Media outreach is about building a relationship with a journalist.  Fostering this relationship takes time and some effort on your part.  They are providing you with an invaluable, free service. Here are some suggestions for a furtive ASLA member journalist relationship.

Consider lead times:  Each media outlet will likely have its own preference for how far in advance it would like to receive information for a potential story.  For example, most monthly magazines prefer to receive materials for consideration 3 to 5 months in advance, newsletters often require receipt of information 4 to 6 weeks before printing, and daily newspapers may only need 1 week to develop and run a story. 

Know the reporter:  Reporters typically have a “beat” or topic they cover.  Make sure that your pitch is tailored to each reporter you pitch and his or her respective beat. 

Return calls or e-mails promptly:  If a reporter or editor shows interest in your pitch by calling you back or responding to your e-mail, aim to follow-up with them as quickly as possible, particularly if they have an impending deadline.  Demonstrating your responsiveness builds your credibility and positions you as a reliable source, making reporters more likely to consider you as an expert source for future articles.

Be sensitive to deadlines:  Reporters usually work under tight deadlines and often need information quickly.  For example, it’s ideal to begin your outreach to newspaper reporters early in the morning between 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. 

TIME LINE:

One week before the event/announcement

• Send a media advisory to local television stations and newspapers via e-mail. (Do not fax!)
• Start calling reporters once the media advisory has gone out.

Day before the event/announcement

• Resend the media advisory and continue to follow-up with reporters.
• Check in with reporters who expressed interest for onsite interviews or having a camera crew attend.

Pre-Event

• Distribute press release announcing the event to all media outlets.  Bring copies to have on hand at the event and to provide to any attending reporters.
• Continue to make follow-up calls the morning of your event.
• Follow-up with television stations again to determine if any will be sending camera crews.

At the Event

• Have all members of the media sign in with their contact information for tracking and follow-up purposes.
• Introduce yourself to all media who attend the event.  Provide them with your contact information.

Following the event

• Follow-up with journalist who attended your event to make sure they received all of the information they need to complete their story.
• Monitor the media outlets that attended your event for media coverage.
• Have ASLA conduct a local, regional, or national media scan.