How to Pitch a Feature Story to Television

When publicizing a story, getting it featured on a local television news show can be a great way to receive coverage. Television is a favored medium because it combines sight and sound, maximizing its impact on viewers. Always include television news stations when pitching stories to the media.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Know the proper person at each station to contact. Contrary to what you might believe, reporters are not typically the go-to person in this case; assignment editors and managers are.

2. Develop an ongoing relationship with the appropriate contact in the newsroom so that when your press release comes through, they will know it comes from a reliable source with whom they have a great repertoire.

3. Structure your release so it stands out. Use a catchy headline, bold or colored type and even a photo if possible, to make your announcement unique. Newsrooms sometimes receive hundreds of press releases a day, so it's important to look different from the others.

4. Send press releases by fax unless someone personally requests you to send a release by email. This may occur from time to time if a fax machine is down.

5. Supply possible interview, video or photography ideas in addition to your release to get the station's creative wheels spinning and draw more interest to your story.

Tips & Warnings

• Always be a reliable contact, and knowledgeable regarding the topics you're publicizing. If you don't know the answer, you should know who does.