Television newsrooms are inundated with requests to cover events for their newscasts. Very few of these requests result in actual news stories. Most of the time journalists completely ignore ideas from people they don't know. However, if you follow a few simple tips you can pitch your story like a pro and get it covered on the news.
Instructions
Get a TV Station to Cover Your Event
1. Figure out how your event can be a legitimate news story. Just because your event is important to you doesn't mean anyone else cares about it. Try to connect your event to an issue in the news. For example, a fund raiser for your school isn't very interesting. However, if you say some of the money will fight school violence you have a better chance of getting coverage. This is especially true if there's been a recent incident involving violence at a school. Look for a tie in. Your event itself may not be news but it could be an opportunity for a reporter to find elements for their story.
2. Find out who the decision makers are at your local television stations. The more stations you contact the more likely your event will be covered. Search their web sites. Look for email addresses and telephone numbers for the assignment desk. If you can't find them on line call the station. Do not talk to the receptionist who answers the phone. Ask for the assignment desk. They assign reporters to stories.
3. Understand the elements required for a TV news story. Your event must be visual. Interesting things need to happen so that the pictures are compelling. A bunch of people standing around isn't interesting, but screaming and yelling is. Reporters need people to interview. Provide those people to them. If the event is about a particular issue it is best to provide people who are actually impacted by that issue. Reporters love to tell a story though someone's personal experience. Showing an impacted person performing the activity at issue is the best element of all.
4. Type up a media release. It should be brief and to the point. Start with a one-line pitch legitimizing the news worthiness of your event. Tell the station that they are being offered an opportunity to gain access to your event in light of a recent newsworthy issue. Be sure to follow with the who, what, where, when and why of your event. This should be very clear and easy to find. Contact information is also key. Include email addresses and several phone numbers to several contact people. Be sure someone is always available to answer if the TV station calls. Be sure to list all the elements that you are making available to reporters.
5. Email your media release to the assignment desk of every station. Try to do this a week or two before your event unless you are trying to capitalize on a breaking news story. If you have any previous contact with newsroom decision makers send the email to that individual as well. These can be assignment editors, executive producers, reporters and anchors. It is OK if many people in the same newsroom get the same email.
6. Mail that same media release to the assignment desks through regular mail. News releases are regularly misplaced in newsrooms. Be redundant and send them a hard copy.
7. Call every newsroom the day after your email was sent. Call in the late morning or early afternoon when they aren't busy. Try to talk to the assignment editor but anyone on the assignment desk can help you. Make sure they received your media release. Do not ask whether they are covering your event. In news, one week is an eternity away. They wont know if they are coming until they actually do. Just be sure your media release is in the "planner." That's a file where they keep all events for a particular day. If they don't have it send another one. Follow up until it is in the planner.
8. Follow up with a phone call the day before your event and again the morning of your event. At this point you can ask whether they plan to come. You probably won't get a precise answer. News is constantly changing and a news crew could be called away when they are on their way. There are no guarantees in news so don't ask for one. Just reiterate the newsworthiness of your event and remind them how accessible you are. It doesn't hurt to let slip that another station is coming. Nothing makes a TV station more nervous than thinking that their competition is beating them to something.
