For those of us who need the glare of the media to expand our impact and influence, you may constantly ask yourself, “what is the media likely to cover?” The media is likely to cover stories that are new, unique, counter-intuitive, or shocking. The media is likely to cover anniversaries or memorable dates. So if we know that the media is likely to cover, we can frame our stories in ways that boost the chances of coverage. For instance, if your work is around reproductive freedom, you should promote your work year-round, but also on anniversaries that are relevant to reproductive freedom such as the Dobbs decision which enabled states to institute abortion bans. The key in all of this is to get to reporters and producers before they write or package their stories. If you want coverage tied to an anniversary, you must reach out weeks before the anniversary and then continue following up. Reaching out to members of the media the day before an anniversary can be futile unless you are in a small market or a content-starved market.
How much lead time do you need? I like to give reporters 3 to 4 weeks to garner coverage. Give reporters time to learn about what you’re doing, time to pitch their editors, time to finish up other projects they may be working on – because let’s face it, journalists are quite busy – and time to actually interview you and others for the story or segment you’re pitching. Reporters can always turn on the drop of a dime unless we’re in a breaking news situation where all resources are assigned to the breaking news incident.
LISTEN: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liGuzyrJjd0