Three More Ways to Get in the News

In my teleclasses, on the blog, on webinars and just about everywhere I am, period, I'm always discussing ways to get your stories in the news.

We talk a lot about events and even being your own news station but there are also a few ways you may want to share your story that may only be directly involved with your organization.

Here are a few areas that can net you news coverage, too, if you can offer your own experience or expertise and if you believe you have knowledge that can help people:

• Health and wellness. I'm plugged into several reporter query databases and it seems someone always wants to know about work and your health. Do you have a story about how you overcame work-related stress or an unwanted weight gain? Did you beat some disease against the odds and want to share how you did it? You may have some information to contribute for a story.
• Mommyhood and family dynamics. Flexible schedules, momtrepreneurs and even stay-at-home dads are trends that can easily be plugged into for a media outlet. Do you have some unique family arrangement that supports your career? Recover from a nasty divorce and want to warn others about do's and don'ts? You may have a story.
• Gadgets, technology and helpful doodads. Everyone wants to know what the next big thing is in apps, social media and the like. Have you found something that you just can't live or work without and want to help spread the word? Caution, though...don't promote a product that you are just trying to sell...such human interest stories are usually completely organic.

The moral of the story? If you have something to say, there's usually an outlet for it. Media is more than just the mainstream newspaper or broadcast show, and there are magazines, TV shows, books and radio shows that could feature your great story or advice.

Bridgette Outten is a journalist and publicity strategist 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.

Sometimes, It's Best NOT to Respond

I often get asked PR-related questions during casual conversations and though I don't specialize in crisis management PR, I think some concepts are fairly easy to understand.

One of those concepts is: you don't have to respond to everything bad "they" say about you.

"They" could be critics or the competition or just John and Joan Q. Public. We've talked about how to avoid no comment if a reporter asks you, but if nobody comes a'calling to get your take on a negative situation, sometimes it's best to just be silent -- especially if the situation is just gossip.

You have decide when a response is worth the trouble. Here are three things to keep in mind:

• Responding to a controversy extends the life of the controversy. If you come out with a statement to an issue that nobody has asked you about, you've just given a fresh perspective to that controversy. Now the story is that you responded to something that may not have grabbed many people's attention the first go-round, but they're paying attention to it now. If you don't address it, it may fade away on its own.
• If it's not libel or slander, consider letting it go. If it's not serious enough to take the issue to a court of law, ignore your first instinct to post on your blog or Tweet or write a Facebook post to give 'em the whatfor. A lot of times, that's they what "they" want anyway -- to get a rise out of you.
• Keep your poker face on. Don't let them know that you have been affected by whatever they have to say, again, if it's not libelous, slanderous or will somehow affect the life of your business or organization.

The moral of the story? In this digital age, everyone has a platform to state their opinion. Decide whether a response to a negative opinion is worth the effort of your attention.

Bridgette Outten is a journalist and publicity strategist 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.

3 Things that Make Your Event More Newsworthy

In the grand scheme of things, simply having an event is not news.

That is why pitching merely a fundraiser or conference without any detail probably will not net you much reponse from reporters.

So here are three things you should consider adding to your pitch about your next event that will bost your newsworthiness:

• What's happening? If it's simply people drinking and dancing, you don't have much a uniqueness factor. But if you have a big presentation, like a unique dance troupe performance or some sort of interactive demonstrative, you should definitely mention it.
• Say who will be there. Expecting the mayor or other well-known figures or celebrities? Definitely mention that.
• Are there any photo opps? If there is anything visual for them to take photos or video of (beyond people posing and smiling) let the reporters know.

The moral of the story? The more that you can consider what the reporter needs and/or wants from the story, the more you can offer them in your pitch or press release.




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.

You Shouldn't Try to Get Your Story in the News If...

Sometimes, it just has to be said: everybody doesn't have a newsworthy story.

What's good news for you doesn't meant that it will draw the attention of the masses that reporters are tasked with educating, informing or entertaining every day.

Here are three simple reasons why you should NOT be pitching your story because chances are, you don't have a story that's ready for media attention.

• You just want to sell something. If the only thing you can come up with about your organization or company is what's on sale, you are not ready to start pitching. If you can only offer a reporter coupons for background information, don't bother pitching, just buy an ad.
• You can't explain exactly what you do. If you aren't able to give a clear, concise sentence about why the masses would care about your story, you need to head back to the drawing board until you can figure that out. If you can't explain it to a reporter, a reporter can't explain it to their audience...and nobody gets it.
• Your story has nothing unique about it. I run into organizations all the time that want coverage for a fundraiser. Well, thousands of organizations have fundraisers. What makes yours different and what do you have to offer people if they donate or attend?

The moral of the story? To appeal to a reporter, your story has to have elements that appeals to a mass audience.

Bridgette Outten is a journalist and publicity strategist 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.

3 Tips to Get the Right Beat

Just so you know, this post is not about music.

I've already talked about how reporters typically have beats, meaning they all have different topics of interest that they regularly report on.

Now let's figure out how we can determine who is who to ensure you are pitching to the right person.

• Categorize your story. Health? Sports? Business? You need to figure out where your story falls.
• Do the research. Is there a specific reporter that covers that category? Contact them.
• Take a look at the trends. How does the outlet you're contacting normally handle this particular category? Does it air once a week on Saturdays? Does it appear in the B section of the paper? This will help you decide when to pitch.

The moral of the story? It's better to have one or two targeted pitches than sending out 10 pitches randomly and hoping one will stick.

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.

Where You Are Determines Where You Pitch

It's a simple enough concept: where your story is taking place determines where you should be pitching that story.

Yet, again and again, I hear reporters say they get press releases from someone in Houston -- when they're in New York. And I can't figure out why because doing so only shows that you didn't research anything before you started to pitch and that can get annoying very quickly to a reporter.

Here are three easy ways to determine where -- demographically -- you should be pitching your story.

1. Determine where the story is taking place. If it is an event, protest, demonstration, campaign...anything that is happening...what is the address? Wherever the event is happening is a pretty good indication that you should be pitching to reporters in that vicinity.
2. Determine who will be affected. The event can technically be happening in another area if it will somehow have an affect on people near where you are pitching.
3. Determine where the people are who will care. You job is to a convince a reporter that their audience will care about the story you have...part of that process is picking the correct location.

The moral of the story? Your credibility takes a hit when you don't do the simple research of scouting of where the people are who would be most interested in your story.

Bridgette Outten is a journalist and publicity strategist 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.

'No Comment' At Your Own Risk

When journalists ask you a question, it's typically because they need a comment.

It's not necessarily that they just want to take to you or think you're so awesome. They need information from you for their story. Depending on the degree of seriousness, sometimes a "no comment" is necessarily BUT you don't have to be rude.

I can admit that they way reporters ask for that comment can sometimes be a bit obnoxious -- and the more reporters there are, the worse it can get.

However, their motivation and even the way they ask you the question should not be your immediate concern. Your concern is: how can I make a comment that is safe and doesn't reveal too much without looking as if I've done something wrong?

If a story that you're involved in heats up, some comment is better than no comment. When you don't say anything, reporters can fill those holes with all types of other information. Here are some tips to keep in mind when you're forming a comment when you really just want to say "no comment."

• Have a "safe" statement. This statement isn't defensive and you don't necessarily directly combat what is being said about you. This is where you say something like, "We are using all of our resources to make sure this issue is resolved quickly and fairly. But Organization XYZ will remain dedicated to saving the lives of starving children..." or whatever it is that you do.
• Don't get backed into a legal corner. If you know you can't comment on an issue because of the legality of it or because your attorney told you not to, say that. "Unfortunately, our legal counsel has advised us against giving certain information to the press at this time. We'll let you know when we can release that information.
• Don't let reporters get you angry. They are going to shout questions at you. They may ask you some very personal things. If you need to, get yourself together before you answer and stay calm.