It's Not About You

When you want a reporter to cover your story, you have to remember that it's not about you.

Well, wait a minute, you're thinking. It's my story. What do you mean it's not about me?

The story is not about covering you because you're you, though. It's about how you can inform, entertain or educate a reporter's audience. So, in other words, there has to be something about you that appeals to people on a large scale.

Even celebrities get they attention they get because someone cares about reading it. The stories mostly entertain and inform those readers about what the celebrities are doing. And because most of us aren't celebrities, it will take a little effort on your part to convince a reporter that their audience will care about your story.

Questions to ask yourself: How does my story benefit, entertain or inform people? Why would anyone care about this story?

The moral of the story: The more you can show that your story is something that people outside of your own family and friends will care about, the more likely it is that you will get coverage.

Bridgette Outten is a journalist and media relations consultant with The Write Vision Group, Inc. With a background in print media, she has written thousands of articles for newspapers and online publications. At The Write Vision Group, Bridgette consults with nonprofits and small businesses about how to get their programs and efforts in the news. Meanwhile, she blogs on all things journalism.