TV Reporter Shares Secrets For Getting Covered on the News

Have a great idea for a story, but can't figure out how to get the media interested? Tired of writing press releases without ever getting coverage? Finally, a working journalist shares the secrets to getting covered.

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 dont know:

1) BE UNUSUAL

The old adage about Man bites dog" still holds true. The news doesnt cover whats 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 Hopes old golf clubs to Roger Staubachs 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 arent there, chances are the reporters wont be either.

Even the most non-visual story can be made visual if youre creative. A dog biscuit business? Boring. A dog birthday party complete with doggie guests and party hats? Now youre barking up the right tree.

Thats 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. Shes 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 reporters work. Dont 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, Id write the kind of headline that a newspaper would run. And Id 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 isnt 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 youre much more likely to get coverage.

There you go. Now youre armed with knowledge that even some well-paid public relations professions dont practice. If your idea is unique, visual, and pitched to the right person when the supply of news is running thin, youre in!

Jeff Crilley is an Emmy Award Winning Reporter in Dallas and author of Free Publicity-A TV Reporter Shares the Secrets for Getting Covered on the News. Its available at bookstores everywhere or online at www.jeffcrilley.com