| Television: Remember to target your local media | | | | community-oriented. If you are pitching a daily or metro |
| including cable or community college TV. Study the | | | | newspaper make sure to allow a minimum of two |
| various programs, some are talk, others are news, and | | | | weeks. Although there have been countless stories |
| others are community-oriented in their scope. When | | | | predicting the death of newspapers, remember over |
| sending a release to television news programs, allow | | | | one half of the country receives a daily paper. This is |
| three days to one week lead time. When sending | | | | an extremely powerful, multi-billion dollar industry. When |
| information to talk shows, allow at least three two to | | | | pitching a weekly or biweekly paper, allow a minimum |
| four weeks. Study the last ten minutes of broadcast | | | | of three weeks. Offer to write articles for trade, |
| on the local news. That time slot usually features soft | | | | community-based or local publications, free of charge. |
| news and human interest stories. | | | | Also keep in mind ethnic-oriented papers which are |
| Magazines: Look for special-interest publications | | | | rapidly growing around the country. Don't overlook club |
| dedicated to covering news in your field. These are | | | | newsletters, church bulletins, business association |
| magazines that are devoted to one particular field or | | | | newsletters and small newspapers. |
| area. When pitching a story to a weekly magazine, | | | | Radio: It is not a medium to be ignored. To pitch a |
| send your information out one month to six weeks in | | | | story to a radio program, send yourinformation at least |
| advance. If pitching a monthly magazine, make sure to | | | | two weeks in advance. Many radio shows have call-in |
| get your information to the editor a minimum of three | | | | formats, so prepare to answer a variety of questions. |
| months in advance. If you are pitching a | | | | If you have an 800 number, make sure and ask the |
| Christmas-oriented story, send it in August. Keep | | | | producer if you can give it out over the air. Also make |
| magazine guides in mind as potential media outlets. | | | | sure and leave your phone number with the station to |
| These are tourist-oriented publications that are usually | | | | give out to listeners who call in for information. If you |
| distributed in hotels and in some restaurants. | | | | have call waiting, remember to disconnect it before |
| Newspapers: When pitching the local newspapers, | | | | conducting an interview. |
| develop a hook that is local in its scope or is | | | | |