General

Establish a Relationship
Hand-deliver your news to the major media occasionally to give you a chance for personal contact with reporters and editors. This gives the reporter the opportunity to quickly read through the release and do an interview on the spot. Being there in person simplifies the reporter’s job and personalizes the process.

List a Contact
Provide some sort of written information on newsworthy items to the media whenever possible and be sure that the spokesperson’s name and telephone number (day and evening) are written on the page. Chances are, the reporter will have questions later — you need to make it as easy as possible to get in touch with the appropriate person.

Don’t Demand
Don’t feel that coverage of an event or new information is your right. Reporters are asked for things by the public daily. Some requests are as outrageous as, “We’d like you to cover our story on Tuesday and put it on the front page of the local section on Wednesday.”

Be Helpful
Your attitude should be, “We just got some new information (or an event has been scheduled, etc.) and I thought that you might be interested. If there’s any way that I can help… .” Always take a helpful attitude — not a demanding one.

Trends
What are the national trends that tie in with your business or organization? You should be aware of those trends and be able to give reporters a Vermont perspective on them. Make yourself available to comment and be quoted.

The Thank-You Call
Reporters rarely get praise — often just criticism. If a reporter does a good job on a story or sorts out complicated details accurately, be sure to give him or her a call to say thank you.

Respect Deadlines
Be aware of deadlines. Don’t hold a press conference at 5 p.m. and expect television to attend. Television reporters are too busy preparing for the 6 p.m. news to cover anything but the most major stories.

Television reporters like to have all their information together and be headed back to the station by 4:30 p.m. (10:30 a.m. for noon newscasts).

The deadline for morning newspapers is generally 11 p.m. the night before, while most afternoon papers have to wrap up by about 11 a.m. The timing varies from newspaper to newspaper; check the targeted paper for exact times and be sure to submit your news item well before deadlines.

It is best not to put a newspaper’s “drop-dead deadline” to the test. If at all possible, contact reporters and editors in mid-morning or early afternoon.

The deadline for weekly newspapers is usually noon about three days before the publication date. Again, check with targeted publications for specific deadlines and submit your news well ahead of time.

Radio has flexible deadlines.

The Unrelated Story

If you recognize an interesting story about a local business or your town, for example, that has no direct benefit to you, call the reporter and mention it. Make sure that he or she understands that you’re calling to be helpful, and not for any personal gain.

Newspapers

Setting It Straight
If the media make a mistake, let them know about it in a timely manner. Call the reporter — not the editor — that day and explain in friendly terms that something was not quite accurate in his or her story, and ask to have it clarified. Again — don’t demand a correction!

Television

The Big News
Television rarely covers anything unless it’s a major news story or has outstanding visual possibilities.

Be aware of television’s limitations — small staffs, tight deadlines, need for action — and be sure to point out any visual opportunities that do exist when you drop off your news release.

Also be aware of the medium’s strength — personalize a story by showing real people doing real things. Always look for the human interest angle when dealing with the television media.

Focus your efforts on the major station serving your area.

Television Talk Shows
Three out of four major Vermont stations have weekend talk shows that look at local issues or activities of interest. Let the producers know about your organization’s issue and, if they are interested, tell them that you or your spokesperson is willing to be a guest on their show.

Radio

Limited Staff
Many radio stations get their news from Associated Press and have only a news director/announcer on staff. A call to news directors to let them know about an event or to alert them that a release has been sent to Associated Press increases the odds that the news director will air your news.

Radio Talk Shows
Many local radio stations have weekend talk shows. Let the producer know that you or your organization’s spokesperson is willing to be interviewed for their show.