Even if getting local press is absolutely free, many businesses choose low-cost press release writing and distribution services to ensure coverage and maximize profits. While there are numerous options, those who want to target a specific region can use Newswire, which allows you to target by geography.

Let’s take a look at the seven stages to getting local press attention:

1. Prepare a press release

Any angle is the most important part of your press release. So, before you start writing, choose a newsworthy viewpoint depending on the sort of press release you’re creating, and then build your narrative around it. Begin with a rough draft of your main idea, then fine-tune it by placing your most interesting material at the front (or beginning) of your press release to catch the journalist’s attention right away.

Along with your announcement, provide a release date and the city, state, and date of your news article in your press release. You should also make sure that all of your paragraphs employ the most objective language possible, and that you close with contact information and a clear call to action.

You may also get ideas and inspiration from our post on press release samples, or read our guide on the press release structure and template to learn more about crucial features. Use AnswerThePublic’s visual keyword research tool if you need a little assistance coming up with narrative angles that people will find fascinating. It informs you what others are talking about on the internet, which might help you come up with fantastic content ideas.

Are you unsure whether writing is right for you? Businesses of all sizes use professionals to prepare press releases for them. The tiny cost of having yours professionally written might make all the difference. We propose eReleases for high-quality writing services at industry-low pricing.

2. Locate Media Outlets in Your Area

The next stage in getting local press is to select local media sources, such as newspapers, TV stations, radio stations, and websites, once you’ve written your local press release. Make a note of every relevant media outlet as you come across them until you have a substantial list of connections. Use a press release distribution service like eReleases if you don’t have time to research and weed through local media outlets, or if you want local and national coverage.

The following are the many sorts of outlets to seek in your area:

• Look at coverage and news titles in your region to get a sense of what kind of news your local press is covering. The U.S. Newspaper List (USNPL), which indexes newspapers by state and city, is an excellent place to start. However, local city newspapers, educational publications, and community periodicals should all be considered.
• Local radio stations: Use the free radio finder tool to find all of the radio stations in your region. It provides a link to each station’s website, which includes contact information. Consider radio advertising in addition to organic radio coverage.
• Local television stations: For their programming, local news channels need local stories. Every major network has a local affiliate that has its own website and phone number. Look up the local television station’s website and contact information. Go to the TV Guide website, select the “Customize my listings” tab, then input your ZIP code to receive a list of all of your local stations.
• Local websites include blogs, digital news sites, and even Facebook groups devoted to sharing information on a single subject area in a particular locality. Patch Network is the largest online network of local coverage, with unique web pages for hundreds of communities and localities.

Make sure your company has a strong online presence, including an excellent website and listings in all key internet directories. Use a free application like LocalWorks to help you manage your directory listing.

3. Identify the Best Media Contacts

It’s time to identify the individuals to contact with your pitch now that you’ve compiled a list of newspapers, radio stations, and websites that you’d want to cover your topic. Identify journalists who cover similar subjects to find journalists who will be interested in your article. Then, by reading the publication or their social media accounts, utilizing technologies that search the internet for their email addresses, or phoning the media outlet to request their information, you may get their direct email addresses.

The following are five methods for locating a journalist’s contact information:

• Examine their published articles: Most publications have author or journalist profiles, which typically include extra details about the author, such as contact information.
• SignalHire can help you get contact information: SignalHire is a Google Chrome extension that searches LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook for email addresses and phone numbers for connections.
• Hunter.io can help you find email addresses: This is a free application that collects emails from the corporate website where your target journalist works.
• Connect on LinkedIn: LinkedIn is the most popular professional social networking site, and it’s a terrific method to connect with a reporter or journalist.
• Call the media outlet: If internet research fails, try phoning each media outlet and personally requesting the information.

While high-quality venues, such as big and well-known newspapers and television stations, are beneficial, quantity is also important. A news release distribution provider like Newswire may assist with this. To boost your web and search exposure, Newswire distributes your press release to a network of over 4,500 commercial, financial, and news publications.

4. Compose an email query (aka Pitch)

It’s now time to submit your press release, which entails drafting a press release pitch. Your email inquiry (or pitch), like any other introduction letter, aims to introduce yourself, your company, and your press release. It should clearly state why the receiver should be interested in your press release and how they can learn more.

Here are the four components that should be included in every pitch:

• A pitch should be delivered directly to your relevant contact, such as a journalist who covers the topic area of your article.
• A subject line that catches the eye: Email pitches must have a captivating subject line. It should not only inform the recipient of the email’s subject matter but also entice them to open it to learn more by addressing why they should be interested. To guarantee that your topic will captivate journalists, utilize the free subject line grader, Subject Line.
• Important information in the body copy: The following questions should be answered to customize this for each journalist:
  • 1) Why should the receiver (and their audience) be interested?
  • 2) What are the main points?
  • 3) Why do they need to act quickly?
  • 4) Where can they find out more?
• Your press release should be included in your proposal. It’s ideal to distribute your press release in many formats. You could, for example, attach it and paste it below your email, or add a link to the press release if you’re using Google Docs.

Make sure your email’s grammar and spelling are correct before sending it. It’s all too simple to make foolish errors, which may rapidly detract from your professional image.

5. Send Your Pitch Email & Follow Up

It’s now time for you to submit your email. Make sure to pitch your press release early enough so that journalists have enough time to analyze it before airing or publishing it. Then, to make sure your email doesn’t get lost in the shuffle, follow up. Take advantage of this follow-up to ensure that journalists have all they need to cover the story.

Here are some broad guidelines for pitching your press release to different types of outlets:

• Radio and television: Send your email seven days before the date of your release.
• Newspapers: Make your pitch two to three weeks in advance.
• Magazines: Three to six months before your release date, pitch your release to them.

Wait three to five days after sending your press release before sending a courteous follow-up email if you haven’t gotten a response. Send a follow-up before the release time if your press release is time-sensitive, so it rises to the top of your recipient’s inbox and they can cover the news on time. This aids journalists in staying on top of their deadlines, which is beneficial to them.

Connect with journalists on social media sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter to offer another contact point. This added link might help the journalist remember you while he or she evaluates your proposal.

6. Communicate with Journalists

Ideally, journalists will contact you after receiving your proposal and press release. And when you do, swiftly respond to their query, determine what they want to talk about, and prepare for an interview if required. Journalists often have a certain viewpoint in mind and are seeking responses to a set of questions. Get this information ahead of time so you’ll be ready when they phone or email.

Here are some pointers on how to reply to journalists:

• Ask what they want to talk about: If a journalist seeks an interview, find out what they want to talk about first. Request a list of questions so you may prepare for the interview by thinking about them and putting your best foot forward.
• Prepare your replies by jotting down your responses to the journalist’s queries. To prevent being taken off guard, think about what additional questions they could ask and prepare responses for them as well.
• Preparation is key: Before your interview, go through your responses in detail. Reading your responses out loud might help you iron out any wrinkles and gain confidence in answering the questions.

Remember that journalists generally have a limited amount of time to get the information they want during an interview, so make sure your responses are intelligent yet succinct.

7. Develop a working relationship with journalists.

Increase your chances of future exposure for your company by building a mutually beneficial connection with a journalist after you’ve produced a great article for them. Begin by expressing gratitude to the writer for publishing your tale. Then, when opportunities emerge, identify methods to assist them in achieving their objectives, such as following them on social media, interacting with their material, volunteering to introduce them to connections as required and appropriate, and delivering great tales.

Here are five approaches to developing a mutually beneficial connection with journalists:

• Thank journalists who covered your story: After your story has been published or aired, phone each journalist and express your gratitude for the coverage. Simply remind them of your tale and express gratitude for their consideration and publication. Offer to answer any audience questions and to serve as a resource for future articles if necessary.
• Connect on social media: In their author profiles, most journalists mention their social media handles. These are their favorite social media outlets for connecting with others. Send them a connect request or follow them.
• Engage with their content: Once you’ve followed or connected with major journalists on their chosen social media networks, share, like, and comment on their articles when it seems natural to do so.
• Introduce journalists to useful contacts: If you see that your key journalist is covering a story series and you know people who can speak to their next article on the subject, offer to link the journalist with your contact (with your contact’s consent).
• Finally, return to step one and continue the process in the future to provide journalists with high-quality tales that their viewers will like.

Conclusion

Learning how to get a story on the local news is a worthy time commitment that may pay off handsomely. Businesses that get media attention gain greater visibility and earn more revenue. The best part is that, unlike other types of marketing and promotion that produce the same effects, newspaper coverage is completely free. Use a PR distribution firm like Newswire, of course, if you want to boost your visibility and get assured coverage.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get local news to cover my story?

To get local news coverage of your story, you can contact a journalist and tell them about the event. Journalists are typically receptive to stories that they think will have a broad interest in their communities as well as people who are willing to share content with them.

How do I contact the news for a story?

You can contact the news team through email, phone, or social media.